Into the Spotlight: Top 20 to watch in the Division Finals

The 2014 CFL season comes down to a three-game schedule. It’s a four-team, two-game tournament, and whichever of the four remaining teams can win two games in a row will capture the Grey Cup Championship.

Considering what was once ahead of every player, fan, coach and team in the CFL – a full 18-game schedule over four and a half months, just for a CHANCE to be in the playoffs – it’s amazing to look at these next couple of weeks and say ‘two wins are all it will take to be crowned Grey Cup Champion’.

But that’s where we’ve arrived heading into this fourth weekend of November, which means some of the performances we are now witnessing will forever be remembered.

You saw last week’s list of Top 30 Players to Watch in the CFL Playoffs, and it generated some interesting discussion. While we’ll continue to monitor that list, this weekend’s matchups offer some pretty intriguing storylines.

With that, I provide my list of 21 players to watch in the Division Finals!

21. Kendial Lawrence

Lawrence, the five-foot-nine burner that made all the difference in the Western Semi-Final victory over Saskatchewan, is the reason there are 21 players on this list instead of 20 – it was just impossible to leave him off.

While it took all game for the Esks’ defence to shape the team’s 18-10 victory, it was the 84-yard punt return touchdown that provided the winning points. That’s the value of a player like Lawrence, who will also line up across multiple positions on offence.

20. Jonathan Crompton

He’s the only quarterback outside of the top five on this list, but that doesn’t diminish Crompton’s role. It’s no coincidence that the Als’ 8-2 run to close out the season started when he became the guy under centre in Montreal, as his command of the offence is crucial in the Alouettes’ success.

Crompton is the guy responsible for getting the ball in the hands of Duron Carter and S.J. Green, while also leading the huddle; avoiding turnovers; and in the end, sustaining drives.

19. S.J. Green

While Duron Carter is getting all the attention in the midst of a huge breakout year, Green was the one producing in a 50-17 Alouette victory over the Lions. Green scored the first touchdown of the game when the score was still 1-0 in the second quarter, and his grab in the end zone sparked the Als’ landslide.

He went on to make seven grabs for 95 yards and a touchdown, while his game-breaking ability surely opened things up for the rest of the offence. Green is one of those rare players that’s open even when covered.

18. Luke Tasker

In just his second professional season, Tasker has emerged as a go-to receiver in the Ticats’ offence – especially with Andy Fantuz recently sidelined by injury. The 23-year-old Cornell product has good chemistry with Kent Austin and Zach Collaros, and lines up from multiple spots on the field.

Tasker has recorded at least five receptions in each of the last three games, with 19 catches for 280 yards and a touchdown over that span. If the Ticats are going to beat that stingy Als’ defence, he’ll play an important part.

17. Brandon Banks

His name is ‘speedy’ for a reason, as Banks is the biggest game-breaker in football. He’s burned the Alouettes a couple of times in his young CFL career, and for that reason, the Als will have to be aware of where he lines up on the field at all times.

Banks is an elite kickoff and punt return, but he’s also dangerous on an offence that already boasts multiple weapons. The Ticats are figuring out how to get him the ball in space on both offence and special teams, and that spells danger for opponents.

16. Nic Grigsby

The CFL’s third-leading rusher is getting acclimated to life as a Ticat, and will play a central role in his team’s offensive success against that pressure Montreal defence. Grigsby rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the Alouettes in the finale, and he’ll have to replicate that production in order to keep Montreal’s defence honest.

More than that, he’ll have to excel in pass protection, as Montreal will send all sorts of pressure from different spots of the field, and often times it’ll be Grigsby stepping up to take the extra man.

15. Simoni Lawrence

The Alouettes had plenty of success with their run game against BC, eventually breaking the Lions’ steel curtain at linebacker of Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill. Knowing the Als’ strategy will be to run the ball, Lawrence’s role in containing either Tyrell Sutton or Brandon Rutley will be pivotal.

Lawrence is the quarterback of the Ticats’ defence, and the team’s leader in tackles with 78. He’ll have to notch a bunch in order to keep Montreal’s offence off the
field.

14. The Alouettes’ run game

When the Alouettes are at their best, they’re running the football and sustaining drives. That phase of the game was absent in the team’s loss to Hamilton in the season finale, as the Als never established anything against the league’s top-ranked run defence.

