The Canadian Press
The CFL.ca Quarterback Index is a weekly power ranking of quarterbacks across the CFL. The ranking reflects recent performance, historical value, statistical indicators, team success and overall on-field evaluation.
TORONTO — Trevor Harris showed no signs of rust following his month-long layoff, returning to a victory and 380 passing yards in Week 16.
Ranking Harris among the likes of Mike Reilly, Matt Nichols and Ricky Ray is not an exact science, but something the QB Index was tasked with this week after the veteran led the CFL in passing yards before his injury.
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Elsewhere, Kevin Glenn continues to struggle, while Harris’ comeback drops everyone else down a peg.
Finally, Chris Jones isn’t calling it a QB controversy, but Brandon Bridge has outplayed his veteran counterpart in Regina.
Without further delay, we rank the pivots heading into Week 17:
BO LEVI MITCHELL CGY
THIS WEEK: 1 | LAST WEEK: 1
An idle Bo Levi Mitchell remains at the top of the QB Index, while an extra week of rest can only help the league’s all-time win percentage leader. The next task for Mitchell and the Stamps will be to lock up the West, which could happen as early as this week.
MATT NICHOLS WPG
THIS WEEK: 2 | LAST WEEK: 2
Is any CFL player more valuable than Matt Nichols? While Nichols exited last week’s loss to the Ticats, the veteran pivot is already back at practice and throwing. Good news for Bombers fans, as their offence struggled as soon as Nichols left vs. Hamilton.
RICKY RAY TOR
THIS WEEK: 3 | LAST WEEK: 3
With an additional 341 passing yards to his name, Ricky Ray remains well on pace to eclipse 5,000 on the year. Ray’s season is on pace with some of the best of his career, which says a lot for the league’s fourth all-time leading passer.
Ricky Ray is inching closer to another 5,000 passing yards season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
MIKE REILLY EDM
THIS WEEK: 4 | LAST WEEK: 4
Mike Reilly says he’ll be good to go next week, despite being sidelined late in Week 16 with a leg injury. Reilly braved cold, wet conditions on Thanksgiving to lead the Eskimos to their first win in two months.
TREVOR HARRIS OTT
THIS WEEK: 5 | LAST WEEK: IR
Trevor Harris didn’t miss a beat in his return under centre, throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns in a rare west coast win over the Lions. The REDBLACKS are a Grey Cup contender with Harris at the helm.
JEREMIAH MASOLI HAM
THIS WEEK: 6 | LAST WEEK: 6
Detractors be damned, Jeremiah Masoli continues to carry the Ticats. Masoli enjoyed his best game of the season last weekend, throwing for 338 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-33 passing in an upset win over the Bombers.
KEVIN GLENN SSK
THIS WEEK: 7 | LAST WEEK: 5
Kevin Glenn continues to fall in the rankings, getting pulled vs. Toronto after just three completions on eight attempts. While Chris Jones insists there’s no quarterback controversy, the veteran QB may just be hearing the footsteps of Brandon Bridge.
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JONATHON JENNINGS BC
THIS WEEK: 8 | LAST WEEK: 7
Jonathon Jennings has put his early-season struggles behind him, throwing for 720 yards over the last two games — yet the Lions continue to lose. Jennings drops a spot thanks to the return of Trevor Harris, but the real story will be whether he can restore the team’s playoff hopes.
BRANDON BRIDGE SSK
THIS WEEK: 9 | LAST WEEK: 8
The Canadian QB continues to push the envelope, last week throwing for 292 yards, two touchdowns and, most importantly, a win in relief of Kevin Glenn. Has Brandon Bridge asserted himself as one of the CFL’s top quarterback prospects?
DREW WILLY MTL
THIS WEEK: 10 | LAST WEEK: 9
While Drew Willy kept the Als competitive, some ill-timed drops stalled his hopes of collecting a victory against the highly-favoured Eskimos. Willy’s play the last two weeks suggests that he still has a future as a starting quarterback in this league.
DARIAN DURANT MTL
THIS WEEK: 11 | LAST WEEK: 10
While Drew Willy continues to handle the starting job in Montreal, the future of Darian Durant appears to be up in the air. With the Als out of playoff contention, there’s a chance the team soon turns to 24-year-old Matthew Shiltz.
