TORONTO — CFL.ca returns with a list of the Top 30 Players to Watch in the 2016 Grey Cup Playoffs, a list not so much based on who’s had the best regular season but who could have the greatest impact when everything is on the line.
Some of it is based on key storylines, past performance and of course expectation entering this final chapter of the season. Here are CFL.ca’s Top 30 Players to keep an eye on these playoffs:
|
|
|
|
The face of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defence, Simoni Lawrence had his best season as a pro and continues to make the Tabbies’ defence difficult to play against. No. 21 was all over the field this season, recording a career-high 89 tackles while chipping in with four sacks, an interception and even a touchdown. More than that, though, Lawrence encapsulates the roar, the heart and the soul of the Tiger-Cats’ defence. |
|
|
|
|
Brad Sinopoli eclipsed his career-high, set in 2015, by a single yard this season, once again helping form a formidable quartet of 1,000-yard receivers — the first time the same four players have reached such a plateau two seasons in a row. The REDBLACKS will need more than ever from Sinopoli as Chris Williams is sidelined for the playoffs, but you can’t help but feel the University of Ottawa graduate is up to the task. |
|
|
|
|
The Manny Show is the main act in Vancouver but Bryan Burnham hasn’t just lived in the shadows. The third-year Lion has taken the leap, finishing fourth in the CFL with 1,392 receiving yards. The 26-year-old is fearless going over the middle and can hurt a defence in a variety of different ways — and he’s only just getting started. |
|
|
|
|
It took a while for him to get going in his first season back from the Achilles injury that sidelined him all throughout 2015 and threatened his career, but John White is back to being a star heading into the playoffs. After nearly losing his job to Shakir Bell, White responded with three 100-plus yard games over his last four starts, a span over which he’s rushed for 457 yards on 64 carries — a 7.1-yard average. |
|
|
|
|
Brandon Banks finished third in the CFL with 2,402 yards, but the numbers don’t tell the entire story. ‘Speedy B’ has carried the Ticats to victories in the past and has the electrifying ability to change the course of a game on just a single touch. Look for Kent Austin to also get Banks involved on offence given the slew of injured Ticats receivers. |
|
|
|
|
The Bombers’ Most Outstanding Rookie, Taylor Loffler has emerged as one of the league’s top safeties and biggest draft steals after an impressive rookie season. The former third round pick (13th overall) has picked up four interceptions and forced four fumbles, the latter of which is most telling — Loffler is usually the hardest hitter and most physical player on the field and opponents better know where he is at all times. |
|
|
|
|
Odell Willis is not only fun to watch but also a very talented and crucial part of the Eskimos’ defensive line. The 31-year-old had only seven sacks this season but brings plenty of swagger to the Esks’ defence and has a propensity for making the big play in the big moment. Opposing quarterbacks should get used to seeing plenty of No. 41 when they’re playing the Esks in the playoffs. Collaros, you’re up. |
|
|
|
|
The CFL’s leader in combined yards, Chris Rainey is another one of those special players that can change a game with one touch of the pigskin. Rainey is lightning-quick and any time he has the ball in the open field he’s a threat to score. He’ll handle punt and kick return duties but the Lions will also look to get him the ball in space on offence, another place he’s done plenty of damage this year. |
|
|
|
|
Jamaal Westerman had a bit of a down year and maybe teams have caught onto him, but the playoffs are a brand new season and his role against Jonathon Jennings in round one will be a crucial one. The Bombers need Westerman and the rest of their D-line to force opposing quarterbacks into making errant throws so their talented secondary can take advantage. |
|
|
|
|
Adam Bighill is an imposing figure on the football field. Bighill recorded 108 tackles, third in the league and the second-highest total of his career, and forms the best linebacker duo in the league along with Solomon Elimimian. If you try and run away from one then you’ll just get the other — a challenge that surely gives opposing offensive coordinators headaches. |
|
|
|
|
With seven interceptions, a sack and three defensive touchdowns, Maurice Leggett emerged as one of the league’s biggest defensive playmakers this year. The 30-year-old has really benefited from the move to linebacker and is in a good spot on a very aggressive defence heading into the playoffs. For a team that wins games by winning the turnover battle, keep a close eye on No. 31. |
|
|
|
|
It was last year the 28-year-old Terrence Toliver got his feet wet as a first-year CFL player. This year he’s taken the next step, recording 1,036 yards over just 13 games while emerging as the Ticats’ go-to receiver. At 6-foot-5, Toliver has the frame to give opposing defences nightmares and he’s done so often this season. He’s the one to watch on the Ticats’ offence. |
|
|
|
|
Andrew Harris has been in the playoffs in every season of his career, so it’s no coincidence the Bombers ended their four-year streak of missing the playoffs the first year Harris showed up. The dual-threat back is the heart and soul of the Blue and Gold and can do it all, from pass protection to carrying the rock to catching passes. |
|
|
|
|
The second half of the CFL’s most prolific receiving duo, Derel Walker’s star continues to arise. Walker was the Most Outstanding Rookie a year ago and has only built on his solid first campaign, this year catching 109 passes for 1,589 yards. With Walker and Adarius Bowman, teams can’t pay extra attention to just one player, making the Eskimos’ offence extremely difficult to contain. |
