• Saskatchewan and Hamilton continue to lead the way: For the second straight week, the two teams combined for 13 selections on the Team of the Week, thanks in part to standout performances from QB Bo Levi Mitchell and edge defender Malik Carney.

• James Butler’s resurgence powers BC: The running back has already eclipsed his 2023 totals and turned in another strong showing last week, earning Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• The best deal of the year: Use discount code earlybird to save up to 33% on your PFF+ subscription.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Week 8 is in the books, and it featured standout performances across the league. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats extended their win streak to five games to stay atop the East Division, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders edged out the Edmonton Elks in a defensive battle to move to a CFL-best 6-1 record. As always, we’re highlighting the players who made the biggest impact in this week’s Team of the Week.

Unsurprisingly, Saskatchewan and Hamilton lead the way in selections, landing seven and six players on the team, respectively. Despite a convincing win over Winnipeg, the Toronto Argonauts placed just two players on the list — one fewer than the Blue Bombers. At the other end, the Edmonton Elks were represented solely by punter Cody Grace.

OFFENSE

• QB: Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamilton
• RB: James Butler, British Columbia
• Receiver: Kiondre Smith, Hamilton
• Receiver: Damonte Coxie, Toronto
• Receiver: Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan
• Receiver: Keon Hatcher, British Columbia
• Receiver: KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan
• LT: Nick Callender, Montreal
• LG: Pier-Olivier Lestage, Montreal
• C: Coulter Woodmansey, Hamilton
• RG: Liam Dobson, Hamilton
• RT: Jermarcus Hardrick, Saskatchewan

DEFENSE

• DI: Micah Johnson, Saskatchewan
• DI: Casey Sayles, Hamilton
• Edge: Malik Carney, Saskatchewan
• Edge: James Vaughters, Winnipeg
• LB: Cameron Judge, Toronto
• LB: Kyrie Wilson, Winnipeg
• Cover LB: Michael Griffin II, Winnipeg
• CB: Robert Carter Jr., British Columbia
• CB: Marcus Sayles, Saskatchewan
• HB: Rolan Milligan, Saskatchewan
• HB: Ronald Kent Jr., British Columbia
• S: Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal

SPECIAL TEAMS

• K: Jose Maltos, Montreal
• P: Cody Grace, Edmonton
• Returner: Isaiah Wooden, Hamilton

QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: QB BO LEVI MITCHELL, HAMILTON

Bo Levi Mitchell continued his midseason resurgence with another standout performance. The Hamilton quarterback completed 34-of-41 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns in Week 8. While he did throw an interception, it came on a superhuman play by the defender. Mitchell didn’t record a single turnover-worthy play and added two big-time throws, finishing with an impressive 82.5% adjusted completion percentage. His 87.6 passing grade led all quarterbacks for the week.

Mitchell’s turnaround has been remarkable. Over his first three games, he posted a 56.8 passing grade with five turnover-worthy plays to just one big-time throw. In the four games since, he’s earned an 88.0 grade and racked up 11 big-time throws.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB JAMES BUTLER

It’s hard to argue that any CFL player has enjoyed a bigger bounce-back season than James Butler. Through just eight games, the BC running back has already surpassed his 2023 production and is on pace to eclipse 1,300 rushing yards. In Week 8, Butler led the league with 16 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He forced a CFL-best five missed tackles and averaged 4.2 yards after contact per carry, also tops in the league.

Impressively, every one of his runs gained positive yardage, contributing to a league-high 84.2 rushing grade for the week. On the season, Butler leads all running backs with an 89.9 rushing grade and 24 missed tackles forced.

OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

For the second straight week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats fielded the CFL’s top offensive line — a unit that continues to be a driving force behind the team’s five-game win streak. The group paved the way for Hamilton’s ground game to average a league-best 3.3 yards before contact per carry, earning a CFL-high 75.2 run-blocking grade in Week 8. In pass protection, they were equally dominant, surrendering zero sacks and just six total pressures across 45 dropbacks. The effort was once again anchored by center Coulter Woodmansey, who turned in his fifth consecutive game without allowing a single pressure.

PASS RUSHER OF THE WEEK: ED MALIK CARNEY, SASKATCHEWAN

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive line delivered a dominant performance in Week 8, dismantling Edmonton’s pass protection from start to finish. The unit racked up eight sacks and an eye-popping 48 total pass-rush wins. Leading the charge was Malik Carney, who tallied two sacks, three hurries and five additional wins en route to a league-best 85.5 pass-rush grade. His 25.8% pass-rush win rate ranked second for the week.

Carney is emerging as an early frontrunner for the Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award. He currently leads the CFL in pass-rush grade (88.4), pass-rush win rate (22.8%) and pass-rushing productivity score (10.4).

RUN DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: LB KYRIE WILSON, WINNIPEG

While the Blue Bombers suffered another tough loss, their run defense was a bright spot. Winnipeg held Toronto’s running backs to just 84 yards on 21 carries with no touchdowns. Linebacker Kyrie Wilson was the anchor of that effort, earning an impressive 89.9 run-defense grade, the highest in the league for Week 8. He recorded a CFL-best three solo run stops, forced a fumble and finished with four total tackles against the run.

On the season, Wilson leads the league with a 90.0 run-defense grade and 11 solo stops.

COVERAGE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CB ROBERT CARTER JR., BRITISH COLUMBIA

Carter delivered what might go down as the catch of the year — a leaping, one-handed interception of Bo Levi Mitchell to save a touchdown. But his impact in coverage extended beyond that highlight-reel play. While he allowed six catches for 61 yards, only two resulted in first downs. He also recorded a league-high six coverage tackles and broke up another pass in the red zone. Carter led all defenders with an 88.1 coverage grade in Week 8, a massive leap from his 42.9 mark the previous week.