Ferguson: Playoff clinching passing

Marshall Ferguson

CFL.ca

@TSN_Marsh

It took all 20 of the available 21 regular season weeks, but the playoff matchups are officially set.

As you can likely tell from my tenor in the remainder of this article, my mind, likely much the same as yours, has begun to switch from the vague nature of regular season to battles to the specific matchups we expect to see unfold across the playoffs.

With the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders playing for the right to take down the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be attempting to reach their third straight Grey Cup by the most difficult of means possible.

Those quarterback deep dives will be an absolute thrill to dig into, but for now let’s take a look back at the quarterback performances that finally locked in either playoff seeding, or off-season plans for every team.

Nick Arbuckle, Ottawa REDBLACKS

Watching Nick Arbuckle battle Trevor Harris on Thanksgiving Monday and again the following Friday was an intriguing clash of efficiency as both pivots tried to protect the football and take educated shots down the field while accruing high completion percentages.

Arbuckle once again completed more than 70 per cent of his passes, but in a fitting tribute the Ottawa REDBLACKS passer finished with no passing touchdowns as the REDBLACKS were inevitably eliminated from the post-season with a Hamilton win.

Dane Evans, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The hand injury is concerning, and the fact it came on such a self inflicted play makes it all that much more frustrating. Despite the damage, Dane Evans had a slow start in this one while battling the wind at Tim Hortons Field with a deep shot down the right sideline to Steven Dunbar Jr. floating five yards too far out of reach for what could have been a major catch.

Head coach Orlondo Steinauer might have the worst spot this week, as he is caught between wanting to play a quarterback who clearly needs the reps to stay in rhythm, but not wanting the starter who gives them the best chance of winning the Eastern Semi-Final to get injured any further. Unfortunately there is no right answer, only hindsight criticism.

Tre Ford, Edmonton Elks

As the highest drafted Canadian quarterback since the 1980’s, I was thoroughly frustrated when Tre Ford got injured in Week 5 against Calgary. Part of the frustration was the injury occurring on a called running play between the tackles which is not his strength, but mostly it was the lack of reps the injury would cause as he learns the CFL game.

Edmonton gave him 36 passing attempts in their 2022 finale and there is plenty to learn from, but above all, I can’t stop appreciating how fun it is to watch a Canadian quarterback with track speed run away from defenders in the open field.

Vernon Adams Jr. BC Lions

As time has gone on I’ve increasingly realized how difficult of a position Vernon Adams Jr. has been in since arriving in Vancouver. He wants to learn the offence, allow offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic to open up the playbook and prove he belongs in Lions orange. However, the shadow lingering over all of that is the return of Nathan Rourke, who will push Adams to the side as an afterthought for Lions fans who fell in love with the Canadian earlier this year.

As for this game, a 75 per cent completion rate and using his legs a bit was a lot of fun to watch against a beleaguered Elks defence.

Trevor Harris, Montreal Alouettes

Anybody else get the sense that Trevor Harris is gaining momentum towards producing another one of his ridiculously effective Eastern Semi-Final performances?

I do, and I’ll discuss that much more come playoffs, but for now I was stunned by the yardage total which surpassed 400 yards in Week 20, especially for a passer who has been more likely to throw for 200 yards than 400 yards since arriving in Montreal.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Toronto Argonauts

With 20 completions, eight of which were completed behind the line of scrimmage, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and the Toronto Argonauts found a way to win the East regular season crown in back-to-back years for the first time since 1996-97. He also secured the Double Blue nomination for Most Outstanding Player.

Bethel-Thompson will have two weeks to prepare for an East Final date with either Montreal or Hamilton from BMO Field. It’s also an opportunity to right the wrongs of last years crushing playoff defeat. I have to think the deep ball needs improvement if the Argos are going to pull of the resurrection story.

Mason Fine, Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is fine, literally and figuratively.

Nothing crazy that screams, “I am the starter going into next year,” but no real reason to doubt the abilities of Mason Fine as of yet. We need to see more, any maybe the Riders do too. Strange times in Riderville.

Jake Maier, Calgary Stampeders

With Bo Levi Mitchell still standing stage side, Jake Maier avoided throwing an interception against Saskatchewan after a rough outing against Hamilton in Week 19. The Stamps feel more and more like the Bombers of 2019 and 2021 with their line play on both sides and running game. If Maier can make the most of some key throws in the score zone and on second-and-long, the Calgary road path to glory might become a reality.

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