The Canadian Press
“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.”
That sage prediction comes from our very own Pat Steinberg in last week’s 2023 MOP Watch column and after two weeks of football it’s hard to disagree.
While other quarterbacks are struggling to find their footing, Collaros is a remorseless pass completion machine averaging well over 320 yards per game with five touchdowns and more importantly zero interceptions. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback is playing almost mistake-free football while at the same time making more than enough big plays, a deadly combination so far.
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I could easily put together a Winnipeg-only potential MOP list. Receiver Dalton Schoen has picked up right where he left off last year, leading the league in receiving yards and is second in receptions after his monster 8-145 night against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. If you missed his second quarter fingertip touchdown reception, I highly recommend you find the video.
On the defensive side of the ball, Willie Jefferson is once again part defensive end/part velociraptor. During any given sequence he can look like the game’s best pass rusher or like he belongs on the national volleyball team with his league-high three pass deflections, all of which look like he’s violently spiking the ball back at the opposing quarterback. The Week 1 injury to Jackson Jeffcoat only heightens the importance of Jefferson for the Bombers’ defensive line.
However, Winnipeg has received more than enough flowers (from our Power Rankings column: “this team is terrifyingly good in all three phases”), all of it well earned. So I want to highlight three other players whose early season play should be recognized.
Chad Kelly, Toronto Argonauts
Admittedly, the Argos’ quarterback doesn’t need my help to get the word out about how he looked in his new role as the team’s undisputed starter.
The important thing is for all of us to balance that fine line between being excited about the potential in the 29-year-old and not falling into the predictable trap of overhyping one start. Is it too early to speculate that Kelly will smash Mike Pringle’s all-time record for single season rushing touchdowns of 19? After his three-touchdown 2023 debut, Kelly is on pace for 54 rushing majors and I for one think he will continue this red-hot pace.
You see, that is just the sort of hyperbole that we all need to avoid. Of course, there is going to be a lot of attention considering the uneven play we’ve seen from the quarterback position and Kelly plays for the defending champs who believed in him so much they elected to go into the year with so little experience at the game’s most important position.
Kelly’s passing numbers weren’t gaudy, but his arm strength (that 59-yarder to Damonte Coxie in the second quarter!) was on display throughout the Argonauts’ 32-14 home victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Most noteworthy was that unlike his counterpart, future first ballot hall-of-famer Bo Levi Mitchell, Kelly didn’t turn the ball over. One game doesn’t make a star, but at no point did Kelly look rattled.
Argos’ head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has to be pleased with his young passer. I wonder how Ja’Gared Davis is feeling about his former teammate juking him out on the game’s first touchdown?
Taquan Mizzell, BC Lions
While Mizzell didn’t enter the year with the same amount of pressure as Kelly, he does have some big shoes to fill with the departure of James Butler. Butler finished 2022 second in rushing but led the league in carries. Yes, Nathan Rourke and Dominique Rhymes were the headline stars of the Lions’ offence last year, but Butler and his 1,400-plus combined yards and 11 touchdowns were a big reason why the Lions went 12-6.
Mizzell has a CFL-high 174 yards on the ground with a gaudy 5.8 yards per carry. The biggest story for BC in Week 2 was the defence pitching its first shutout since 1977. One of the reasons why the Lions looked so good on defence was because of their running back. The Lions ran 26 more offensive plays than the Edmonton Elks and much of that was thanks to the power running of Mizzle.
It wasn’t flashy, but over and over again Mizzell would make one decisive cut and power his way through the Elks’ defence, often dragging a linebacker or defensive back for a couple extra yards. Bo Lokombo and company were impressive on Saturday night, but they also had plenty of rest thanks to Mizzell and the Lions’ offensive line.
Douglas Coleman II, Ottawa REDBLACKS
The REDBLACKS’ linebacker was making plays all over the field against the Montreal Alouettes, finishing the night with five tackles, one sack and one pass deflection. Whether it was Dedrick Mills or Reggie Begelton, Coleman did not miss a tackle and there were no extra yards once he got his arms around the target.
His second quarter sack was the result of a well-timed and patient blitz, but it was his coverage that stood out. Douglas was 15 yards downfield when he knocked the ball away from receiver Clark Barnes and was step-for-step with Begelton on a crossing pattern. I know the award is rarely given to a defensive player (I see you Solomon Elimimian) but Coleman has been a bright light for an Ottawa team waiting to get Jeremiah Masoli back in the lineup.
Bonus MOP Candidate: BC Lions owner Amar Doman.
The pre-game show of LL Cool J was fantastic. The last two Lions’ home openers looked like so much fun.
