The 111th Grey Cup saw Toronto emerge victorious 41-24 in what was the largest margin of victory in a Grey Cup since 2019. Looking at the impact made by all defensive players, and offensive linemen. Awarding a “Clink Award” to a player from every position group.

Contents:

Grey Cup Clink Awards

Toronto’s Defensive Performance, Enhanced Stats

Toronto’s Offensive Line Performances

Winnipeg’s Defensive Performance, Enhanced Stats

Winnipeg’s Offensive Line Performances

Grey Cup Clink Awards

Highlighting impactful players from different position groups.

Quarterback: Nick Arbuckle

Arbuckle was efficient as he completed 26 of his 37 passes for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. The first interception saw his targetted receiver stop running on a deep route and on the 2nd interception, Jefferson jumped up and snatched the ball at the line. The touchdowns were 17 yards each.

It wasn’t a perfect game as there were some shorter passes that were simply missed and the majority of the targets were in very manageable ranges. Arbuckle played a smart game making wise decisions taking what Winnipeg was giving him and demonstrating good reads.

Wide Receiver: Ontaria Wilson

Wilson caught 5 of his 8 targets for 99 yards. He was a bright spot in a passing offense that had a very frustrating night for Winnipeg. His 49-yard reception in the 2nd quarter was the longest of the game and his 39 YAC were the most among receivers.

Running Back: Brady Oliveira

Oliveira rushed 11 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. His 7.6 yards per carry is made more impressive when you consider that his final 2 carries were goal-line scenarios for a 3-yard touchdown and a 2-point convert. On his 9 runs that did not see him plunge into the end zone, he averaged 8.88 yards per carry. If Winnipeg stuck to their bread and butter of being a smash-mouth football team there’s a good chance Oliveira could have been the Grey Cup MVP.

Ka’Deem Carey played great for Toronto as well as he rushed 15 times for 79 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, and a touchdown.

Offensive Lineman: Anthony Vandal

Vandal had an impressive performance as he did not allow a pressure in the Grey Cup. Winnipeg often only rushed 3 and he did well helping to provide support to his area when he did not have a rusher coming directly at him.

Defensive Lineman: Willie Jefferson

Jefferson’s 2 sacks and an interception at the line secure his name here for me. He also had 3 additional QB hurries and another QB hit. One of the sacks probably should not have been a sack as Arbuckle went down a little too easy but the second sack was a well-done strip sack that nearly caused a turnover. I felt Jefferson was the most impactful defensive lineman in the Grey Cup.

Jake Ceresna would have been my selection for Toronto due to his 7 total pressures.

Linebacker: Wynton McManis

McManis would have been my selection for Grey Cup MVP. He had nearly a perfect game as he led the team with 6 tackles including a solo run stop and solo stop against the pass. 9 targets came his way in coverage and he broke up the first 3 of them fantastically. I did not attribute any completions to come his way until the final 3 minutes of the game which saw 4 completions come his way for a total of 35 yards when Toronto was playing prevent. He also returned an interception 58 yards late in the 4th quarter.

Defensive Back: Benjie Franklin

Collars threw more passes Franklin’s way than any other defensive back for Toronto. 7 targets came his way resulting in 3 completions for 39 yards, the longest being for 22 yards in the 2nd quarter. He had an interception late in the first half that ended Winnipeg’s attempt to score before halftime and had 2 pass breakups in the third quarter.

Special Teams: Lirim Hajrullahu

I was impressed by Hajrullahu’s accuracy as he made all 4 of his field goals and all 4 extra points. His longest field goal was before halftime for 45 yards not long after he sustained a lower-body injury. He limped back out onto the field looking rough but still delivered.

Props to Sergio Castillo for once again having another perfect performance in the Grey Cup as well as made all 3 of his field goals and the extra point.

Toronto’s Defensive Performances

The stats listed below include both official stats and unofficial stats tracked by me. The official stats include DT: defensive tackles, SK: sacks, INT: interceptions, FR, FF, TFL, STT: Special Team Tackles.

The unofficial stats include pass rushing stats: QB Hurries (hurries in which the player is the primary source of pressure), Secondary Hurries (Hurries in which the player is a secondary source of pressure), QB hits (hurries in which the player is a primary source of pressure and hits the quarterback), Secondary QB hit (hurries in which the player is a secondary source of pressure and also hits the QB).

It includes the following “stop” stats in which the tackle prevents success for the offense which varies based on the down and distance of the play. RS (solo run stop), RS Assist (shared run stop), PS (solo pass stop), PS Assist (shared pass stop).

Miss: is missed tackles.

It includes the coverage stats: Targets (passes that went the player’s way in coverage that I attribute them responsibility for), REC (number of receptions that resulted from those targets), and YDS (number of yards produced from those receptions).

