Around the CFL: Plenty to prove for majority of quarterbacks

The top quarterback in the CFL is, without question, Winnipeg Blue Bombers star Zach Collaros.

Who ranks second after the two-time reigning most outstanding player?

Answers, at this stage, are all over the map.

Welcome to the 2023 CFL quarterbacking landscape. Collaros is the only opening-day starter from 2022 in the same role with his team this season.

The quarterback to make the biggest statement in the opening week was B.C. Lions pivot Vernon Adams Jr.

Acquired in a mid-season trade after he lost his job to Trevor Harris with the Montreal Alouettes last season, Adams completed 77.8 per cent of his passes and threw for 300 yards as the visiting Lions kicked off the CFL season with a 25-15 win over the Calgary Stampeders.

“I am feeling a lot more comfortable than I was last year getting thrown in the fire,” said Adams, who filled in for Canadian star Nathan Rourke (now a Jacksonville Jaguar) while he recovered from injury after the trade.

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The season opener certainly was a promising sign for a guy with plenty to prove. But it’s far too early to say the Lions have a surefire standout at the most important position.

Of course, the same thing pretty much can be said for seven other teams.

Two-time MOP Bo Levi Mitchell, who lost his job to Jake Maier last year in Calgary, wasn’t sharp in his debut with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against Winnipeg. Maier himself threw two interceptions in a loss to B.C.

Taylor Cornelius was shaky for the Edmonton Elks in a 17-13 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who acquired Harris in the off-season. Harris’ debut with Saskatchewan (one touchdown, two interceptions, 179 passing yards) wasn’t great, either.

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In the East, Cody Fajardo had a winning debut with the Montreal Alouettes and had the second-best QB rating of the week after he lost his job during a disastrous year for the Roughriders last season. But Montreal scored all of one touchdown in a 19-12 win over an Ottawa Redblacks team missing its starting quarterback – Jeremiah Masoli – to injury. Masoli is expected to return from a serious leg injury suffered last season for the team’s third game.

Then there’s Toronto, where there is optimism about Chad Kelly after the nephew of Jim Kelly had a strong finish replacing an injured McLeod Bethel-Thompson last year in a surprise Grey Cup win over Winnipeg. Kelly has all the physical attributes to be successful, but hasn’t been a full-time starter since he was a college student at Ole Miss in 2016.

Two or three of these men surely will join Collaros in the upper tier of the CFL quarterback rankings this year. Predicting who they will be is almost impossible at this stage.

Crowd Count

Some good, some bad at the box office in the first week.

An announced crowd of 20,865 turned out for the Alouettes’ first home game under new owner Pierre Karl Peladeau, which is a step in the right direction.

In Edmonton, the Elks had an announced crowd of 32,233 – a number that will be tough to match if the team doesn’t snap its 18-game home losing streak soon.

The concerning spot was Calgary, which had fewer than 18,000 for its opener at an aging McMahon Stadium. Granted, it was a Thursday night during the school year, but Calgary was one of the league’s stronger markets not long ago.

What We Liked in Week 1

• The Lions’ offence picking up where it left off, despite not having Rourke.

• Collaros and Co. piling up the points in a 42-31 win over Hamilton.

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• Alouettes receiver Austin Mack making four catches for 120 yards in his CFL debut. It was a much-needed performance for an Als team with multiple injuries at Mack’s position.

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What We Didn’t Like in Week 1

• The play of Redblacks quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who must make better decisions with the football. Short week now, too, for Arbuckle, with just four days between games.

• The Elks not scoring a touchdown on three consecutive plays from the Saskatchewan one-yard line.

• Fajardo getting sacked six times in his first game with Montreal. That must have brought back memories of last year in Saskatchewan.

Power Rankings

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0): Let Hamilton back in it after going up 31-4 at halftime, but they’re the team to beat until further notice.

2. B.C. Lions (1-0): Just like in last year’s West semifinal, the Lions emerged victorious against the Stampeders.

3. Toronto Argonauts (0-0): The Chad Kelly era gets going this week against arch-rival Hamilton after the team unfurls its 2022 Grey Cup banner.

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1): Team really loaded up in a year Hamilton is hosting the Grey Cup, but Ticats weren’t close to good enough in Winnipeg.

5. Calgary Stampeders (0-1): Star running back Ka’Deem Carey was placed on the six-game injured list Wednesday with a foot injury.

6. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0): Everyone wins in Edmonton, so tough to get too excited about this 1-0 start.

7. Montreal Alouettes (1-0): Defence was strong against a short-handed Ottawa team.

8. Ottawa Redblacks (0-1): The looming return of Masoli can’t come soon enough.

9. Edmonton Elks (0-1): The team gave a vote of confidence to Cornelius in the off-season, but he is now 5-17 as a starter.

Week 2 Picks

Calgary Stampeders (-6.5) at Ottawa Redblacks, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT: Ottawa’s Arbuckle goes against the team he broke into the CFL with in 2018. Redblacks were 0-9 at home last year. Pick: Ottawa

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-6.5) at Saskatchewan Roughriders, Friday, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT: A real chance for the Roughriders to show this year could be different in their home opener. Pick: Saskatchewan

Edmonton Elks at B.C. Lions (-7.5), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT: LL Cool J is the musical act for a Lions home opener trending toward a strong crowd. Mama says the Lions will knock the Elks out. Pick: B.C.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-1.5) at Toronto Argonauts, Sunday, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT: First of four meetings between the QEW rivals. At least they’re not playing four times in five weeks like last year. Pick: Toronto

2023 Picks Record: 2-2

All lines from FanDuel as of Wednesday night.

— With files from Canadian Press

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