Whether it’s with Brandon Rutley, Tyrell Sutton, or Chris Rainey, that will have to change in the Eastern Final. The Alouettes will have to keep the Ticat defence off balance with a solid run game, especially as the weather worsens.

13. Odell Willis

Willis tied second in the CFL with 13 sacks this season, but was cold to close out the season with just one quarterback takedown in the final four games of the season. The Eskimos need him to heat up, as the Stampeders give up the fewest sacks in the league by a longshot.

It’s been proven that Mitchell can be taken off his game with a little bit of pressure, and while that’s hard to do against Calgary’s stout O-line, Willis will have to make an impact. The Esks had only four sacks against Calgary in three games this season.

12. Bear Woods

With 89 tackles in a shortened 13-game season, Woods picked up almost seven tackles a game. That’s about one less tackle a game than Solomon Elimimian, who broke the CFL’s single-season tackles record with 143 tackles. What’s more, he had 19 tackles and two sacks in two games against the Ticats, for an average of 9.5 tackles per game.

Woods in an elite CFL linebacker, and he’ll make life extremely difficult for Kent Austin and the Ticats’ blockers up front – and especially running back Nic Grigsby and quarterback Zach Collaros.

11. Juwan Simpson

A CFL veteran of seven years, all with the Stamps, Simpson knows what the playoffs are all about. He’ll be the quarterback of the Stamps’ defence, and that’s no easy task as that unit lines up against an offence as diverse as Edmonton’s.

The Eskimos thrive on ball possession by running the ball and completing short passes to extend drives, and Simpson will play a key role in making sure that doesn’t come to fruition on Sunday.

10. Delvin Breaux

If you look at the Ticats’ tackles leaderboard, you have to go a ways down to find Breaux. The reason is that teams simply don’t throw his way, as he’s one of the CFL’s shutdown defenders. The 25-year-old averaged just two tackles a game over 16 starts this season, and will draw the matchup against Montreal’s Duron Carter.

Carter scored a touchdown in the matchup in the season finale, but it was late in the game with the victory already out of reach for Montreal. Outside of that, Breaux held Carter to virtually nothing, and he’ll need a repeat performance on Sunday.

9. Shawn Lemon

Released by the Eskimos after the 2012 season, Lemon is the player to watch this weekend on the defensive side of the ball. The 26-year-old had three sacks in three games this season against his former team, while leading the league in forced fumbles and tying for second in sacks with 13.

Lemon has become a premier pass rusher and defensive playmaker, and surely he’ll look to settle a score against his former team. The Stamps’ success will depend on it, as Mike Reilly is a difficult quarterback to get to.

8. Adarius Bowman

The league’s top receiver by far in 2014, Bowman will hold the key to the Esks’ passing attack. He set a franchise record with 112 receptions to go with six touchdowns and 1,456 yards – in a year in which receivers generally struggled.

Edmonton’s passing attack involves short passes to Bowman and his ability to pick up big yards after the catch, which he should be able to do with his physical frame. His average against the Stamps this season was nearly 100 yards per game over three games.

7. Almondo Sewell

Second among defensive tackles in sacks, Almondo Sewell is in elite company when it comes to defensive linemen. Against Brett Jones and the Stampeders, in particular, his role is increased even more. Whether or not Sewell can penetrate the Stamps’ stellar D-line will determine the team’s success on defence.

Sewell will be a central figure in the Esks’ battle against Jon Cornish, who ran all over the Eskimos in two regular season games and will need to be contained if Edmonton is going to advance to the Grey Cup.

6. Bo Levi Mitchell

All four starting quarterbacks this weekend are getting their first taste of playoff action (both Crompton and Reilly saw game time during last week’s Semi-Final wins), and Mitchell may be the most intriguing. He’s lost just two starts in his young career, and with his ability to sustain drives, make plays with his arm and extend drives with his legs, he’s on track to becoming an elite CFL quarterback.

For now, though, the biggest focus will have to be managing the game. It seems strange for a quarterback who possesses so much talent, but the reality in Calgary is that Cornish is the Stamps’ big ticket this year. Mitchell just has avoid the mistakes and make the important plays when necessary.

5. Zach Collaros

There’s a certain attribute that’s very difficult to measure in football, and that’s the ability to win – that ‘it’ factor that coaches and fans talk about. Well, whatever ‘it’ is, Collaros has it. He turned heads when he stepped in for Ricky Ray in 2013 and turned their season around, helping them win a record four road games in four weeks.

