Matt Smith/CFL.ca
TORONTO — And so it begins. The post-season path starts here for the six teams that have qualified for the 2017 Grey Cup Playoffs, with four clubs in action in Sunday’s semi-final matchups.
Of the 23-week season spanning June through November, it’s here where the league’s biggest legends are born. Think Tony Gabriel and ‘the catch’ in 1976, or Dave Ridgway’s game-winning field goal for the Riders in 1989.
A year ago it was 42-year-old Henry Burris, overcoming a pre-game injury in the warm-up before leading underdog Ottawa to an unforgettable championship.
New legends will be born this year, but who? CFL.ca returns with a list of the Top 30 Players to Watch in the 2017 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.
Whether it’s based on key storylines, past performances or thundering expectation, these are simply players we shouldn’t turn away from:
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The name and pedigree alone make Trent Richardson a player worth watching in the CFL playoffs, especially for those south of the border who saw him become one of the best college football running backs ever with Alabama. Richardson goes into the playoffs coming off his first 100-yard game after going off for 127 and two touchdowns vs. Montreal. Could his pro football comeback bring him a Grey Cup? |
29.
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Kenny Ladler continued his emergence as one of the CFL’s most underrated defensive playmakers from his SAM linebacker spot in Edmonton. In two seasons with the Esks, the former Buffalo Bill has recorded 151 tackles, five interceptions, one touchdown and three forced fumbles. He’s one of the few defensive players who can break a game wide open at any given moment. |
28.
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The move west has benefited both C.J. Gable and the Edmonton Eskimos, who — not coincidentally — haven’t lost since acquiring him. Well-known as the best running back in the league in pass protection, Gable has also put up the numbers for the Green and Gold, rushing for 367 yards and two touchdowns on 72 carries (5.1 yards per carry). The Esks have found their replacement for the injured John White. |
27.
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While Duron Carter gets all the press, Naaman Roosevelt is equally lethal in the Riders’ offence, averaging 85.2 yards per game the last two seasons. With that impressive duo catching passes, the Riders should still have one of the most lethal passing attacks out of any team in the Grey Cup Playoffs — no matter who’s playing quarterback. |
26.
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Sure, the Bombers’ young secondary has had its ups and downs, but Chris Randle is the veteran holding down the fort on a weekly basis. Always a solid shutdown man, Randle has also emerged as one of the league’s top playmakers, coming in with 15 career interceptions — including five this year and two touchdowns. He’ll be critical to the Bombers’ success this post-season. |
25.
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Alex Singleton gets a lot of the credit for Calgary’s historically-dominant defence this year, but Micah Johnson‘s role has been equally vital. While Johnson racked up a career-high nine sacks, a lot of what he does can’t be summed up on the stat sheet. There were times this year when teams simply gave up trying to run the ball against Calgary’s front-seven, and Johnson is a big reason why. |
24.
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For the fifth time in six seasons, Charleston Hughes recorded double-digit sacks for the Stamps — this despite having to miss four games due to injury. At 33, Hughes remains one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers, and should continue to pose problems for offensive play-callers in the post-season. Ninety-nine career sacks don’t lie. |
23.
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The run of Stampeders continues with Jerome Messam at No. 23. Messam notched his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in Calgary, punishing opposing defences with his downhill running style. He’s still one of the most dominant running backs in the game and should feel fresh after some rest going into the Western Final. That’s important considering playoff time is when the ground game matters most. |
22.
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Justin Medlock has not been his usual self this season, and that alone makes him a player worth monitoring in the post-season. What’s more, there’s a wide gap in field goal attempts between the Bombers and the next closest team, with Winnipeg attempting a league-high 67 three-pointers this year. It’s not hard to envision a playoff game coming down to Medlock’s left leg. |
21.
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Despite their obvious importance in the three-down game, defensive backs often don’t get enough love in the CFL. Jamar Wall is one of the best in the business, which is magnified in the playoffs when he’s up against the league’s top receivers on every single play. Wall is one of the reasons Calgary’s defence has been so dominant over the years. |
20.
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One of the most talented receivers in the league has flown under the radar this year, in large part because of the play of Brandon Zylstra. Make no mistake, though: Derel Walker is one of the must-see players of the 2017 playoffs. In seven games with the Green and Gold this season, Walker has recorded 601 receiving yards — an average of 85.9 yards per game. |
19.
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On an Argo defence that saw plenty of change in 2017, Bear Woods was the anchor of a unit that improved almost weekly. In the playoffs, where the intensity is turned up a little bit, the Argos can be certain Woods’ strong play will carry over for Corey Chamblin’s hard-hitting unit. |
18.
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No player returned punts as well as Roy Finch this year, the Stampeders’ slippery return man averaging 16.8 yards per attempt in that category. This season marked the return of the return man across the league, but few can change a game in the blink of an eye the way Finch can. |
17.
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William Powell put in a very impressive campaign for a running back coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, needing only 12 games to break the 1,000-yard mark while adding five touchdowns and a 5.9-yard rushing average. With Ottawa’s offence missing a couple of key weapons, Powell’s role will be an important one, especially in the event of inclement weather like last year’s memorable Eastern Final. |
16.
