• Ottawa climbs a spot as top four remains in place: The unit was the second-highest-graded defensive line in Week 8. They earned grades of 76.6 overall, 68.6 in run defense and 73.6 in pass rush.
• The Blue Bombers are in the basement: This week, the group earned a 53.1 overall grade, a 38.9 run-defense grade and a 67.1 pass-rush grade.
• Looking for NFL/college grades and data? To access PFF Premium Stats, subscribe now using promo code PFF25!
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
1. Toronto Argonauts (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Robbie Smith
Field DI: Jake Ceresna
Boundary DI: Ralph Holley
Boundary EDGE: Derek Parish
• It was a return-to-form week for the Argonauts' defensive line. After posting its worst single-week unit grade last week, Toronto soared back to the top of the CFL. This unit ranked first in overall grade (76.8) and pass-rush grade (81.8) in Week 8.
• Potential CFL All-Star Jared Brinkman was moved to the six-game injury list before this game, meaning Ralph Holley will likely get an extended run in his absence. Holley performed exceptionally well in his first start of the season. He was the top-graded Argonauts defensive lineman this week (76.1) and performed solidly in run defense (69.0) and pass rush (74.2).
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Bryan Cox Jr.
Field DI: Anthony Lanier II
Boundary DI: Micah Johnson
Boundary EDGE: Malik Carney
• It was a tough week for the Roughriders' defensive linemen against the Alouettes' physical run-blocking offensive linemen. This unit posted its worst single-week run-defense grade of the year (48.9).
• Moving Lanier back inside to field interior defender opened up more pass-rush opportunities for reserve edge players Habakkuk Baldonado (74.9) and Lake Korte-Moore (71.3), who both earned their best single-week pass-rush grades of the season.
3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Nick Usher
Field DI: Casey Sayles
Boundary DI: Dewayne Hendrix
Boundary EDGE: Brandon Barlow
• Lading candidate for CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player Casey Sayles was excellent again this week. This week, he earned grades of 78.2 overall, 75.4 in run defense and 71.4 in pass rush. For the entire season, he ranks first overall (88.5), seventh in run defense (77.2) and second in pass rush (90.1) among defensive linemen with at least 100 snaps.
• Dewayne Hendrix was once again solid in the passing game, earning a 71.6 pass-rush grade, but the volatility between that and his run-defense grades is concerning. He earned a 39.3 run-defense grade, the third-worst mark among defensive linemen in Week 8.
4. British Columbia Lions (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Pete Robertson
Field DI: Marcus Moore
Boundary DI: Josh Banks
Boundary EDGE: Sione Teuhema
• The Lions were on a bye in Week 8.
5. Ottawa Redblacks (Up 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Bryce Carter
Field DI: Cleyon Laing
Boundary DI: Michael Wakefield
Boundary EDGE: Lorenzo Mauldin IV
• Ottawa continues its rise back up the rankings. This unit was the second-highest-graded defensive line in Week 8. They earned grades of 76.6 overall, 68.6 in run defense and 73.6 in pass rush.
• Ottawa's defensive line was led by its edge rushers. Carter (83.7), Mauldin (79.5) and Onyeka (74.4) were the three highest-graded defensive linemen. Carter was the highest-graded defensive lineman in the CFL this week.
6. Calgary Stampeders (Up 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: James Vaughters
Field DI: Mike Rose
Boundary DI: Charles Wiley
Boundary EDGE: Julian Howsare
• It was a solid week for the Stampeders' defensive line. The unit earned grades of 69.3 overall, 66.3 in run defense and 64.5 in pass rush. James Vaughters earned an elite 92.3 run-defense grade with two defensive stops, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
• If they want to climb higher in the coming weeks, the Stampeders will need to see an increase in their pass-rush productivity. The defensive line earned a 64.5 pass-rush grade with a 10.0% rate and a 36.6% win rate this past week.
7. Montreal Alouettes (Down 2)
Base Defensive Set: Odd Front
Field EDGE: Avery Ellis
NT: Mustafa Johnson
Boundary EDGE: Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund
• It was a tough week for the Alouettes' defensive line, which finished with a below-average grade in all categories. The unit earned a 50.8 overall grade (the lowest single-week grade of any group this season), a 51.0 run-defense grade, a 59.6 pass-rush grade and a 43.7 coverage grade (15 snaps).
• Ellis (52.6) and Adeyemi-Berglund (40.3) finished with poor overall grades in a week to forget.
8. Edmonton Elks (Up 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Elliott Brown
Field DI: Romeo McKnight
Boundary DI: Shawn Oakman
Boundary EDGE: Noah Taylor
• It was a good showing for the Elks, who climbed out of the bottom of the rankings. The unit earned a 62.7 overall grade, a 62.7 run-defense grade and a 59.3 pass-rush grade.
• Romeo McKnight and Elliott Brown led the unit. Both earned overall grades above 70.0 — McKnight at 72.0 and Brown at 71.6. Both also posted run-defense grades above 70.0 — McKnight at 78.7 and Brown at 71.3.
9. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Down 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Willie Jefferson
Field DI: Jamal Woods
Boundary DI: Jake Thomas
Boundary EDGE: TyJuan Garbutt
• Another poor showing from the Blue Bombers' defensive line sees them fall to the bottom of these rankings. This week, the unit earned a 53.1 overall grade, a 38.9 run-defense grade and a 67.1 pass-rush grade.
• The unit-wide 38.9 run-defense grade was its lowest mark this season. The interior faltered to the tune of a 39.6 overall grade and a 32.5 run-defense grade.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.