Defensive Line

DE Jake Ceresna

Jake Ceresna didn’t make a major splash on the stats sheet as he was credited with 1 tackle but he made an impact as he generated 8 total pressures, 6 of which were the pass rusher generating the primary source of pressure. On 2 of those pressures, the play resulted in an interception including 1 in which he got a piece of the ball as it left Collaros’ hands.

DT Ralph Holley

Holley contributed 6 total pressures in the pass rush, 5 of which he was the primary source of pressure.

DE Folarin Orimolade

Orimolade did not appear on the stat sheet but had 4 total pressures and assisted on a run stop in the third quarter.

DT Jared Brinkman

Brinkman generated pressure on 3 plays and had 2 tackles, 1 of which was a shared run stop in the third quarter.

DT Jordan Williams

Williams had 1 tackle which was a shared run stop and generated pressure on 2 pass rushes.

Linebackers

MLB – Wynton McManis

Wynton McManis was essentially perfect in Toronto’s championship effort. He recorded a team-leading 6 tackles including a solo stop against the run and the pass. He was amazing in coverage as he had 3 past breakups and an interception. Throughout the course of the game 9 targets went his way resulting in 4 completions for 35 yards. A completion did not come his way until the final 3 minutes of the game which saw Toronto change defensive strategies to more of a preventative style.

SLB – Robert Priester

Priester had 2 targets come his way and the only one caught was by himself which he intercepted and returned 61 yards for the longest pick-6 in Grey Cup history. Priester generated pressure on 2 plays.

SLB Tunde Adeleke

Adeleke finished the game with 2 tackles and 0 targets coming his way.

WLB  – Isaac Darkangelo

Darkangelo had 2 special teams tackles. He was the secondary tackler on a 5-yard Brady Oliveira run early in the second quarter which does not appear on the CFL stats sheet. There were 2 plays in which he generated pressure in blitz packages.

WLB Fraser Sopik

Fraser Sopik generated pressure on 4 plays in blitz packages, 3 of which he was the primary source of pressure.

Defensive Backs

CB Benjie Franklin

Franklin saw 7 targets come his way which only resulted in 3 receptions for 39 yards. He had 2 breakups and an interception in addition to his 3 tackles.

S Royce Metchie

Metchie had 3 tackles including a solo stop against a short pass and was also assisted on a run stop in addition to the 3 tackles. 3 targets came his way and only 1 resulted in a completion which was for 3 yards. 

HB DaShaun Amos

Amos had 2 tackles over the course of the game. 3 targets came his way and only 1 resulted in a completion which was for 27 yards in the 2nd quarter. He had an interception in the 4th quarter.

HB Mark Milton

Milton had 3 targets come his way which had 1 result in a completion for 49 yards in the first quarter. He had a pass breakup in the third quarter.

CB Tavarus McFadden

McFadden had 2 targets come his way resulting in a 6 yard reception. There was a 2-yard reception in the 4th quarter on a 2nd and 15 scenario in which he prevented the first down.

S Tyshon Blackburn

Blackburn had 2 targets come his way resulting in 2 completions for 21 yards in the final 2 minutes of the game.

Toronto’s Offensive Line

Note: I separate total pressures into 3 categories for offensive linemen here. After sacks, there are pressures and secondary pressures. A secondary pressure is when a pass rusher is allowed to generate pressure but that player is not the primary source of pressure. I do this to help more accurately track the total pressures allowed by a unit.

LT Ryan Hunter

Hunter had a challenging assignment blocking Willie Jefferson who got the better of him at times. 2 sacks, 5 primary hurries, and another secondary hurries came past Hunter over the Grey Cup. The 2 sacks and 3 of the additional hurries past Hunter were the result of Jefferson’s pass rushes.

LG Dylan Giffen

Giffen allowed 2 primary pressures over the game, one in the first quarter and another in the 2nd quarter.

C Peter Nicastro

Nicastro allowed 2 secondary pressures, one in the 3rd quarter and another in the 4th quarter.

RG Anthony Vandal

Vandal had his best game of the postseason as he did not allow a single pressure in the Grey Cup.

RT Dejon Allen

Allen allowed 3 pressures over the Grey Cup. He did not allow a pressure in the 2nd quarter.

Winnipeg’s Defensive Performances

The stats listed below include both official stats and unofficial stats tracked by me. The official stats include DT: defensive tackles, SK: sacks, INT: interceptions, FR, FF, TFL, STT: Special Team Tackles.

The unofficial stats include pass rushing stats: QB Hurries (hurries in which the player is the primary source of pressure), Secondary Hurries (Hurries in which the player is a secondary source of pressure), QB hits (hurries in which the player is a primary source of pressure and hits the quarterback), Secondary QB hit (hurries in which the player is a secondary source of pressure and also hits the QB).

It includes the following “stop” stats in which the tackle prevents success for the offense which varies based on the down and distance of the play. RS (solo run stop), RS Assist (shared run stop), PS (solo pass stop), PS Assist (shared pass stop).

