THIS WEEK IN THE CFL – WEEK 2

Stats and storylines heading into this week’s action

WEEK 1 IN RETROSPECT

• 210 points were scored, compared to 158 on opening week of 2021 – an increase of 33 per cent.
• Three of the four games were completed within 2:43. Last season opened with one game finishing at 2:43, while the three others were over 2:50.
• In Week 1, penalties occurred on 9.8 per cent of plays – well below the long-term trend of 11-12 per cent.
• Four teams opened the game with a scoring drive (Calgary, BC, Edmonton and Saskatchewan).
• Three of four games were decided in the final three minutes.
• Of the 360 players who took the field, 85 per cent had played two or more years in the CFL, compared to 71 per cent in 2021.
• 54 rookies played, representing 15 per cent of the players who dressed. In 2021, there were 103 rookies, representing 29 per cent.
• 51 of the 54 Division All Stars from 2021 returned to the CFL – up 9 per cent from a year ago.
• Calgary and Winnipeg won on fourth quarter game-winning drives led by backup quarterbacks (Jake Maier and Dru Brown). Both starting quarterbacks were credited with the victories.
• Home teams went undefeated.
• Winning teams also came out on-top in the turnover battle, committing six total compared to 16 by the losing sides.
• The four winners allowed one sack; the four losing teams allowed 16.

RED AND WHITE PIVOTS

• Nathan Rourke set a Canadian quarterback record by completing 26-of-29 passes (89.7 per cent) with a pass rating of 151.8.
• With Rourke and Edmonton’s rookie, Tre Ford, getting snaps last week, it marked the first time since August 27, 1982, that two Canadian quarterbacks attempted passes in the same game (Luc Dousignant and Gerry Dattilio).
• Two Canadians quarterbacks haven’t started the same game since Pete Ohler and Frank Cosentino on August 20, 1968.
• Rourke’s five touchdowns (3 passing, two rushing) matched Russ Jackson’s Canadian record established in 1969.
• The last Canadians to throw for three touchdowns in a game were Brandon Bridge (2017) and Greg Vavra (1984), who will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

SACKING HIS WAY UP

• Charleston Hughes wrapped up Matthew Shiltz in Week 1 to register his 133^rd-career sack to sit one shy of tying John Bowman (134) for fifth all-time and two from tying Joe Montford (135) for fourth.
• Hughes has sacked 38 different quarterbacks in his career, with his top five targets being:
  • 18 | Micheal Reilly
  • 15 | Darian Durant
  • 9 | Ricky Ray
  • 8 | Henry Burris
  • 7 | Kevin Glenn
• Hughes and the Roughriders face Edmonton in Week 2. Career sacks by team:
  • 23 | Edmonton and Saskatchewan
  • 18 | Hamilton
  • 16 | Toronto
  • 15 | BC
  • 12 | Ottawa and Montreal
  • 9 | Winnipeg
  • 5 | Calgary
• Hughes has had 60 first down sacks, 71 on second down and two on third. He has had 38 in the fourth quarter with 11 inside the final three minutes.
• 10 of his sacks have resulted in a turnover (eight fumbles, two on downs)

QUICK SLANTS

• The Argonauts were 6-1 at home in 2021.
• McLeod Bethel-Thompson (8,530) needs 283 yards to surpass Kerwin Bell (8,812) for sixth on Toronto’s all-time passing list.
• Andrew Harris (14,884) needs three yards to pass Allen Pitts to move into fifth in all-time yards from scrimmage. Milt Stegall is fourth with 15,209.
• Last week, Cody Fajardo completed six passes of 20+ yards on ten attempts. The rest of the league had nine completions in 27 tries. League wide, teams tended to be conservative averaging 9.5 yards per pass attempt.
• BC’s James Butler tied the team record with four touchdowns in a game. Geroy Simon last accomplished the feat in 2004.
• BC’s 59 points in Week 1 was the most scored by any team in opening week in league history.
• Jeremiah Masoli passed for 380 yards in his Ottawa REDBLACKS’ debut for his 32^nd-career game with 300+ yards. Jaelon Acklin set a new career-high with 143 yards on six catches. His previous high of 120 yards was set on July 4, 2019 – coincidentally, that was also the last time Masoli reached 380+ yards (401).
• On Saturday, the Ticats are on the hunt for a fourth consecutive home-opening victory. Since moving to Tim Hortons Field, they are 4-2 in home openers.
• The Elks are 2-3 in their last five home openers.
• Jeshrun Antwi’s 70-yard run in Week 1 was the longest rushing play since October 20, 2018, when Stanback had a 72-yard rush against Toronto. It was the ninth 70+ yard run since the start of 2015.