|
|
|
|
Charleston Hughes says coaching could be in his future but he’s nowhere near done with playing yet. The 32-year-old led the CFL with 16 sacks, the second-highest of his career, making him one of the top defensive players to watch throughout the CFL Playoffs. |
|
|
|
|
After being let go by the worst team in the CFL, it’s got to feel good for John Chick to reach this point — tied second in the league with 14 sacks and about to play in a home playoff game. The Ticats’ front four is one of the best around and Chick has been a big part of that. |
|
|
|
|
Emmanuel Arceneaux, also known as the Manny Show, is putting up some of his best ratings yet. Arceneaux finished with the third-highest receiving total in the league with 1,566 yards and is one of those special receivers that’s open even when he’s covered. Cliche, yes, but true nonetheless — Arceneaux is a young quarterback’s best friend. |
|
|
|
|
Matt Nichols could have been a lot higher on this list, if only because what happens in this next game and perhaps beyond could be career-defining. Winnipeg’s quarterback is credited for the team’s mid-season turnaround after taking over for Drew Willy but he still has his detractors. Is the veteran a stop-gap or a long-term answer in the Manitoba capital? |
|
|
|
|
There was a good chance that Solomon Elimimian would never be the same player after suffering a ruptured Achilles during the 2015 season, yet if anything, the other half of ‘Team 100′ has only come back stronger. Elimimian has been a force on the Lions’ defence, leading the league with 128 tackles and also chipping in with eight sacks. He’s a former Most Outstanding Player for a reason. |
|
|
|
|
At 31 years old, Jerome Messam is in the midst of the best season of his career. Bo Levi Mitchell and DaVaris Daniels provide the sizzle on the Stamps’ offence but Messam has the gritty, aggressive, hard-nosed rushing style that helps Calgary’s offence tick. Messam’s role will only grow in importance as the calendar turns to November. |
|
|
|
|
One of the most intriguing players on this list, as Zach Collaros goes so go the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The ‘Cats aren’t considered a Grey Cup favourite right now but Collaros, once an MOP favourite before suffering a torn ACL in the fall of 2015, has a chance to change the narrative. That won’t be easy given the number of injuries in the Ticats’ receiving corps and elsewhere. |
|
|
|
|
How could you not keep an eye on Greg Ellingson? Last year the veteran receiver made one of the biggest plays in Ottawa REDBLACKS history, clinching his team a spot in the Grey Cup Championship with a memorable last-minute touchdown grab. After losing to Edmonton the following game, Ellingson returns to the post-season with some unfinished business. |
|
|
|
|
The first receiver to join Ottawa via free agency almost two years ago now, Ernest Jackson nearly became a forgotten man in the shadows of Chris Williams, Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli. He’s proven he’s just as important a piece as anyone, this year finishing with a career-high 1,225 receiving yards and earning the Most Outstanding Player nod for his team. |
|
|
|
|
Mike Reilly continues to be one of the CFL’s most exciting players to watch on a week-to-week basis. Last year he was No. 1 on our list and he ended up winning Grey Cup MVP. This year the Eskimos are a crossover team but can they really be counted out? Not if No. 13 has anything to say about it. |
|
|
|
|
The only kicker on the list, Justin Medlock really does have that kind of influence on the outcome of the game. Medlock was relied upon constantly by the Bombers – he set a new record for most field goals in a single season – and will be needed again in the playoffs, as the Bombers are a team that leans on special teams play and winning the turnover battle. Medlock has also shown a propensity for making clutch last-second kicks. |
|
|
|
|
With 885 yards and nine touchdowns over the span of 11 games, DaVaris Daniels’ numbers put him up there with the very best in the league. A year after losing Eric Rogers to the National Football League, Daniels has become the answer to a question asked all of last off-season: who will be the Stamps’ No. 1 receiver? The 23-year-old has filled an enormous void in Calgary. |
|
|
|
|
Henry Burris will always tell you he’s got something to prove but this year he’s screamed it. Figuratively, of course, but you can bet No. 1 will have a chip on his shoulder after many considered him an afterthought with his mid-season struggles and the arrival of Trevor Harris from Toronto. Burris, now 41, fought for and won his job back, and now he’s got a chance to win a Grey Cup in the twilight of his career. A chance to go out on top? |
|
|
|
|
Somehow, Adarius Bowman just keeps on getting better. The CFL’s leading receiver cut down the number of drops and improved his catch rate, helping him reach a career-high 1,761 receiving yards — some earth-shattering numbers. Bowman has an insane catch radius and can out-muscle the majority of defenders he’ll face, making life a lot easier for his quarterback Mike Reilly. |
2.
|
|
|
If this were a list of the best players in the CFL, Bo Levi Mitchell would likely sit at the top. Mitchell is exciting but part of the problem is he’s so good that you almost know exactly what to expect from him. Still, at 26, a second Grey Cup for the Katy, Texas native would put him in the same breath as some of the greatest quarterbacks to have ever played. He’s can’t-miss TV. |
1.
|
|
|
It’s hard to remember a better quarterback at age 24 than Jonathon Jennings. It’s hard to remember a more exciting quarterback period. Jennings is a strong runner, has a rocket of an arm and is afraid of nothing, making him one of the most electrifying players in football. Bo Levi Mitchell was 24 when he won his first Grey Cup and now Jennings will try and do the same. |
