August 15, 2016

Quarterback Index: The meteoric rise of Matt Nichols

Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca

TORONTO — The upper class of Canadian Football League quarterbacks remains well-defined.

Mike Reilly, Bo Levi Mitchell and Jonathon Jennings justified their status among the league’s elite with their roles in Week 8 victories, while combined the three of them are 13-7-1 this season.

Yet with a looming quarterback duel between Henry Burris and Trevor Harris, the emergence of Matt Nichols in Winnipeg and the return of Zach Collaros, nothing but intrigue surrounds football’s most pivotal position across nine CFL teams.

RELATED:
» Landry: 5 takeaways from Week 8
» Steinberg’s MMQB: A sigh of relief for the Champs
» Milanovich on Kilgore: ‘It’s a learning experience’
» REDBLACKS announce Burris to start in Week 9

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

Henry Burris will get another chance to lead the REDBLACKS offence in Week 9 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Nichols was the greatest riser in the Quarterback Index after going from seventh to fifth following a winning performance in Toronto against the Argos — the Bombers’ third straight victory with him under centre. Meanwhile, Collaros shook off some first-half rust to lead the Ticats back from a 20-point deficit and almost steal two points in B.C.

In a one-game, winner-take-all, which quarterback would you want leading your club? Our rankings heading into Week 9:

Mike Reilly EDM
This Week: 1 | Last Week: 1

The Esks’ offence made it way harder than it needed to be after fumbling three times in a win over Montreal, but none of that was Mike Reilly’s fault. Reilly and his top two receivers in Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker continue to produce at an historical clip and give the Eskimos a chance to win on any given day. Still, the gap between Reilly and Bo Levi Mitchell remains narrow.

Bo Levi Mitchell CGY
This Week: 2 | Last Week: 2

All Bo Levi Mitchell does is win. The Katy, Texas native is 33-7-1 in his career following the Stampeders’ 19-10 win over Saskatchewan in Week 8, one in which his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended at 21.

Jonathon Jennings BC
This Week: 3 | Last Week: 3

At the age of 24, Jonathon Jennings continues to learn from his mistakes and show why he belongs among the CFL’s elite. Two weeks after throwing timely interceptions and giving up a 15-point lead with under 3:00 to go to lose to the Stamps, Jennings responded to the Ticats’ comeback attempt, with the game all tied up, with a game-winning touchdown drive.

 

Henry Burris OTT
This Week: 4 | Last Week: 5

Henry Burris gets the start in Week 9 coming off the bye, as he faces his critics head on following an emotional halftime rant in a Week 7 win. Can he avoid hearing the footsteps of Trevor Harris and get back to his 2015 form?

Matt Nichols WPG
This Week: 5 | Last Week: 7

An early interception and a 10-3 deficit on the road wasn’t enough to faze Matt Nichols. Nichols was otherwise accurate and efficient in leading the Bombers to their third straight win with him under centre, a convincing road win over the Argos. With Nichols’ leadership of the offence it seems like the Bombers have turned a corner.

Zach Collaros HAM
This Week: 6 | Last Week: IR

As expected, Zach Collaros showed a little bit of rust in his first game in nearly 11 months — but in the second half got into a rhythm and led the Ticats back from 20 points down vs. the Lions. Throwing for 331 yards against the Lions is nothing to sneeze at.

Darian Durant SSK
This Week: 7 | Last Week: 4

Darian Durant has the Rider offence moving, but finishing drives has been an issue. The wily veteran threw for 267 yards vs. Calgary but failed to find the end zone, giving the Saskatchewan offence just one touchdown over its last two games. Bonus: he turned back the clock and rushed for 74 yards on 10 attempts.

The Canadian Press

Darian Durant will need his offence to start finding the end zone soon (The Canadian Press)

Kevin Glenn MTL
This Week: 8 | Last Week: 6

It shouldn’t be surprising that both veterans Durant and Kevin Glenn have fallen in the rankings as their teams have combined for three wins this season. Montreal’s offence, meanwhile, ranks worst in the league, and it didn’t look much better vs. Edmonton in failing to find the end zone and scoring only 12 points.

Logan Kilgore TOR
This Week: 9 | Last Week: 9

The lowest-ranked starter on the list, Logan Kilgore holds his spot at nine despite throwing five interceptions in a 34-17 loss to Winnipeg. The 26-year-old didn’t get much help from his receivers, but two touchdowns and eight interceptions — hardly what the first-time starter would have envisioned when stepping into the spotlight for injured Ricky Ray.

Travis Lulay BC
This Week: 10 | Last Week: 10

A dependable backup with a Grey Cup Championship and Most Outstanding Player on his resume, Travis Lulay gives the Lions one of the better one-two quarterback punches in the league. That’s valuable for a team set to contend.

Jeremiah Masoli HAM
This Week: 11 | Last Week: 8

With Zach Collaros back leading the Ticats’ huddle, Jeremiah Masoli’s ranking drops. Still, he’s proven himself to be one of the league’s more capable backup quarterbacks with the upside to be a starter. Keep him in your sights.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Jeremiah Masoli is back on the bench but took full advantage of his time starting (The Canadian Press)

Mitchell Gale SSK
This Week: 12 | Last Week: 11

Mitchell Gale continues to watch after Durant returned from injury for his second straight start. Virtually an unknown upon his arrival in Regina, Gale has shown enough upside to be considered a potential future starter for the Green and White.


Injured Reserve

Quarterbacks not currently active won’t be ranked in the QB Index but will be added when healthy.

Ricky Ray TOR
This Week: IR | Last Week: IR

A five-interception performance from Logan Kilgore over the weekend has Argos fans clamouring for the return of Ricky Ray to the offence. Ray and his new targets were just starting to click before the veteran’s knee injury in Week 5.

Trevor Harris OTT
This Week: IR | Last Week: IR

Trevor Harris may or may not dress in Week 9 but he won’t start. Whether he starts when healthy is a totally different issue. Harris has been the top-performing quarterback in the CFL in 2016 but has been sidelined since Week 5 due to injury.