WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend is here!

Four entertaining matchups highlight the schedule, kicking off Friday night in Saskatchewan when the Argonauts come to town. A Saturday doubleheader follows, capped by the always enthusiastic Ottawa–Montreal Monday matchup at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.

Some players will rise to the pomp, pressure, and circumstances, while others may fade quietly into the background.

Here are my five picks for those I expect to stamp their names on another staple CFL weekend.

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JUSTIN RANKIN | RUNNING BACK | EDMONTON ELKS

 

Justin Rankin ran with purpose and anger in the OK Tire Labour Day Weekend rematch against Calgary, showing he’s ready to step up in a big way once again this Saturday when the Elks face Winnipeg. Rankin has over 600 receiving yards thanks in large part to Edmonton’s high-percentage passing attack, which leans heavily on his yards-after-catch ability on short throws near the line of scrimmage.

With multiple big-game performances, including the league’s highest single-game total of 204 yards, Rankin has a knack for the explosive. He’s also near the CFL lead in total touchdowns despite Edmonton’s struggles in the highly competitive West Division. There’s no better time than now to send a late-season message, especially against a team that held him to just 39 yards from scrimmage last time out.

Winnipeg solved the Elks’ efficient offence once. What does the counterpunch look like? We’ll find out this week.

JULIAN HOWSARE | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

DL Julian Howsare has five sacks over his last three games for the Ticats (Ticats.ca)

Julian Howsare was an unblockable monster last week against the Argonauts. While doing play-by-play on the game, it was hard not to highlight him on nearly every snap. His lightning-quick spin moves and powerful edge rushes were constantly disrupting Toronto’s backfield.

According to PFF, Hamilton leads the CFL with 279 total pressures this season, and Howsare has been a major contributor with 68 pressures and 11 sacks. Last week alone, he racked up 11 pressures and four sacks. The question now is whether he can deliver an encore against Calgary or if Toronto was simply a favourable matchup. Given his track record, I wouldn’t bet against him continuing to wreak havoc.

JARRET DOEGE | QUARTERBACK | TORONTO ARGONAUTS

QB Jarret Doege will start for the Argonauts on Friday against the Roughriders (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)

When Nick Arbuckle donned a sling, you just knew his stellar season for the Double Blue was over. That unfortunate prediction has reportedly come true this week, meaning Jarret Doege gets the start as Toronto looks to the future with playoff hopes gone.

I’ve always been a hesitant believer in Doege. His arm strength and raw ability are never in question, but his mechanics, footwork, and decision-making can get sloppy, especially under heavy pressure, as we saw from Hamilton last week. Still, he threw for a career-high 323 yards off the bench, though much of it came while trying to keep pace with Bo Levi Mitchell.

With Arbuckle injured after just one pass attempt, Doege completed 34 passes in relief, the most by any quarterback off the bench in CFL history. Now the question becomes whether he can solidify his place in the league over these final weeks.

AJ OUELLETTE | RUNNING BACK | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

 

The rushing title race is red-hot. Dedrick Mills (1,120), AJ Ouellette (1,110), and James Butler (1,103) are neck-in-neck, but Ouellette looks poised to separate himself from the pack with a strong finish. He already has 222 carries this season and will be fired up to face his old team from Toronto, just as he was in Week 3 when he found the end zone at BMO Field.

Trevor Harris may be the brains of the operation, but Ouellette is the spirit and muscle. Expect another emotional, hard-nosed performance as he looks to power Saskatchewan to a key home-win to kick off Thanksgiving Weekend.

DAVIS ALEXANDER | QUARTERBACK | MONTREAL ALOUETTES

 

He’s perfect, simply perfect. The 350-yard performance two weeks ago against Calgary pushed Davis Alexander to 9-0 to start his CFL career, a record all his own. Montreal sorely missed his poise and spark while he worked his way back from a hamstring injury, but he’s returned in command and full of confidence.

The question now is whether Alexander can keep it rolling on Thanksgiving Monday in one of Montreal’s marquee home games of the season. Another win would only further cement the love he’s earning from Alouettes fans week after week.