Lions stick with Adams at QB

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This article was published 23/10/2024 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We’re down to the final nine players vying for the CFL’s most prestigious individual award.

While all nine clubs technically have a representative for the league’s Most Outstanding Player (MOP) — which is voted on by members of the Football Reporters of Canada in each market, as well as the head coach from each team, with the first round of results released on Wednesday — this is feeling more and more like a two-horse race.

Personally, Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira has done enough to claim the award after narrowly missing out on it last season. The 27-year-old leads the CFL with 1,318 rushing yards; has a season-high 54 catches totalling 465 more yards; and had scored four total touchdowns, including three on the ground and one through the air.

While Oliveira is my clear front-runner, there’s also a case to be made for Saskatchewan Roughriders halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. Milligan has had a terrific season, registering 91 total tackles — including the second-most in the league on special teams, with 20 — and paces the CFL with eight interceptions, one more than Winnipeg’s Tyrell Ford.

Both players have one game remaining on the regular season schedule, so there’s a final opportunity to add to those numbers. Only one can make it out of the West for MOP, although each is likely to get a nod in another category — Oliveira for Most Outstanding Canadian and Milligan for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Assuming one of Oliveira or Milligan gets through to the final round of MOP voting, they will be up against the representative from the East Division. That’s also looking like an intriguing race, even if the West is sure to win, with Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Bo Levi Mitchell, Montreal Alouettes LB Tyrice Beverette and Ottawa Redblacks WR Justin Hardy all having strong seasons.

It should be interesting to see what happens over the next week and how it might alter the opinions of voters. Final votes out of the East and West are to be submitted by Sunday, with one more vote to determine the winner. All winners will be announced at the CFL awards show in Vancouver on Thursday, Nov. 14, during Grey Cup week.

Now, let’s dive into the other top stories across the three-down loop in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) The Lions turned to QB Vernon Adams Jr. for their final regular season game in hopes of generating a much-needed spark heading into the playoffs. Adams was in the midst of an MOP-calibre season before being replaced by Nathan Rourke, who came in after years in the NFL and signed a lucrative, multi-year deal, only to last eight starts. Adams delivered in his return behind centre, throwing for 385 yards, along with a pair of touchdown passes and interceptions, in a 27-3 win over the Alouettes. Lions head coach Rick Campbell confirmed Adams would be back under centre for the West semifinal.

2) That Adams is back to being the go-to guy in B.C. for the playoffs is not surprising. You don’t make that kind of move in the regular season finale, only to change course the next game. It’s also the right choice, and not because I suggested it a couple of weeks ago. You just had to listen to the players in the locker room shower their teammate with praise, calling the Lions Adams’ team. There should be some doubt that Adams and the Lions can turn this season around, if only for the fact the Alouettes had nothing to play for in the game and B.C.’s defence is still among the worst in the league. But they’re definitely in a better situation compared to the week before, when they got their lunch money stolen in a Rourke-led 39-8 road loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium — the same stadium and team they’ll likely have to travel to and play against next week in a win-or-go-home playoff game.

3) The Toronto Argonauts got off to a roaring start against the visiting Redblacks, taking a commanding 28-0 lead just minutes into the second quarter. The Redblacks mounted a mighty comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Argos 25-0 to fall just short, 38-31. Ottawa recovered two onside kicks but failed on a third attempt. The win clinched the Argos second place in the East, meaning they’ll host the Redblacks in next week’s divisional semifinal.

4) I wrote this last week and it’s worth repeating the Argos will be a dangerous team in the playoffs. They’re playing arguably their best football of the season, with victories in three in a row and four of the last five games. The offence is clicking under QB Chad Kelly and has a three-headed monster at running back, highlighted by Ka’Deem Carey. The defence is the best at stopping the run and lead the league by a country mile when it comes to sacks. Give HC Ryan Dinwiddie two weeks to prepare for any opponent and he’s getting the job done.

5) Meanwhile, the Redblacks are slowly but surely circling the toilet bowl, with losses in five in a row. Which is a real shame given how strong of a start they had. What’s clear is that QB Dru Brown is going to have to play the game of his life to beat the Argos and that might not even be enough unless they can find a way to establish any semblance of a run game. The other area they will have to outshine the Argos in is on special teams, which will be a stiff challenge when Toronto has Janarian Grant as returner. Perhaps the Redblacks can take some confidence in how they were able to fight back last week, but they can’t afford to start the same way.

6) Ticats QB Bo Levi Mitchell finally got his revenge on the Calgary Stampeders last week, throwing for 450 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-20 beatdown of his former team. Mitchell celebrated the win with his immediate and extended family, while surpassing 5,000 passing yards for the third time in his career and first time since the 2018 season while with Calgary. What’s wild to me is despite how dominant Mitchell has been over his career, this will be the first time he leads the CFL in passing yards.

7) It’s the game of the week because it’s the only one that will mean something. The Bombers can wrap up first place in the West for a fourth consecutive year with a win over the Alouettes Saturday. The Alouettes have already locked up the East, so something to watch is how they will field their roster with nothing to play for in the standings. It’s the first time since 2019, when the Bombers snapped their lengthy Grey Cup drought, that they’ve had to play for something in the final week of the regular season. Perhaps this could prove to be a good thing in the long run, so long as everyone leaves the game healthy.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton