Photo courtesy: CFL.ca

Week 14 of the 2025 CFL regular season has come to a close with Edmonton and Ottawa getting potential season-saving wins and Saskatchewan and Hamilton taking big steps to finishing first in their respective divisions. Before we get into Week 15, let’s first take a look back at the standout performers, plays, and games from the week that was.

These awards are selected by 3DownNation’s contributors and will be presented weekly throughout the 2025 season. Enjoy.

Offensive player of the week: RB Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks

The native of Oberlin, Ohio was incredible against Calgary, rushing 16 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns to help launch his team to a 31-19 win. The five-foot-ten, 210-pound ball-carrier now has 688 rushing yards, 533 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns through 12 games this season, which means he could yet become the first player in CFL history to reach 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same year.

Honourable mention: QB Dustin Crum, Ottawa Redblacks

Defensive player of the week: DL Jonah Tavai, B.C. Lions

The second-year defender was all over the field for B.C. against Ottawa, recording six defensive tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. The 24-year-old native of Inglewood, Calif., who is the younger brother of former Lions defensive lineman J.R. Tavai, has been arguably B.C.’s most dangerous pass rusher in recent weeks and sits only one shy of Mathieu Betts for the team lead in sacks.

Honourable mention: DB Kordell Jackson, Edmonton Elks

Special teams player of the week: P Mark Vassett, Calgary Stampeders

Not a lot went right for Calgary in their loss to the Elks but Vassett’s punting numbers were insane. The rookie specialist punted eight times for a net average of 52.6 yards, which is pretty much off the charts. For context, the league average is 37.6 yards, which means the Stampeders essentially gained 15 yards of extra field position each time Vassett punted the ball on Saturday. That’s a massive advantage.

Honourable mention: LB Jaylen Smith, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Breakout player of the week: KR Seven McGee, B.C. Lions

The Lions have had very little success in the return game all year, which is why it was special to see McGee rip off a 93-yard punt return touchdown against Ottawa. The 22-year-old native of Rochester, N.Y. is straight out of the collegiate ranks, making him one of the youngest players in the CFL. If he continues to return kicks for touchdowns, he’ll be a household name before long.

Honourable mention: REC O.J. Hiliare, Edmonton Elks

Offensive line of the week: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The unit of Brendan Bordner, Brandon Revenberg, Coulter Woodmansey, Liam Dobson, and Quinton Barrow was excellent against a tough Alouettes defensive front on Saturday, allowing only one sack and helping the Tiger-Cats rush for 234 yards and two touchdowns. This marks the fourth time that Hamilton’s offensive line has won this award — the most of any team this season.

Honourable mention: Edmonton Elks

Coach of the week: HC Mark Kilam, Edmonton Elks

The 46-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alta. bested his former team in shocking fashion on Saturday to keep Edmonton’s playoff hopes alive. Justin Rankin was dominant along the ground but it was the Elks defence — a unit that has struggled for most of the season — that dominated, limiting the Stampeders to 308 yards of net offence and recording one takeaway. There’s still work to be done but Edmonton shouldn’t be counted out just yet.

Honourable mention: DC Brent Monson, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

JUSTIN RANKIN WILL NOT BE STOPPED

The Elks’ star RB rips off another spectacular touchdown run!#CFL #GoElks #AlwaysEdmonton
pic.twitter.com/pvWcrxnJok

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) September 7, 2025

Best play of the week: RB Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks

This is one of the prettiest runs you’ll ever see. Rankin got the ball from Cody Fajardo and jump-cut to the outside to avoid a blitzing Derrick Moncrief. He then sliced back inside after Folarin Orimolade set the edge, spun out of a tackle from Jaydon Grant, and hit the gas to outrun Godfrey Onyeka and Sheldon Arnold II the end zone. It was a career day for Rankin and this was the best play of them all.

Honourable mention: REC Kalil Pimpleton, Ottawa Redblacks

DUSTIN CRUM WILL NOT BE DENIED! #CFLGameDay
🗓️: Lions vs. @REDBLACKS LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🇺🇸: CBSSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/gTqdSmtnL7

— CFL (@CFL) September 6, 2025

Worst play of the week: DB Diontae Williams, B.C. Lions

Williams has earned a reputation for being a hard-hitting defender but he made things a lot worse for his team on this play. If you watch closely, defensive lineman Mathieu Betts wrapped Crum up near the five-yard line when Williams flew in — presumably to tackle Crum — and ended up tackling Betts. The hit from Williams helped spring Crum free and allowed him to get into the end zone for the touchdown.

Honourable mention: QB Chris Streveler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Best game of the week: B.C. Lions at Ottawa Redblacks

This wasn’t a brilliantly-played football game but the ending was incredible as Dustin Crum engineered the Crumback 2.0 to save the Redblacks season. The dual-threat passer threw for 301 yards with a game-winning touchdown to Eugene Lewis and ran eight times for 69 yards and two scores to move Ottawa only two points out of second place in the East Division. The Redblacks punted with 1:37 left in the game and still managed to get the ball back and drive for the win, a good reminder never to turn off a CFL game early.

Honourable mention: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Worst game of the week: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Montreal Alouettes

Of all the games that have been played throughout CFL history, this was certainly one of them. Greg Bell ran for 156 yards and Bo Levi Mitchell scored his first rushing touchdown in a decade, but our contributors agree this game was sloppy and boring. The Alouettes managed only 220 net yards of offence in front of their home crowd, surely leading fans to wonder when Davis Alexander will be ready to return from a hamstring injury that’s caused him to miss six straight games.

Honourable mention: Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Elks