Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Seventeen weeks down, three to go in the 2017 CFL regular season. Yet while much of the campaign has played out, very little has been decided — from playoff matchups to award nominees.
Among the unknowns heading into Week 18 is Most Outstanding Player, which appears to have no front-runner. With seven teams still in contention, there are a handful of players worthy of discussion and not one has stood above the rest.
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An early look reveals a list of 13 candidates, including five quarterbacks and even four defensive players.
Let’s look at who appears to be in the running:
SOLOMON ELIMIMIAN | LB, BC
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 11 tackles vs. WPG
Best Game: 15 tackles (July 6 vs. MTL)
Key Statistics (Overall): 119 tackles (1st)
While the Lions are falling out of playoff contention, they’re still mathematically alive and Solomon Elimimian is a big reason why. The veteran linebacker has five games with double-digit tackles, and with nearly eight tackles per game is on pace to match his own all-time record of 143 set in 2014.
MIKE REILLY | QB, EDM
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 23-of-40, 309 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 rushing TD vs. TOR
Best Game: 27-of-37, 350 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT (July 20 vs. HAM)
Key Statistics (Overall): 4,855 yards (1st), 25 TD (3rd), 84.0 QUAR (2nd)
If not for a mid-season slump, during which his team lost six consecutive games, Mike Reilly would probably be a shoe-in for MOP. Still, he’s got the Esks in the playoffs and leads the CFL with 4,855 yards, so he’s more than deserving of your attention.
BRANDON ZYLSTRA | REC, EDM
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 9 catches, 147 yards vs. TOR
Best Game: 7 catches, 201 yards, 1 TD (Oct. 9 vs. MTL)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,482 yards (1st), 91 catches (T-3rd), 415 YAC (3rd), 114 yards per game (1st)
Brandon Zylstra‘s remarkable season continued in Week 17, when the sophomore notched his third straight game of 145-plus yards. The CFL’s leading receiver has also gone over 120 yards in five of his last six. As of now, Zylstra is in a league of his own among pass-catchers.
BO LEVI MITCHELL | QB, CGY
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 19-of-34, 279 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT vs. HAM
Best Game: 31-of-48, 376 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (June 23 vs. OTT)
Key Statistics (Overall): 13 wins (1st), 4,257 yards (4th), 82.9 QUAR (3rd)
The numbers aren’t what we’re accustomed to for the reigning MOP, but Bo Levi Mitchell has all the important qualities of a winning quarterback. The proof is in his team’s 13-1-1 record, as Mitchell has battled through an apparent arm injury to continue finding ways to win football games.
MICAH JOHNSON | DT, CGY
Photo: Matt Smith/CFL.ca
Week 17: 1 defensive tackle vs. HAM
Best Game: 5 tackles, 3 sacks (June 29 vs. OTT)
Key Statistics (Overall): 8 sacks (T-2nd)
If ever there were a case for a defensive tackle to win MOP, this would be it. The always-underrated Micah Johnson has been a force in the Stamps’ front-seven, his contributions going well beyond his eight sacks. Not only is Johnson a threat to get to the QB, he’s also made the Stamps next to impossible to run against.
ALEX SINGLETON | LB, CGY
Photo: The Canadian Press
Week 17: 6 tackles vs. HAM
Best Game: 13 tackles, 1 sack (Sept. 4 vs. EDM)
Key Statistics (Overall): 108 tackles (2nd), 1 INT, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
While he’s fallen behind considerably in the tackles race (11 back of Solomon Elimimian), Alex Singleton remains the heart of the league’s best defence, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. While MOP may be a longshot at this time, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Canadian are both within reach.
DURON CARTER | REC, SSK
Photo: Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Week 17: 11 catches, 231 yards vs. OTT
Best Game: 11 catches, 231 yards (Oct. 13 vs. OTT)
Key Statistics (Overall): 8 TD (T-3rd), 1,037 yards (5th)
Duron Carter is on the bubble in the race for MOP, but should still be mentioned on the heels of his signature game — a 13-catch, 231-yard effort vs. the Ottawa REDBLACKS. The fourth-year receiver can take over a game all on his own, and has done so on at least a few occasions in his first year in green.
