As we close the seventh week of Canadian Football League (CFL) action, it’s time to highlight the exceptional performers who left an indelible mark on the gridiron. Pro Football Focus (PFF) presents the CFL Honour Roll, recognizing the top individual and collective efforts in offence, defence, and line play.
PFF employs a meticulous review process that analyzes every game, player, and play, generating over 200 unique data points. These stats inform the Player Grades – a numerical evaluation up-to-100 that represents a player’s performance in their position. These grades ultimately form the basis for our CFL Honour Roll.
The spotlight this week is on Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ QB Zach Collaros, Hamilton Tiger-Cats‘ DB Richard Leonard, and the Blue Bombers’ offensive line.
OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS – WEEK 7
Zach Collaros showcased an outstanding performance in a 28-14 win against Edmonton, earning a season-high PFF grade of 84.6. His efficiency was evident, completing 20-of-24 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He fired two 30+ yard passes, including a season-best 70-yard touchdown pass to Nic Demski in the third quarter. His game efficiency rating was an impressive 129.2.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT – WEEK 7
In a match that ended in favour of Toronto (31-15), Richard Leonard of Hamilton Tiger-Cats made his presence known with a remarkable defensive showing. Leonard played 52 defensive snaps, earning a PFF Player Grade of 86.1. His performance included three defensive tackles, two pass knockdowns, and an 85.6 Grade on 32 coverage snaps.
OFFENSIVE LINE STALWARTS – WEEK 7
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers‘ offensive line proved dominant in their game against Edmonton, earning a unit grade of 79.8. Patrick Neufeld (72.2), Chris Kolankowski (70.8), and Liam Dobson (68.9) stood out as the top performers.
ALL-WEEK 7 HONOURABLE MENTIONS (Position | Name | Team | Grade)
QB | Zach Collaros | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 84.6
RB | Brady Oliveira | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 72.9
REC | Nate Behar | Ottawa REDBLACKS | 79.4
OL | Colin Kelly | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 75.0
DL | Mike Rose | Calgary Stampeders | 79.3
LB | Ben Hladik | BC Lions | 80.6
DB | Richard Leonard | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 86.1
K/P | Bailey Flint | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 79.0
ST | Jayden Dalke | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 91.8
REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES OF 2023 (Grade | Week | Position | Name | Team)
93.4 | Week 6 | QB | Chad Kelly | Toronto Argonauts
92.5 | Week 3 | DB | Royce Metchie | Toronto Argonauts
90.8 | Week 2 | QB | Zach Collaros | Winnipeg Blue Bombers
90.6 | Week 2 | DL | Julian Howsare | Calgary Stampeders
90.3 | Week 3 | QB | Cody Fajardo | Montreal Alouettes
90.3 | Week 3 | DB | Loucheiz Purifoy | Edmonton Elks
88.2 | Week 5 | QB | Trevor Harris | Saskatchewan Roughriders
88.2 | Week 4 | DB | Robertson Daniel | Toronto Argonauts
88.1 | Week 5 | RB | Dedrick Mills | Calgary Stampeders
87.8 | Week 6 | QB | Matthew Shiltz | Hamilton Tiger-Cats
These exceptional athletes certainly set the bar high in CFL’s Week 7. Stay tuned as we look forward to another exciting week of football!
