Jonathan Kozub/CFL.ca
Week 1 is in the books and it gave us numerous standout individual performances to start a brand-new season. I have a feeling our 2023 MOP Watch will be dominated by Zach Collaros’ drive for three in a row and his performance to kickoff the season only added fuel to that fire.
But Collaros had competition in Week 1, including from a fellow West Division quarterback.
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The Quarterbacks
We know this award goes to a quarterback far more often than not and there were a pair that stood above the rest last week. With what we know about these two players and how they performed to open the season, I could see them both in the mix in this conversation all year long.
Zach Collaros, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
As Collaros looks to join Doug Flutie as the only player to ever take down MOP honours in three consecutive seasons, he got off to a blazing start. Collaros threw for 354 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 21 of 30 passes as the Bombers opened with a 42-31 home win over Hamilton.
Collaros was electric in the first half and had his entire receiving group involved in the action as Winnipeg opened up a 29-4 halftime lead. With such a big cushion in the final two quarters, the Blue Bombers went into game management mode and nursed home a victory more convincing than the final score suggests.
Collaros looked as mobile, dynamic and explosive as ever as Winnipeg rolls into Saskatchewan for week 2.
Vernon Adams Jr., BC Lions
Vernon Adams Jr. played at an elite level in the Lions’ season opening win over Calgary (Dave Chidley/CFL.ca)
Big Play VA looked composed and completely in control of BC’s offence while leading his group to a 25-15 road win in Calgary. Adams, who helped steady things last season after Nathan Rourke’s injury, started the game with an eight-for-eight touchdown drive to open scoring and emphatically cemented his status on top of the depth chart.
Thursday saw Adams finish with 300 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, completing 28 of 36 passes in the process. Adams also added 35 yards and another touchdown on the ground, displaying all the different ways he can impact a game.
Lions fans should be encouraged by what they saw from Adams in week 1. After coming over in a trade last season, Adams played well and helped continue BC’s path to the West Division’s No. 2 seed. On Thursday, though, he looked more comfortable and confident than at any point in 2022.
Other Contenders
Dominique Rhymes, BC Lions
With 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns, Dominique Rhymes had plenty to celebrate in Week 1 (Brett Holmes/CFL.ca)
The gradual but deliberate emergence of Rhymes saw him hit new levels last season and he picked up right where he left off in Week 1. Rhymes was BC’s primary playmaker in their win over the Stamps and finished with eight catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns at the end of the night.
Rhymes has arrived as a superstar in this league and his connection with Adams last week was front and centre. The last non-quarterback to capture the MOP crown was also a receiver, in Hamilton’s Brandon Banks in 2019. With what we’ve seen from Rhymes going back to the start of last season, I’ll be keeping an eye on him in this race all year long.
Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Oliveira had his hands all over Winnipeg’s win over the Tiger-Cats to the tune of 113 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with 58 more receiving yards on a pair of catches. Now in his second season as starting tailback for the Bombers, Oliveira is likely to be in the Most Outstanding Canadian mix throughout this season.
With his Week 1 performance, though, Oliveira’s passport was irrelevant. He was the only running back to go over 100 yards and his 171 total offensive yards led all players last week. Calgary’s Jon Cornish was the last tailback to win MOP, going back to 2013. Oliveira, who went over 1,000 yards last season, will be intriguing to track as the year goes on.
Bo Lokombo, BC Lions
Of all the individual defensive performances in Week 1, it was Lokombo’s night that stood out the most for me. The Canadian linebacker was all over the place for the Lions and racked up seven defensive tackles and a sack against Calgary.
After missing a good chunk of last season, Lokombo is an MOP longshot, mainly because BC’s Solomon Elimimian in 2014 is the only defensive player to ever win the award. I thought Lokombo had the most impactful season opener and I think he’s on track to have a monster bounce back campaign.
I’ll be watching Lokombo on the defensive side of the ball for this award along with Hamilton’s Jameer Thurman, Winnipeg’s Willie Jefferson, and Edmonton’s Jake Cersena, among many others.
