5 PFF stats that stand out from Week 11

There were so many outstanding performances in Week 11 that it was hard narrowing it down to just five.

Take the BC Lions and Edmonton Elks in their respective wins as examples. Several players stepped up to lead their squad to important victories all the while registering stats that you don’t see every day.

In fact, all four games featured West Division opponents winning against their eastern counterparts behind dominant efforts on both sides of the ball.

That means the list won’t include performances from players like Trevor Harris (two big time throws according to PFF) and Nic Demski (six receiving first downs) because I ran out of real estate to talk about all the talent currently available in the CFL.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to it.

NATHAN ROURKE | QUARTERBACK | BC LIONS | 4 BIG TIME THROWS

Speaking of CFL talent, Nathan Rourke continues to impress in Vancouver. The Lions are on a winning streak and a big reason for that is the quarterback play.

For the second consecutive week, Rourke led the league in big time throws, according to PFF, with four, more than double Bo Levi Mitchell and Harris, who tied for second place.

What stands out the most to me is that Rourke is doing this while also avoiding putting the ball in harm’s way. Over the last two weeks, Rourke has only two turnover-worthy plays, including only a single one in Week 11 that resulted in an interception. If the Canadian pivot can continue to make big play after big play while simultaneously avoiding turning the ball over, the sky is the limit for BC.

KEON HATCHER SR. | RECEIVER | BC LIONS | 8 RECEIVING FIRST DOWNS

Keon Hatcher Sr. is another reason for such a limitless airspace in British Columbia. The veteran receiver is getting better and better with each passing week, taking over first place in the receiving yards ranking after registering 11 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns in Week 11.

According to PFF, Hatcher Sr. led the league in receiving first downs (eight) and contested catches (four), all the while not letting a single ball thrown his way hit the ground.

JUSTIN RANKIN | RUNNING BACK | EDMONTON ELKS | 4 MISSED TACKLES FORCED

Another player returning to my list is Edmonton’s Justin Rankin, who seemingly can make a man miss every time he touches the football.

The tailback is now second to only BC’s James Butler in missed tackles forced in 2025 according to PFF, with 23, including four in the Elks Week 11 win over Toronto.

Rankin also tied for the league lead in rushing first downs (four) and added five more first downs as a receiver, earning a league-best receiving grade (90.1) as a running back. Overall, Rankin gained 179 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

BRANDON BARLOW | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | EDMONTON ELKS | 12 TOTAL PRESSURES

If Rankin led the way on offence, it was defensive lineman Brandon Barlow taking charge amidst a dominant pass rushing performance for the Elks on defence.

The veteran lapped everyone in pressures with 12 out of 35 pass rushing snaps, according to PFF. That means that on average, Barlow was directly impacting Nick Arbuckle and the Argos offence in one out of three snaps.

In all, Barlow gained one sack, two hits, nine hurries and one forced fumble as a one-man wrecking crew for the Double E. Important to note that second and third in pressures were Barlow’s teammates Jake Ceresna (nine) and Robbie Smith (seven).

EVAN HOLM | DEFENSIVE BACK | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | 85.0 COVERAGE GRADE

Evan Holm had the best coverage grade amongst defensive backs in Week 11 after a do-it-all performance.

The veteran defender was targeted seven times, allowed only four completions (57.1 per cent), a single first down, while also registering one interception and one forced incompletion and gaining seven tackles. Ottawa’s quarterbacks when targeting Holm were held to a lowly 38.7 passer rating.

5 PFF stats that stand out from Week 11

Tags: