By Canadian Press

Pro Football Focus names Toronto Argonauts quarterback Kelly as CFL’s top player

Nov 9, 2023 | 10:19 AM

Pro Football Focus has named Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly as its league MVP.

The American analytics company graded CFL players this past season for the league’s weekly and monthly honour rolls. The awards announced Thursday were based upon the regular season only and a player’s overall grade.

Kelly, who is also a finalist for the CFL’s outstanding player award, won 15 of his 16 starts this season with Toronto (16-2) and earned an overall grade of 91.8, the highest of any position. The six-foot-one, 216-pound Kelly, in his first full season as a CFL starter, registered the second-best big-time throw rate (7.7 per cent) and highest adjusted completion percentage on deep throws (51.6).

Kelly’s 90.7 passing grade was the CFL’s highest while his 80.2 rushing grade was fourth among starters.

Honourable mention: B.C. quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira.

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Oliveira, the CFL rushing leader (1,534 yards) earned PFF’s top offensive player award The Winnipeg native’s 90.0 season grade was the highest among non-quarterback offensive players and this year he became just the second Canadian in CFL history to accumulate over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

Honourable mention: Adams Jr., Toronto running back A.J. Ouellette.

Canadian safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy of the Montreal Alouettes captured the outstanding defensive player award. Dequoy, who returned two of his five interceptions this season for touchdowns, had a league-high 90.8 coverage grade while allowing just one TD and registering 27 tackles.

Honourable mention: B.C. defensive end Mathieu Betts, Montreal defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson.

Montreal receiver Austin Mack earned outstanding offensive rookie honours but didn’t qualify for the CFL’s top rookie award because he’d played previously in the NFL.He finished fourth overall in catches (78) and fifth in yards (1,154) while forcing 15 missed tackles and registering 23 explosive receptions.

Honourable mention: Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum, B.C. running back Taquan Mizzell.

Montreal’s Reggie Stubblefield earned outstanding defensive rookie honours after allowing just 14 catches on 36 targets for 150 yards. Stubblefield’s 28.7 passer rating when targeted was the league’s second-lowest score and he earned an 89.1 coverage grade, the fifth-best in the CFL.

Honourable mention: Cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers and halfback Mason Pierce, both of Toronto.

Toronto guard Peter Nicastro was named comeback player of the year. After missing 2022 recovering from knee surgery, the Canadian offensive lineman was the CFL’s highest-graded right guard (70.5).

Honourable mention: Calgary cornerback Tre Roberson, Winnipeg linebacker Kyrie Wilson.

Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus of the Saskatchewan Roughriders is PFF’s breakout player of the year. The Montreal native had 70 catches for 1,097 yards and six TDs.

Honourable mention: Hamilton safety Stavros Katsantonis, Ottawa defensive lineman Bryce Carter.

Winnipeg’s Dalton Schoen captured the top receiver honour. The CFL’s top rookie last year, Schoen had 72 receptions for 1,233 yards and league-high 10 TDs and earned the highest receiving grade (83.0).

Honourable mention: B.C.’s Keon Hatcher, Calgary’s Reggie Begelton.

Hamilton guard Brandon Revenberg was named the outstanding offensive lineman. The Canadian had the highest grade of 76.4 after earning the second-highest run-blocking score (78.1) and sixth-best pass-blocking grade (74.6).

Honourable mention: Tackles Jermarcus Hardrick, Winnipeg, and Nick Callender, Montreal.

Toronto guard Dejon Allen was named the top pass blocker. The East Division’s outstanding lineman earned the league’s second-highest pass-blocking grade (79.5) while allowing just two sacks and 11 total pressures.

Honourable mention: Centres David Beard of Hamilton, Peter Godber of Saskatchewan.

Montreal guard Pier-Olivier Lestage earned top run-blocker honours after finishing with a league-best 83.6 grade. When the Alouettes ran on either side of Lestage they averaged 5.8 yards per carry compared to 4.2 yards when they ran elsewhere.

Honourable mention; Revenberg, Edmonton tackle Martez Ivey.

It’s no surprise Betts was named PFF’s outstanding pass rusher after the B.C. Lions star had a league-high 18 sacks, the most ever registered in a season by a Canadian.

Honourable mention: Mustafa, Toronto defensive end Folarin Orimoloade.

Ottawa linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox was named the CFL’s top run defender. He anchored a Redblacks defence that allowed a CFL-low 4.3 yards per rush with 48 tackles in the run game and an 87.4 run-defence grade that was the highest among qualified league defenders.

Honourable mention: Hamilton defensive lineman Casey Sayles, Saskatchewan linebacker Larry Dean.

B.C. cornerback Garry Peters claimed the top coverage defender. Peters played in 1,037 of a possible 1,045 snaps and was the most targeted player in coverage (90) but allowed just 46 catches and no TDs. 

Honourable mention: Stubblefield, Hamilton cornerback Richard Leonard.

Hamilton’s Carthell Flowers-Lloyd earned the top special-teams player award. The six foot two, 205-pound defensive back had a CFL-best 30 special-teams tackles and a blocked punt.

Honourable mention: B.C. kicker Sean Whyte, Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov., 9, 2023.

The Canadian Press