• QB Nick Arbuckle does enough to lead Toronto to victory: He finished the game with a 77.4 overall grade and a well-deserved Grey Cup MVP award.
• CFL Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira good despite loss: He broke five tackles, had two explosive runs, picked up four first downs and scored a touchdown. Oliveira finished with a game-high 73.7 rushing grade.
• Toronto LB Wynton McManis with an unbelievable coverage performance: McManis was targeted seven times and allowed just three catches for 29 yards. He had an interception and forced two incompletions.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
After three quarters of Grey Cup football, the Toronto Argonauts led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 17-13. It seemed we were set up for an exciting finish. Instead, Toronto picked off Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros three times in the fourth quarter and rolled to a 41-24 victory, securing the franchise’s CFL-best 19th Grey Cup win.
With the win, it’s no surprise that Toronto makes up the majority of the year’s final “Team of the Week.” Of the 27 players on the team, 18 are Argonauts players. Players like LT Stanley Bryant and RB Brady Oliveira had great games for Winnipeg, but it just wasn’t enough to carry the Blue Bombers to victory.
OFFENSE
QB: Nick Arbuckle, Toronto
RB: Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg
Receiver: Ontaria Wilson, Winnipeg
Receiver: DaVaris Daniels, Toronto
Receiver: Makai Polk, Toronto
Receiver: Dejon Brissett, Toronto
Receiver: Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg
LT: Stanley Bryant, Winnipeg
LG: Dylan Giffen, Toronto
C: Peter Nicastro, Toronto
RG: Anthony Vandal, Toronto
RT: Dejon Allen, Toronto
DEFENSE
DI: Jake Ceresna, Toronto
DI: Ralph Holley, Toronto
Edge: Willie Jefferson, Winnipeg
Edge: Celestin Haba, Winnipeg
LB: Wynton McManis, Toronto
LB: Tony Jones, Winnipeg
Cover LB: Robert Priester, Toronto
CB: Benjie Franklin, Toronto
CB: Terrell Bonds, Winnipeg
HB: DaShaun Amos, Toronto
HB: Nick Taylor, Winnipeg
S: Royce Metchie, Toronto
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Lirim Hajrullahu, Toronto
P: John Haggerty, Toronto
Returner: Janarion Grant, Toronto
QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB NICK ARBUCKLE, TORONTO
In our Grey Cup Preview, we said that Toronto would win if it wasn’t forced to put the game on Arbuckle’s shoulders. That gameplan was executed flawlessly. Arbuckle did exactly what he needed to do in this one, managing the offence and not making mistakes. Arbuckle had an adjusted completion rate of 74.4% and an average depth of target of just 7.8 yards. More importantly, he recorded no turnover-worthy plays; his two interceptions were the result of a miscommunication and a batted pass. Arbuckle also picked up two first downs with his feet. He finished the game with a 77.4 overall grade and a well-deserved Grey Cup MVP award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB BRADY OLIVEIRA, WINNIPEG
Winnipeg’s gameplan in the first half was pretty balanced, mixing in some Oliveira runs to go along with its passing game.The Blue Bombers went away from that in the second half as they fell behind, which was tough to see. Oliveira actually averaged more yards per carry (7.6) than Toronto’s yards per passing attempt average (6.1). The 2024 Most Outstanding Player turned 11 carries into 84 yards, with 74 of those coming after first contact. He broke five tackles, had two explosive runs, picked up four first downs and scored a touchdown. Oliveira finished with a game-high 73.7 rushing grade.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: TORONTO ARGONAUTS
It’s no surprise that Toronto’s offensive line was a highlight in the Grey Cup. One of the best units all season long, Toronto’s line was effective regardless of the concept. The group blocked well in the run game, with Toronto RB Ka’Deem Carey gaining 55.7% of his 79 rushing yards before first contact. When pass-blocking, the Argos allowed just one sack and lost just eight total pass-blocking snaps (compared to Winnipeg’s 21 pass-blocking losses). RG Anthony Vandal was the star, not losing a single pass-blocking rep and finishing with a game-high 86.7 pass-blocking grade.
PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: ED WILLIE JEFFERSON, WINNIPEG
Despite the lopsided final score, Winnipeg’s defence actually played well for much of this game. There were plenty of strong performances, but none that stood out more so than big Willie Jefferson. The veteran edge rusher finished with two sacks, a hit and a hurry when rushing the passer. One of those sacks was on second down in the red zone, and the other was a strip sack in the third quarter. His biggest play wasn’t even a pressure: Jefferson caught his own batted pass to intercept Arbuckle deep in Toronto territory when the game was still very much in question early in the fourth quarter. Jefferson led all Grey Cup participants with an 87.3 pass-rushing grade.
RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: LB REDHA KRAMDI, WINNIPEG
Run defence was not great for either team in this game. Both lead backs averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry, and neither team had a player finish with a run defence grade above 70.0. Still, Kramdi was the best of them, posting a 67.5 run defence grade. He made two tackles, with one of them being a solo stop. Kramdi concludes a solid season with a 72.6 overall grade, one of the top grades among SAM linebackers.
COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB WYNTON MCMANIS, TORONTO
The Argonauts had multiple players that could have won this award. In racking up four interceptions and holding the Bombers to a sub-50% completion rate, they were ready to stop this Winnipeg pass offence. It helped that Toronto boasts the best coverage linebacker in the CFL. McManis was targeted seven times and allowed just three catches for 29 yards. He had an interception and forced two incompletions, plus made four tackles in the pass game and recorded an 85.0 coverage grade.Including the playoffs, McManis actually finished the season with the highest coverage grade among all defenders in the league (92.3).
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