TORONTO — Week 3 of the CFL season delivered another slate of standout performances, with offensive stars continuing to fill up the stat sheet across the league.
From dominant rushing efforts to pinpoint passing and reliable pass-catching, advanced data from PFF helps paint an even clearer picture of some of the weekend’s most impressive individual outings.
Here are five PFF stats that stood out from Week 3.
DEDRICK MILLS | RUNNING BACK | CALGARY STAMPEDERS | 9 MISSED TACKLES FORCED
The Stampeders may have come up short in their overtime loss to Saskatchewan, but Dedrick Mills was one of the brightest spots on the field.
According to PFF, Mills forced nine missed tackles on his 15 rushing attempts, the most of any player in Week 3. The running back finished with 103 rushing yards (plus two catches for 11 yards) while averaging nearly seven yards per carry against a Roughriders defence that entered the week unbeaten. Calgary is still searching for its first win, but Mills continues to give the offence a reliable presence in the backfield.
JUSTIN RANKIN | RUNNING BACK | EDMONTON ELKS | 126 RUSHING YARDS AFTER CONTACT
Justin Rankin’s start to the season has been nothing short of sensational and Week 3 may have been his most impressive performance yet.
The Edmonton running back piled up 126 rushing yards after contact according to PFF, highlighting just how difficult he was to bring down in the Elks’ win over Montreal.
Rankin finished the afternoon with 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while adding five receptions for 51 yards. When a player records more yards after contact than many running backs produce in total, it’s a good indication that something special is happening. But then again, so are Rankin’s 426 yards from scrimmage across two games.
BO LEVI MITCHELL | QUARTERBACK | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS | 4 BIG-TIME THROWS
At this point, Bo Levi Mitchell is making perfection look routine.
The veteran quarterback completed 15 of 18 passes for 285 yards and five touchdowns in Hamilton’s victory over BC. According to PFF, Mitchell was credited with four big-time throws, a metric used to identify high-level passes delivered into tight windows or downfield situations that require exceptional accuracy and decision-making.
That gave Mitchell more big-time throws than incompletions on the night. Even more impressive, Mitchell posted a perfect passer rating for the second consecutive week. Through three games, the Tiger-Cats quarterback has looked every bit like one of the CFL’s elite pivots and a major reason Hamilton sits above .500.
AYDEN EBERHARDT | RECEIVER | OTTAWA REDBLACKS | 4 CONTESTED CATCHES
While Ottawa remains in search of its first win, Ayden Eberhardt‘s performance against Toronto offered plenty of encouragement.
Eberhardt hauled in eight receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown while recording four contested catches according to PFF. Winning contested targets consistently is one of the toughest skills for a receiver to master, requiring a combination of timing, body control and strong hands. Eberhardt showcased all three against the Argonauts and continued to build a strong case for becoming one of Ottawa’s most trusted pass-catchers moving forward.
TYSON PHILPOT | RECEIVER | MONTREAL ALOUETTES | 7 FIRST DOWN CATCHES
Tyson Philpot‘s stellar campaign continues to gain momentum.
The Montreal receiver caught eight passes for 120 yards in Saturday’s matchup with Edmonton, and according to PFF, seven of those receptions resulted in first downs.
That’s the type of efficiency offensive coordinators dream about, as nearly every touch moved the chains and kept drives alive. Philpot has now posted consecutive 100-yard games and is averaging just under 130 receiving yards per contest through three weeks. If he can maintain anything close to that pace, he’ll remain firmly in the conversation for several of the league’s most prestigious accolades.
