Column

CFL Week 8 Stars of the Week: 1st Team and 2nd Team

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  Jonathan Clink
• August 4, 2023

🔊 Play

Week 8 was one in which defenses played very well. Out of the 8 teams that played in week 8 only 4 teams scored an offensive touchdown including Toronto, BC, Saskatchewan, and Hamilton.

First Team

Second Team

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o" title="">1st Team Offense, 2nd Team Defense, 2nd Team Offense

1st Team Defensive Line

First Team DE – Malik Carney (HAM)

Malik Carney was a game-wrecker against Ottawa. In the 2nd quarter, he ended a RedBlacks drive picking up sacks on back-to-back plays. He reached for Crum pulling him back on the first one. The next play he quickly got to Crum again for another sack. In the third quarter, he got pressure on Crum when Hamilton was only rushing 3. He also had a good run stop in the 4th quarter holding Williams to 1 yard on the carry.

First Team DT – Mustafa Johnson (MTL)

Johnson was a big part of the reason Maier had such a low yard per attempt this week such as a play early in the second half in which Maier threw an incompletion under pressure from Johnson or another play in which he pressured in the 2nd half and knocked down the pass.

block-heading">First Team DT – Woody Baron (BC)

Woody Baron had multiple pressures on Taylor Cornelius in week 8 as well as a knockdown. Cornelius was pressured almost every play by the BC pass rush. BC also only allowed Calgary’s starting running back Dedrick Mills to gain 5 yards on 5 carries.

First Team DE – Mathieu Betts (BC)

Mathieu Betts was all over the Elks. Betts pressured Cornelius on both of the first 2 plays Edmonton had the ball. He showed really good pursuit on a tackle of Keving Brown for a loss on an outside handoff. Multiple times Betts pressured and chased Cornelius out of the pocket. He would have had a sack if not for Cornelius throwing the ball away as he was being tackled.

1st Team Linebackers

First Team LB – Wynton McManis (TOR)

McManis had a great game. In the first quarter, he came in unblocked off the edge for a sack. He had a good tackle on Lenius to prevent a first down in the 2nd quarter. Had another play tackling Mason Fine as he threw it away. Forced Emilus to make a good catch as he hit him with good time as he caught it on another play.

block-heading">First Team LB – Jameer Thurman (HAM)

Thurman made things difficult for Crum. He had a good tackle on him in the first quarter and then got pressure and a sack in the 2nd quarter. He had a great tackle on Crum in the 4th quarter forcing a 3rd and 4. He had a good 4th quarter run stop and then later stopped Crum from running for a first down on Ottawa’s second-to-last offensive play of the game.

First Team Cover LB – Adarius Pickett (TOR)

Pickett put good pressure on Fine running him over in the first quarter. He had an excellent forced fumble hitting Jamal Morrow who was reaching for the goal line turning a Saskatchewan touchdown into a turnover.

1st Team Defensive Backs

First Team CB – Kabion Ento (MTL)

Ento scored the only touchdown of the game jumping a route and picking off a pass and taking it back for a touchdown near the sideline. He nearly had another interception jumping in front of a pass that went off of his chest but was still a great breakup.

block-heading">First Team HB – DaShaun Amos (TOR)

Amos had a good breakup on a long pass targeting Jake Wieneke. He had a great touchdown returning an interception 

First Team S – Stavros Katsantonis (HAM)

Katsantonis had an awesome sack on a blitz going over a block and diving to take Crum down. He also had 5 tackles in his efforts to keep the Ottawa passing game limited to 158 yards.

First Team HB – Abdul Kanneh (OTT)

Kanneh had a great interception on a ball that was underthrown running the ball 40 yards back downfield setting Ottawa up for a field goal to end the first half.

block-heading">First Team CB – Garry Peters (BC)

Garry Peters jumped a route and got himself an interception in the 4th quarter. Peters has been spectacular at locking people down this season.

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1st Team Quarterback

Quarterback performances are outlined in the Weekly Quarterback rankings

block-heading">First Team QB – Dane Evans (BC)

1st Team Runningback

Running back performances are outlined in the Weekly Running back rankings

First Team RB – Taquan Mizzell (BC)

1st Team Wide Receivers

Wide receiver performances are outlined in CFL Wide Receiver Weekly.

First Team WR – Tevin Jones (SSK)

First Team WR – Shawn Bane Jr. (SSK)

First Team WR – Kaion Julien-Grant (MTL)

First Team WR – Tre Odoms-Dukes (CGY)

First Team WR – Reggie Begelton (CGY)

1st Team Offensive Line

First Team OL – BC Lions

They did a good job protecting Dane Evans who had the best week among quarterbacks and did a good job creating holes for Taquan Mizzell who was the only running back to break 100 yards in week 8.

LT Jarell B

roxton, LG Andrew Peirson, C Michael Couture, RG Sukh Chungh, RT Kent Perkins

1st Team Special Teams

First Team Kicker – Rene Paredes (CGY)

Paredes was 6 for 6 on field goals scoring all of his team’s points including a 53-yarder.

First Team Punter – Richie Leone (OTT)

He averaged 49.7 yards per punt over 9 punts and did a great job placing them in spots that were really difficult to return from and giving his cover team a good opportunity to get downfield and stop the return.

block-heading">First Team Returner – Javon Leake (TOR)

Javon Leake’s 71-yard punt return touchdown was awesome and was so fun to watch. He returned 6 punts averaging 28.5 yards per return.

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Second Team

2nd Team Defensive Line

Second Team DE – Jamal Davis II (MTL)

Davis was a big contributor to the Montreal defense making Jake Maier’s day difficult. Plays such as putting pressure on Maier in the first half and knocking him down or his sack in the 2nd half.

block-heading">Second Team DT – Casey Sayles (HAM)

Casey Sayles had some good run stops in the game. He also had a sack on a play that looked like an RPO that Crum probably should have handed the ball off on. He had a knockdown on Ottawa’s final offensive play securing the Hamilton victory.

Second Team DT – Dewayne Hendrix (TOR)

Hendrix had some great run stops against Jamal Morrow. In the third quarter, he pressured Mason Fine who had to get rid of it quickly. The next play he had a tackle for a 5-yard loss on Jamal Morrow.

Second Team DE – Tre’ Crawford (HAM)

Crawford had 2 sacks against Ottawa both of which were very impressive. The first sack he did a good job reaching for Crum. In the third quarter, he dove to make a great sack.

Second Team LB – Frankie Griffin (OTT)

Griffin had at least 4 good run stops through the game including a tackle for a loss in the 2nd quarter. He had a 4th quarter interception after a pass was broken up by Brandin Dandridge.

Second Team LB – Nyles Morgan (EDM)

Morgan had some very good plays for Edmonton on what was not a very good day for his team. He had a good tackle at the line on a run play early in the game. He had another good tackle on Mizzell after he got through a hole in the 2nd quarter. He also forced Dane Evans to throw the ball out of bounds on a play after he got pressure around the edge.

Second Team Cover LB – Najee Murray (MTL)

Murray played well in what is unfortunately going to be his last game of the season due to an injury recently sustained. He had a knockdown on a deep ball during Calgary’s first drive targeting Reggie Begelton. He had 4 tackles all of which were closing in quickly on receivers who had just caught short passes preventing them from getting some YAC to get the Stampeder’s offense going.