Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — For all the Mike Reilly talk, a different quarterback is quietly putting together the best year of his career.
Bo Levi Mitchell went silent in the off-season, deleting his Twitter and going into 2018 with a renewed focus and energy following back-to-back Grey Cup losses.
With a healthy throwing shoulder and something to prove, Mitchell has made his opponents pay this season, owning a career-high 9.4 yards per attempt to go with a league-best 29:9 touchdown to interception ratio.
Most importantly, the Stamps continue to win. Calgary leads the league with an 11-2 record, while Mitchell continues to produce despite losing all of his top receivers to injury.
As the Esks go into a slump, and Reilly shows his human side for the first time this season, has Mitchell taken over as MOP favourite?
CFL.ca looks at some of the potential choices come the end of November:
THE FAVOURITE:
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IN THE RUNNING
MIKE REILLY | QB | EDM
Mike Reilly has come down to earth of late, his offence turning the ball over seven times vs. Winnipeg (The Canadian Press)
Week 16: 17-31, 164 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 41 rushing yards vs. WPG
Best Game: 30-44, 397 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 43 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD vs. CGY (Sept. 8 vs. CGY)
Key Statistics (Overall): 4,383 passing yards (1st), 12 rushing TD (1st), 39 total TD (1st), 100.8 QB rating (2nd), 8.9 yards per attempt (3rd)
Despite a recent mini-slump that’s seen him throw for 440 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions his last two games, Mike Reilly is still following up his 2017 Most Outstanding player honour with a career season. With 39 combined touchdowns, Reilly is on pace for 50 on the season, keeping the lofty milestone well within range.
Reilly has four games to score 11 touchdowns to reach the elusive mark, which would put him in an exclusive club alongside only Doug Flutie — although the Eskimos pivot is more concerned with getting his team back on track as it looks to defend home field in the 106th Grey Cup presented by Shaw.
D’HAQUILLE WILLIAMS | WR | EDM
D’haquille Williams has set the standard for pass-catchers in his sophomore season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Week 16: 2 catches, 37 yards vs. WPG
Best Game: 7 catches, 172 yards, 1 TD (Sept. 8 vs. CGY)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,337 yards (1st), 124 targets (1st), 70 catches (3rd), 19.1 yards per catch (2nd among eligible)
D’haquille Williams could miss the Eskimos’ Week 17 contest on Thanksgiving, but has apparently escaped any serious injury as Jason Maas says he won’t be sidelined the rest of the season. That’s good news for the Eskimos’ offence, which needs to get back on track sooner rather than later.
In his second CFL season, the 25-year-old Williams leads the league in targets and yards, emerging as arguably the CFL’s most physically-dominating force at his position.
ANDREW HARRIS | RB | WPG
Andrew Harris is in the midst of the best rushing season of his career, on pace for more than 1,400 yards (The Canadian Press)
Week 16: 20 rushes, 73 yards, 4 catches, 24 yards, 1 TD vs. EDM
Best Game: 161 rushing yards, 16 receiving yards, 2 TD (July 21 vs. TOR)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,101 rushing yards (2nd), 373 receiving yards (2nd among RB), 8 TD (T-3rd), 5.7 yards per carry (4th among qualified RB)
Despite cooling off from his earlier torrid pace, Andrew Harris is just 11 yards off his career-high season total with 1,101 rushing yards. His play has helped end a four-game losing streak for the Bombers, who have climbed back to third in the West after back-to-back wins.
The dream of rushing and receiving for 1,000 yards is likely out of reach, but Harris is as dominant a back as you will find in the CFL, and a ratio-breaker to boot.
JEREMIAH MASOLI | QB | HAM
Jeremiah Masoli is heating up for the Ticats, throwing seven touchdowns over his last two outings (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Week 16: 18-26, 189 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT vs. BC
Best Game: 18-25, 307 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT (Sept. 8 vs. TOR)
Key Statistics (Overall): 4,286 yards (2nd), 9.3 yards per attempt (2nd), 430 rushing yards (1st among QBs), 100.3 QB rating (3rd)
Jeremiah Masoli is now within 100 passing yards of league-leader Mike Reilly with four games to play, giving him a reasonable shot at finishing first. The Ticats’ pivot has taken another step in recent weeks, taming his interception totals with a 12:3 ratio over his last five games.
Masoli could be considered the favourite to win in the East, while a strong finish might just put him in the same elusive bubble as Mike Reilly and Bo Levi Mitchell at the top. The Ticats’ pivot is just teetering on the status of elite.
BRANDON BANKS | WR | HAM
Brandon Banks has averaged just shy of 100 receiving yards per game in 2018 (The Canadian Press)
Week 16: 9 catches, 79 yards, 2 TD vs. BC
Best Game: 6 catches, 153 yards, 2 TD (Sept. 8 vs. TOR)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,112 yards (2nd), 9 touchdowns (2nd), 78 catches (2nd)
Brandon Banks continues to rank highly among the CFL’s most exciting players, but most admirable is the chemistry between him and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. That combination has taken the Ticats from an 0-8 start a year ago to a .500 record this year, putting Hamilton in contention to win the East.
Banks is one of the few players that has made the transition from return specialist to full-time receiver, enjoying equal success in both aspects of the game.
WILLIAM POWELL | RB | OTT
William Powell (left) has been a central figure in the REDBLACKS’ explosive offence (The Canadian Press)
Week 15: 23 rushes, 147 yards, 4 catches, 5 yards vs. EDM
Best Game: 148 rushing yards, 2 TD (Sept. 15 vs. SSK)
Key Statistics (Overall): 1,141 rushing yards (1st), 7 20-plus yard rushes (2nd), 37 10-plus yard rushes (1st)
With 295 yards the last two weeks, William Powell has taken the lead for the CFL rushing title. Powell might just be the best pure runner in the league, and has balanced a REDBLACKS offence that came into the year renowned mostly for its passing attack. If the REDBLACKS win the East, Powell will be a big reason why.