Miss: is missed tackles.

It includes the coverage stats: Targets (passes that went the player’s way in coverage that I attribute them responsibility for), REC (number of receptions that resulted from those targets), and YDS (number of yards produced from those receptions).

Defensive Line

DE Willie Jefferson

Willie Jefferson finished the game with 6 tackles, 2 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. He had 4 pressures in addition to the 2 sacks. His interception was remarkably impressive as he went up for a knockdown and came down with the football early in the 4th quarter. 2 of Jefferson’s tackles were solo run stops.

DE TyJuan Garbutt

Garbutt finished the game with 3 tackles on the stat sheet, 2 of which were solo run stops and another was an assisted stop against a short pass. He generated pressure on 3 plays including 1 in which he batted down a pass.

DT Miles Fox

Fox had 1 tackle which was an assisted run stop in the 2nd quarter keeping Carey to 3 yards. He generated pressure on 1 play.

DE Celestin Haba

Haba generated pressure on 5 plays and had 1 tackle which resulted in a 7-yard loss on a pass in the first quarter.

DT Jake Thomas

Thomas generated pressure on 2 plays.

Linebackers

MLB Tony Jones

Jones had 4 tackles over the game including a shared stop early in the 2nd quarter that kept a passing play to 0 yards. He generated pressure on 2 plays.

WLB Kyrie Wilson

Wilson had 2 tackles, 1 of which was a solo run stop. Additionally, he assisted on a run stop in the 4th quarter. He generated pressure on 1 play. In coverage, he saw 1 target come his way resulting in a 12-yard gain.

SLB Michael Griffin

Griffin had 4 tackles including a solo run stop and solo stop against the pass and had 1 pressure. He was covering a close area of the field that Toronto was prioritizing their targets to and saw 6 targets come his way resulting in 6 completions for 47 yards.

SLB Redha Kramdi

Kramdi had 2 tackles, 1 of which was a shared run stop in the 4th quarter which saw him injured on the play. He also had 2 pressures. 4 targets came his way resulting in 4 completions for 40 yards, the longest of which was 29 yards and the shortest was a 7-yard loss.

Defensive Backs

CB Tyrell Ford

Ford had 6 tackles in the game including 2 solo stops against short passing plays. 5 targets came his way resulting in 3 completions for 21 yards.

HB Nick Taylor

Tylor finished the game with 5 tackles including a stop against the pass on a 3 yard play. He saw 4 targets come his way resulting in 2 completion for 18 yards and he had 2 breakups in the 3rd quarter.

HB Evan Holm

Holm finished the game with 3 tackles. 2 targets came his way both in the 1st quarter on plays in which he was covering routes deeper and resulted in an 11-yard gain and a 6-yard gain. After that, no more targets came his way.

HB Deatrick Nichols

Nichols finished the game with 3 tackles. 6 targets came his way resulting in 4 completions for 74 yards and a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He broke up the first target his way int he 2nd quarter.

S Brandon Alexander

Alexander had 3 tackles including a solo run stop. He pressure the quarterback on 1 play. The only target I attribute to being his responsibility was a 17-yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

CB Terrell Bonds

Bonds saw 5 targets come his way resulting in only 2 completions for 15 yards, the longest of which was 15 yards in the 4th quarter. He broke up a pass in the 2nd quarter and intercepted a pass in the third quarter.

Winnipeg’s Offensive Line

Note: I separate total pressures into 3 categories for offensive linemen here. After sacks, there are pressures and secondary pressures. A secondary pressure is when a pass rusher is allowed to generate pressure but that player is not the primary source of pressure. I do this to help more accurately track the total pressures allowed by a unit.

Winnipeg’s offensive line play held up well in the first half but struggled in the 2nd half. I suspect the fact that Winnipeg went away from the run game allowed Toronto’s pass rushers to floor it in the pass rush as it became apparent that they did not need to worry about run responsibility.

LT Stanley Bryant

Bryant allowed 4 total pressures over the game, only 1 of which was the primary source of pressure on the play. His only pressure in the first half was a sack in which several Toronto players found themselves by Winnipeg’s quarterback.

LG Liam Dobson

Dobson allowed 4 primary pressures and 1 secondary pressure. He only allowed 1 pressure in the first half.

C Chris Kolankowski

Kolankowski allowed 3 primary pressures and 2 secondary pressures. He had a clean first quarter, 2 pressures in the 2nd quarter, and 3 pressures in the 2nd half.

RG Patrick Neufeld

Neufeld allowed 4 primary pressures and 1 secondary pressure. He allowed 1 pressure on the third play of the game and then did not allow another pressure until the game reached the final 5 minutes.

RT Eric Lofton

Lofton allowed 4 hurries and a sack which came in the 2nd quarter. 3 of his 5 total pressures allowed came in the final 21 minutes of the game.

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