MMQB: Putting a bow on 2023

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

With Christmas falling on a Monday, this week’s MMQB will be the last for a couple weeks and the last of 2023.

As such, I thought we’d wrap up the calendar year by looking back at an eventful 2023 on the field.

We’ll talk to you again on January 8!

The Game of 2023: The 110th Grey Cup

The league’s crown jewel has also served as game of the year more often than not in recent times and 2023 was no exception. Montreal’s thrilling comeback win over Winnipeg had huge plays, wild swings of momentum, and made you feel like every drive could tilt the balance. And it also gave us a buzzer beating finish that no CFL fan is going to forget anytime soon.

In a game that had a little bit of everything, the Als and Bombers saved the best for the fourth quarter. The final frame featured an early Austin Mack touchdown catch to give Montreal their first lead. That was answered by a nine-play, five-minute drive by the Bombers capped by Dakota Prukop’s second rushing touchdown for a 24-21 lead.

And then we got THE drive.

With less than two minutes remaining, and starting at their own 27, Montreal started marching. When it was all said and done, Fajardo had thrown the two biggest passes of his career. A 31-yard strike to Cole Spieker on third-and-five kept the Als alive. And then Fajardo hit Tyson Philpot for a 19-yard game winner and one of the most iconic passes in Grey Cup history.

The Player of 2023: Vernon Adams Jr.

It was only 18 months ago Adams had his starting job taken from him in Montreal, which led to him being acquired by BC a few months later. Even then, though, Adams was brought in as a stop gap while Nathan Rourke was on the shelf with a foot injury. But, when Rourke joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in January, the Lions didn’t hesitate in handing the ball to Adams.

And they made the right choice. Adams put together the best season of his career, even better than his breakout 2019 campaign with the Alouettes. Adams led the league with 4,769 passing yards and finished second with 31 passing touchdowns to go along with a stellar 105.5 quarterback rating.

With an incredible group of receivers surrounding him, Adams cemented himself as one of the CFL’s elite quarterbacks in 2023. That’s an incredible accomplishment knowing how 2022 played out for him.

The Team of 2023: Montreal Alouettes

Montreal didn’t just win the Grey Cup, which was stellar enough. The Als came together at the most crucial time, rallied around being the underdog, and rattled off an incredible eight-game win streak en route to winning it all. Linebacker Darnell Sankey telegraphed it when he said they wouldn’t lose again following a Week 15 setback vs. Toronto…because they didn’t.

There were lots of great stories along the way. Fajardo completed an incredible redemption arc after his time in Saskatchewan came to an unsatisfying end following a disastrous 2022. Mack burst onto the CFL scene and finished fourth in receiving with 1,154 yards. And Shawn Lemon, not signed until July, got another opportunity to prove the doubters wrong, which he did emphatically.

Montreal was a compelling team without winning a championship. But capturing the 110th Grey Cup made them an easy pick.

The Canadian of 2023: Brady Oliveira

Oliveira ascended to a different stratosphere this year. After putting himself on the map with a 1,001-yard campaign in 2022, Oliveira took it to new heights in his second season as Winnipeg’s number one tailback. The local product led the league with 1,534 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, which earned him the West Division’s Most Outstanding Player nomination.

It’s important to note the significance of Oliveira’s season. His rushing total was the highest for any CFL tailback since fellow Canadian Jon Cornish went for 1,813 a decade ago. Oliveira put together one of the best rushing seasons of any nationality in recent memory and one of the best ever from a Canadian. That deserves recognition.

The Story of 2023: The Argonauts Assault

They fell short of their ultimate goal, no doubt, but Toronto’s record-tying regular season can’t go forgotten. In defence of their shock 2022 Grey Cup title, the Argos proved they were here to stay by putting together a 16-2 regular season. In the process, Toronto joined 1989 Edmonton as the only teams to ever rack up 16 wins in a single season.

And with all that team success came plenty of individual recognition for the Argonauts. Quarterback Chad Kelly was named 2023 Most Outstanding Player, which led the way among five teammates taking home major league hardware.

Dejon Allen was the league’s Most Outstanding Lineman, Javon Leake was named Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, Qwan’tez Stiggers was Most Outstanding Rookie, and Ryan Dinwiddie took home his first Coach of the Year award.

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