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Although he’s a Canadian quarterback, Brandon Bridge is not merely a CFL novelty. The Mississauga, Ont. native is an integral part of the Riders’ offence, teaming up with Kevin Glenn as the change-of-pace guy when the offence can’t find its groove. Bridge is a smooth runner with a quick release who can quickly change the tempo of a game. |
15.
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Ed Gainey was a terror for opposing quarterbacks in 2017, tripling his career interceptions total with 10 pick-offs this season. The Riders’ halfback had three multi-pick games this year, including one game with four interceptions, becoming one of the league’s most impactful defensive players. Sometimes you have to be a little lucky, but whatever it is, right now things are going Gainey’s way. |
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While two REDBLACKS receivers go back-to-back, Diontae Spencer and Greg Ellingson could not be more different. Spencer is one of the CFL’s most dynamic weapons, adding a new component to Jaime Elizondo’s offence with his ability in open space. In Week 19, Spencer set the record for the most all-purpose yards in a game. He’s playing the best football of his career going into the post-season. |
13.
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No receiver had more big plays this year than Greg Ellingson, whose 15 catches of 30 yards or more were tops in the league. The hero of the 2015 playoffs and a key contributor to a Grey Cup last year, Ellingson is one of the game’s premiere players and the biggest playmaker on the REDBLACKS’ impressive passing offence. |
12.
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S.J. Green was the CFL’s busiest receiver in 2017, drawing a league-high 163 targets in his first year in Toronto. Despite his age (32), Green is one of the league’s biggest impact players and will see the ball lots from Ricky Ray in Marc Trestman’s offence. It’s a far cry for a player whose career was threatened by injury just last season. |
11.
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Statistically, no receiver has enjoyed a more productive start to his career than Eskimos standout Brandon Zylstra. The only reason he falls to No. 11 is because of the diversity of weapons on Edmonton’s offence, but make no mistake: the league’s leading receiver is sure to have an impact on any Esks post-season run. |
10.
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There’s a reason that Alex Singleton is the first player since Bombers legend Doug Brown to be nominated for three major awards. Singleton is the Calgary Stampeders’ Most Outstanding Player and for good reason, having led one of the best defences the league has ever seen. Singleton is one of those rare defenders that viewers couldn’t miss if they tried. |
9.
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While Matt Nichols is the leader of the Bombers, Andrew Harris may as well be the heart and soul. Winnipeg’s hometown hero has enjoyed a career year in 2017, breaking the 1,000-yard rushing plateau and hitting 100 receptions. Whatever happens in Paul LaPolice’s offence goes through No. 33. |
8.
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Matt Nichols has surprised a lot of people over the last two years, taking over for Drew Willy and making the Bombers a legitimate Grey Cup contender. Yet the 30-year-old still has his critics, despite throwing a career-best 28 touchdowns, only eight interceptions and the second-best QUAR in the league. |
7.
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It’s hard to argue there’s been a better player in the entire league over the last couple of months. James Wilder Jr. has invigorated Marc Trestman’s offence with new life, steering the Boatmen to one of the best rushing attacks in the CFL. We know it’s a passing league, but championship teams also typically run the ball well in November and play tight defence. On an already-explosive Argos offence, it says a lot that Wilder may now be the centrepiece. |
6.
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The run of quarterbacks continues, with Mike Reilly being the fifth quarterback on our board despite putting up arguably the best season of his career. Reilly has a good chance to win his first Most Outstanding Player and his second Grey Cup in three years, as the dark horse Eskimos head into the post-season on a pretty solid five-game run. |
5.
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While he comes in at No. 5 on the list, Kevin Glenn may just be the post-season’s most interesting man. Glenn, with his six teams over 17 years, has often been known as an insurance policy or a journeyman as opposed to the sixth all-time leading passer. But here he is, 38 years old and looking to lead the resurgent Riders to a Grey Cup Championship. Can he re-write the narrative? |
4.
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For a player who’s invoked MOP talk two of the last three years, it’s oddly surprising that Trevor Harris has never started a playoff game. Now Harris has officially moved out of the shadows of Henry Burris and Ricky Ray, seizing the spotlight and looking to carve out his own legacy in the Canadian Football League. |
3.
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Is Bo Levi Mitchell slipping a little under the radar going into the 2017 post-season? Not on our watch. Bo didn’t quite replicate the success last season that brought him an MOP, but the Katy, Texas native is still one of the CFL’s best quarterbacks and enters the playoffs with plenty to prove. With last year’s Grey Cup upset still in his mind, the Stamps’ QB means business. |
2.
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A year ago we talked about Henry Burris possibly winning a championship and sailing off into the sunset. We’re not calling this the end for Ricky Ray, who’s proven at age 38 he’s got lots left in the tank, but wouldn’t it be special for the CFL’s fourth all-time leading passer to go out on top just like Hank? |
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Leave it to Duron Carter to snatch what’s usually a spot reserved for quarterbacks. That’s how impactful the Riders receiver has been his first season in Regina, making almost as many headlines off the field as highlights on it. Whether you’re a fan or not — and Carter certainly has his detractors — don’t take your eyes off No. 89, who’s liable to make a game-changing play on either side of the ball. |
