Quarterback Index: An early case for MOP?

CFL.ca Staff

The CFL.ca Quarterback Index is a weekly power ranking of quarterbacks across the CFL. The ranking reflects recent performance, historical value, statistical indicators, team success and overall on-field evaluation.

TORONTO — No quarterback has performed better than Trevor Harris through the first five weeks of the season.

Coming off a 33-6 win over the BC Lions, the Eskimos’ pivot maintains a perfect 8:0 TD:INT ratio while leading the league in completion percentage (73.1%) and passing yards (1,362).

On pace for 36 touchdowns and more than 6,100 yards, Harris makes a strong early case for what could be the first Most Outstanding Player award in his career.

However, he does not live alone in the CFL quarterback penthouse. Bombers pivot Matt Nichols has been equally impressive, leading the CFL with 10 touchdown passes while boasting a QB rating of 126.0 — tops among all starters.

Harris and Nichols are 1-A and 1-B, but there’s plenty of intrigue throughout the rest of the list.

Mike Reilly‘s struggles continue in BC, while Jeremiah Masoli has thrown six interceptions. Those two veterans could soon be challenged by a couple of up-and-comers, as Nick Arbuckle and Vernon Adams Jr. are showing glimpses of the future.

In the lower third, not much separates Dominique Davis, Cody Fajardo and McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who are all looking to rebound with victories this week.

As Week 6 comes into view, CFL.ca ranks the pivots:

TREVOR HARRIS
THIS WEEK: 1 | LAST WEEK: 1

Aside from an injury scare in the first half vs. BC, not much has gone wrong for Trevor Harris, who’s only been sacked once and has yet to throw a pick in 2019. There’s no reason for Harris to slow down as he gets more comfortable in his new surroundings.

MATT NICHOLS WPG
THIS WEEK: 2 | LAST WEEK: 3

Matt Nichols is off to a blistering start in 2019, on pace for a career-high 45 touchdowns to go along with a 126.0 quarterback rating and 69.4 per cent completion rate. The veteran has been a central figure in the team’s perfect 4-0 start to the season.

MIKE REILLY BC
THIS WEEK: 3 | LAST WEEK: 2

Coming off a six-point, 177-yard performance in Week 5, the Lions’ offence has been the least productive in the CFL in 2019, averaging 305 yards per game. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but Mike Reilly has not been his usual dominant self back in BC.

JEREMIAH MASOLI HAM
THIS WEEK: 4 | LAST WEEK: 4

It may not have been pretty, but credit Jeremiah Masoli for a win over Calgary, capped by a go-ahead touchdown to Brandon Banks with 2:44 remaining. The 30-year-old needs to take better care of the football, especially near the opponent’s goal line.

NICK ARBUCKLE CGY
THIS WEEK: 5 | LAST WEEK: 5

The training wheels are off for sophomore Nick Arbuckle, who tossed 40 passes in just his second career start. Despite losing to Hamilton, the 25-year-old has passed every test so far, completing 73 per cent of his throws while averaging a CFL-best 10.2 yards per attempt.

VERNON ADAMS JR. MTL
THIS WEEK: 6 | LAST WEEK: 7

Antonio Pipkin is practising again but make no mistake, Vernon Adams Jr. has taken over the starting quarterback job for the Alouettes. The former top prospect totaled four touchdowns in one half against Ottawa, leading Montreal to a second consecutive victory.

DOMINIQUE DAVIS OTT
THIS WEEK: 7 | LAST WEEK: 6

This season has been an adventure for Dominique Davis, who threw his seventh interception of the year on Saturday but also rushed for two touchdowns. The first-time starter should have plenty of leash as the REDBLACKS’ No. 1 pivot, as a tough matchup with Winnipeg awaits.

MCLEOD BETHEL-THOMPSON TOR
THIS WEEK: 8 | LAST WEEK: 9

Despite another loss, McLeod Bethel-Thompson has been a bright spot for the Argos, throwing for 691 yards and four touchdowns in two starts this season. With James Franklin sidelined, the veteran is stating his case to remain the team’s full-time starting quarterback.

CODY FAJARDO SSK
THIS WEEK: 9 | LAST WEEK: 8

Pressed into action for the injured Zach Collaros, Cody Fajardo has had two great performances this season and two that were not so good. The potential is obvious, but can the 27-year-old bounce back and clamp down on a starting job for the Riders?