ED GAINEY | DB, SSK
Photo: Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Week 17: 1 tackle vs. OTT
Best Game: 2 tackles, 4 INT, 1 TD (Aug. 13 vs. BC)
Key Statistics (Overall): 8 INT (1st)
With three multi-interception games, Ed Gainey stormed out to the front of the league with eight picks. While he’s cooled off of late, a strong finish with a few more picks could put him in the running to win MOP. It’s certainly been a career-year for the second-year Rider defender.
MATT NICHOLS | QB, WPG
Photo: Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
Week 17: 23-of-30, 172 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT vs. BC
Best Game: 32-of-40, 390 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT vs. EDM
Key Statistics (Overall): 4,174 yards (5th), 27 TD (2nd), 86.3 QUAR (1st)
Matt Nichols is leading the CFL in the new metric to measure quarterbacks, QUAR, but perhaps his success this season can be put in a simpler stat: wins. All Nichols has done is win since becoming Winnipeg’s starting quarterback, as the 11-4 Bombers are close to clinching their first home playoff game since 2011.
ANDREW HARRIS | RB, WPG
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 16 carries, 52 yards, 6 REC, 33 yards vs. BC
Best Game: 11 ATT, 105 yards, 8 REC, 120 yards (Aug. 17 vs. EDM)
Key Statistics (Overall): 871 rushing yards (3rd), 94 catches (2nd in CFL), 816 receiving yards (1st among RB)
The Bombers have gotten exactly what they envisioned when they signed hometown running back Andrew Harris before the 2016 season: a workhorse who can just about do it all. Balancing 871 rushing yards with 816 receiving yards, Harris has a chance to become the first player in CFL history to go over the 1,000-yard mark both catching the ball and running it.
RICKY RAY | QB, TOR
Photo: Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 17: 32-of-42, 362 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT vs. EDM
Best Game: 32-of-41, 506 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (June 25 vs. HAM)
Key Statistics (Overall): 4,782 passing yards (2nd), 11 300-yard games (T-1st), 24 TD (4th), 70.4% (2nd), 591 ATT (1st)
Durability has not been an issue for 37-year-old Ricky Ray, who’s thrown the most passes in the league (591) and probably taken the most hits. Oddly, Ray has never won Most Outstanding Player, but the CFL’s active all-time passing leader has a chance, especially if he can lead the Argos to two more wins and an East Division title.
S.J. GREEN | REC, TOR
Photo: Johany Jutras/Argonauts.ca
Week 17: 13 catches, 159 yards, 1 TD vs. EDM
Best Game: 10 catches, 210 yards, 1 TD (July 8 vs. OTT)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,337 yards (3rd), 95 catches (1st), 154 targets (1st), 9 TD (2nd)
A year and a few months after being told he may never play football again, S.J. Green set a new career-high in receiving yards last week vs. the Eskimos. The veteran pass-catcher leads the CFL in catches (95) and targets (154) and is third in the league in yards (1,337).
GREG ELLINGSON | REC, OTT
Photo: Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
Week 17: 2 catches, 13 yards, 1 TD vs. OTT
Best Game: 7 catches, 149 yards, 2 TD (Oct. 7 vs. BC)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,394 yards (2nd), 11 TD (1st), 15 catches of 30+ yards (1st)
The CFL’s second-leading receiver has benefited from the return of Trevor Harris, posting three touchdowns over his last two contests — both wins for the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Ellingson is one of the most consistent and best all-around receivers in the league, offering immeasurable value to Ottawa’s offence.
TREVOR HARRIS | QB, OTT
Photo: Matt Smith/CFL.ca
Week 17: 17-of-33, 262 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT vs. SSK
Best Game: 28-of-38, 380 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT (Oct. 7 vs. BC)
Key Statistics (Overall): 28 TD (1st), 4,366 yards (3rd), 7 TD (2nd), 81.3 QUAR (4th)
Despite missing three games, Trevor Harris has a legitimate shot at representing the East for Most Outstanding Player. The second-year REDBLACK picked up where he left off before getting hurt, leading the CFL with 28 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Impressive numbers and a chance at another division title for Harris.
