- Impressive postseason for Samuel Emilus: The Saskatchewan wideout led all receivers this postseason in yards after the catch, yards after first contact and missed tackles.
- Marcus Sayles carries Saskatchewan’s defense to Gray Cup: Sayles has been targeted six times this postseason and has a 0.0 passer rating on those attempts.
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The CFL Playoffs ended last Sunday as the Saskatchewan Roughriders celebrated and defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to win their first Gray Cup in 12 years.
Looking back, we’ll be highlighting all the top performers in a special ‘Team of the Playoffs’.
Although they did not claim the Gray Cup, the Alouettes actually led the way with seven players named to the team. The champion Roughriders tied with the BC Lions for second with six each.
OFFENCE
- QB: Davis Alexander, Montreal
- RB: Stevie Scott, Montreal
- Recipient: Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan
- Recipient: Kenny Lawler, Hamilton
- Recipient: Justin McInnis, British Columbia
- Recipient: Tyson Philpot, Montreal
- Recipient: Jalen Philpot, Calgary
- LT: Nick Callender, Montreal
- LG: Brandon Revenberg, Hamilton
- C: Liam Dobson, Hamilton
- RG: Jacob Brammer, Saskatchewan
- RT: Jermarcus Hardrick, Saskatchewan
DEFENSE
- BY: Miles Brown, Calgary
- BY: Micah Johnson, Saskatchewan
- EDGE: Mathieu Betts, British Columbia
- EDGE: Balunded, Saskatchewan
- L.B.: Tyrice Beverette, Montreal
- L.B.: Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, Montreal
- Coverage LB: Reggie Stubblefield, Hamilton
- CB: Marcus Sayles, Saskatchewan
- CB: Lorenzo Burns, Montreal
- HB: Destin Talbert, Hamilton
- HB: Evan Holm, Winnipeg
- S: Jackson Findlay, British Columbia
SPECIAL TEAMS
- K: Sean Whyte, British Columbia
- P: Carl Meyer, British Columbia
- Returner: Robert Carter Jr., British Columbia
PLAYOFFS QUARTER: QB DAVIS ALEXANDER, MONTREAL
In his first postseason as a starter, Alexander put together an impressive run that brought him so close to a Gray Cup victory. Alexander led all quarterbacks in the playoffs with nine big throws and gained 61.8% of his yards through the air. That was the second highest figure, and his average target depth of 11.3 meters ranked third.
Alexander has also made a big contribution to his legs. Despite being limited by a hamstring injury that clearly bothered him all season, Alexander rushed 16 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. He picked up eight first downs and forced four missed tackles. He finished the playoffs with an overall PFF grade of 86.9.
OFFENSIVE PLAYOFF PLAYER: WR SAMUEL EMILUS, SASKATCHEWAN
Emilus only played seven games in the regular season due to injuries, but when he did play, he was among the elite. His 84.1 regular-season grade would have ranked second had he qualified.
Fortunately for Saskatchewan, Emilus got healthy for the playoffs and carried that strong play into a Gray Cup win. Emilus caught 19 passes for 208 yards and nine first downs this postseason. He led the CFL with 89 yards after the catch, 60 yards after first contact and four missed tackles forced. Emilus averaged 3.20 yards per route, the highest of any receiver who played at least two games in the postseason.
Emilus was named Most Outstanding Canadian for the Gray Cup, and he more than deserved it for his excellent playoff run.
PLAYOFFS OFFENSIVE LINE: SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
It’s no surprise that the Gray Cup winners had the best offensive line throughout the playoffs. The Roughriders’ offensive line anchored a rushing attack that gained 207 yards on 39 carries and averaged 2.0 yards before contact per carry, one of the highest marks of the playoffs. As pass blockers, they didn’t allow a single sack and gave up just 11 total pressures on 68 dropbacks. They were one of two teams to finish the postseason with a pass-blocking efficiency rating above 91.5.
As they have been all season, the Roughriders were led by their Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award winner, Jermarcus Hardrick. The right tackle didn’t give up any pressure in the playoffs and also ranked in the top 10 with a PFF run-blocking grade of 72.9.
Playoff pass rusher: Edge Habakkuk Baldonado, Saskatchewan
The Roughriders’ pass rush has been impressive all season, and Baldonado has been at the forefront of that. The edge rusher continued that play in his two playoff games, recording seven total pressures in each of those games.
Those 14 total pressures led the league in the postseason, and he also added three more pass-rush wins. Baldonado had a pass-rush win rate of 20.6%, which ranked second among all defensemen, and his pass-rush productivity rating of 11.0 ranked third.
PLAYOFF RUN DEFENDER: LB JAMEER THURMAN, SASKATCHEWAN
Another defensive award, another Saskatchewan Roughrider. This time it’s middle linebacker Jameer Thurman because of his impressive skill.
Thuman led the CFL with seven tackles and four assists against the run, with just one missed tackle. Thurman made three solo stops on the ground in the league and finished with a PFF run defense grade of 77.1 during the playoffs.
PLAYOFF PLAYER COVERAGE: CB MARCUS SAYLES, SASKATCHEWAN
It shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering the team’s Gray Cup win, but Saskatchewan is sweeping away at the playoff trophies, with Sayles showing off his elite coverage skills in the Roughriders’ two playoff wins.
In two games, Sayles was targeted six times and had just one reception for six yards. He picked off two passes and broke up three others. He made four tackles in the passing game, all in big moments.
Quarterbacks who targeted Sayles in these playoffs had a passer rating of 0.0. He finished with a PFF coverage grade of 89.6 and was Saskatchewan’s highest-rated player.
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