This year in Hamilton, it was no different. He returned from a head injury after Labour Day and led the Ticats on a magical run to an eventual division title – this in just his first full season as a starting quarterback. If he can win just two more games, we’ll become witness to the start of something very special in the Hammer.

4. John White

While Cornish has dominated the headlines over the last few years as far as CFL running backs go, it looks like he may finally have some healthy competition. John White has emerged as one of the CFL’s top rushers, picking up 852 rushing yards in an injury-shortened year.

The 23-year-old has 652 yards on 91 carries in his last six games for a 7.2 yards per carry average, while his role in the Esks’ passing game is increasing every game. He was absent for the Esks’ back-to-back Labour Day losses to Calgary, and will play a central role in the Western Final.

3. Mike Reilly

The Eskimos lost all three regular season games to the Stampeders, but if Mike Reilly is close to 100 per cent and able to start, he could be the game-changer the Esks have been looking for. If you ask this writer, Reilly was most impressive quarterback in the CFL in 2014 and could be the league’s best for many years to come.

Now as he’s projected to make his first career playoff start, it’ll be interesting to see how he responds to playing in the spotlight and on the road in a big, big game. Elite quarterbacks come through in big games and especially big moments. We’ll soon see how Reilly fits into that category.

2. Jon Cornish

Cornish needed exactly nine games – half a season – to win the CFL rushing title and eclipse 1,000 yards for his third straight season. His 7.8 yards per carry was by far a career best as a starting running back, as he continues to back up his belief that with age and added experience, he’s only improving as a runner.

The only thing left for him to do is lead the Stamps to the thing he cares about most – a Grey Cup Championship. He owned the Eskimos in two games during the regular season, both Calgary wins, and a repeat performance would certainly be a good start to accomplishing his goal.

1. Duron Carter

After the Alouettes put up 50 in a win over the BC Lions, the 23-year-old budding superstar receiver promised the Ticats would get a ‘butt-kicking’ in Sunday’s Eastern Final. Maybe he’s young and naïve and maybe the words came in the heat of the moment, but that will certainly add fire to a rivalry that was hot to begin with.

Although the Als’ leading receiver was already on everyone’s list of players to watch going into the playoffs, everyone will now be watching number 89 to see if he can
back up his words and help his team advance to the Grey Cup Championship. It’s Carter vs. Breaux and the Ticats’ secondary, and it’s gonna be a doozy.

Like always, here are some players that didn’t make the list but should be expected to make a significant impact in Sunday’s games:

Marquay McDaniel – 165 yards on 12 catches in his first game back from injury. He’s the Stamps’ go-to receiver.

Charleston Hughes – Could return to action after being sidelined by a mid-season injury. Single-handedly changes the outlook of the Stamps’ defence.

Eric Norwood – 11 sacks over the Ticats’ last nine games of the season. He’ll face an elite Alouette O-line.

Chip Cox – A huge playmaker and long-time CFL veteran with a lot of playoff experience.

Aaron Grymes – New to the playoff stage, but a big-time playmaker and superb in coverage.

Jamar Wall – Tied for the CFL lead in interceptions. Will likely see plenty of Adarius Bowman.

Keon Raymond – The veteran of the Stamps’ secondary and another big playmaker on Calgary’s defence.

Brett Jones – The glue of the Stamps’ league-leading O-line. Will face a stiff challenge against the Esks’ talented front-seven.

Dexter McCoil – Shoo-in for rookie of the year. Huge playmaker and a great tackler.

Patrick Watkins – Sometimes nicknamed ‘Watkins Island’. He’s a shutdown corner. Esks’ defence took a hit when he left the game vs. Saskatchewan.

Jerald Brown – Had a monster game against the Lions. Could face a tougher challenge against Collaros, who will challenge the Als’ secondary.

Dark Horse: Maurice Price

Price has speed to burn and is expected to return from a head injury to play in the Western Final. He could emerge to be the star of the playoffs, as the Esks’ defence will focus on stopping the run while Marquay McDaniel provides the threat on the other side of the field.

The 29-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance, but hasn’t been able to produce consistently quite yet. Could this be his time to become the go-to guys for the Stamps?

That’s it for another CFL Playoffs watch list. Who are you most eager to watch this weekend? Give a shout in the comments below, and feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@jeffkrever)! I’m always happy to debate.