October 25, 2023

Checking Down: Andrew Harris back in practice for Argos

Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca

TORONTO — It’s the last week of the regular season and teams have announced their nominees who are advancing to the next stage of voting to determine the divisional finalists for the CFL Awards.

There are three games on deck for the regular season finale, including an Eastern Semi-Final preview between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes.

Running back Andrew Harris has returned to practice for the Toronto Argonauts and could be a key piece as the team prepares for the post-season.

To get you up to date with all the news and notes from Week 21, here’s this week’s Checking Down:

Jump to team:

BC | Calgary | Edmonton | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg | Hamilton | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal

BC LIONS

Betts now has 18 sacks in 2023, a new record for a National player (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

–  Vernon Adams Jr. earned his second team nomination for Most Outstanding Player after accomplishing the feat with Montreal in 2019 (BCLions.com).

Mathieu Betts set a new record for sacks by a National player in the loss to the Stampeders in Week 20 (TSN.ca).

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

 

– The Calgary Stampeders are looking to become the first CFL Franchise to reach 700 wins (TSN.ca).

– The Stampeders will have to go through the road in BC and Winnipeg if they are to make the Grey Cup on November 19 (TSN.ca).

– The Stampeders representatives for the league’s major awards in 2023 include linebackers Cameron Judge and Micah Awe, among others (Stampeders.com).

EDMONTON ELKS

 

– The Edmonton Elks hadn’t had a kick or punt return touchdown since August 28, 2015 until Deontez Alexander took a Sergio Castillo kickoff 98 yards for the drought-snapping touchdown against the Blue Bombers in Week 20 (CFL.ca).

– CFL.ca’s Pat Steinberg listed three takeaways from the 2023 season for the Edmonton Elks, including reasons to be optimistic about the team’s future (CFL.ca).

Tre Ford, Martez Ivey and Jake Ceresna are some of the nominees for the Elks for the 2023 CFL Awards (GoElks.com).

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Linebacker Larry Dean is among Saskatchewan’s nominees (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)

– The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced on Monday that head coach Craig Dickenson will not have his contract renewed. Vice president of football operations and general manager Jeremy O’Day has agreed to a new contract (CFL.ca).

Larry Dean, Samuel Emilus and Adam Korsak are among the players nominated by Saskatchewan for the 2023 CFL Awards (Riderville.com).

Rob Vanstone goes through the list of nominees for the Roughriders and their achievements with the team in 2023 (Riderville.com).

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

 

Brady Oliveira, Willie Jefferson and Sergio Castillo are among Winnipeg’s nominees for the CFL Awards (BlueBombers.com).

Nic Demski and Brady Oliveira have reached a couple of historical milestones in Week 20, including becoming the first pair of National players to go over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards for the same team in the same season (CFL.ca).

Jackson Jeffcoat and Kenny Lawler have both made highlight plays in Week 20 to add to their resume for an All-Star bid in 2023 (CFL.ca).

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

White leads the CFL in receiving yards with 1,269 entering Week 21 (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)

– Receiver Tim White, linebacker Simoni Lawrence and defensive back Stavros Katsantonis are among Hamilton’s nominees for the 2023 CFL Awards (Ticats.ca).

– The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed National defensive back Jacob Dearborn and American receiver Chris Coleman, the team announced on Tuesday (CFL.ca).

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

 

– Quarterback Chad Kelly, returner Javon Leake and rookie defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers are among Toronto’s nominees for the 2023 CFL Awards (Argonauts.ca)

– Kelly will dress but won’t play for the regular season finale against the REDBLACKS, according to TSN’s Matthew Scianitti (TSN.ca).

– The Argos finished at the top of the final edition of the CFL.ca’s Power Rankings in 2023 (CFL.ca).

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

Williams was one of the nominees for the Ottawa REDBLACKS (Christian Bender/CFL.ca)

Dustin Crum, Brandin Dandridge and Devonte Williams were some of Ottawa’s nominees for the CFL Awards (REDBLACKS.com).

– There are some personal milestones in play for the REDBLACKS as they face the Argonauts in Week 21 in their 2023 season finale (Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun).

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Mack was a standout in his first season with 1,114 yards and four majors through 20 weeks (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)

Als and Ticats face off in Week 21 in a preview of the Eastern Semi-Final to be played on November 4 (TSN.ca).

The Alouettes nominated Austin Mack, Tyrice Beverette, Marc Antoine-Dequoy, amongst others, for the 2023 CFL Awards (CFL.ca).

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