As we reach the various sign posts of a football season, it\u2019s only natural to stop and take a look around to see what trends are sticking out.<\/p>\n
It can give you a good fly-over glance at where things might be headed as the campaign proceeds.<\/p>\n
RELATED We\u2019ll see if any or all of these continue as we hit the next sign post and the next, but for now, here are five league-wide stats that have piqued my interest at the one-third mark of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n KICK RETURN TDS ARE UP 91 PER CENT<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There were 11 kick return touchdowns through the entirety of the 2024 season and there have been seven, already, through 27 games of the current CFL season.<\/p>\n That puts this year on perfect pace with 2019, the last time there were more than 20 kick return touchdowns in a season (21).<\/p>\n If the league\u2019s return men can up the frequency just a little, they would find themselves on track to equal or better the 81-game single season record, set in 2004 (22), when guys like Bashir Levingston and Keith Stokes were hiking \u2018em back.<\/p>\n NON-OFFENSIVE TDS ARE UP 84 PER CENT<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, there were 31 non-offensive touchdowns, all tolled, and 10 after 27 games.<\/p>\n In 2025, so far, there\u2019ve been 19 already. That places this year on a pace for 57, which would be four more than the current high from the last seven campaigns, which was set in 2018.<\/p>\n Remove this year\u2019s seven kick returns from the category and you get 12 defensive returns for majors, eight of them on interceptions, four on fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n Calgary leads the way with four pick-six touchdowns, and Saskatchewan is next at two. Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and Winnipeg each have a touchdown on a fumble recovery.<\/p>\n Of the 19 non-offensive touchdowns scored so far, 16 of them were made by teams that were winners in that particular game, while just three went on to lose.<\/p>\n OFFENSIVE BIG PLAYS ARE UP 11 PER CENT<\/p>\n In 2024, there was an average of 3.99 offensive \u201cBig Plays\u201d per game, which included rushes of 20 or more yards and passes of 30 or more yards.<\/p>\n This season, it\u2019s up to 4.44 per game, which rivals the 4.51 posted in 2018.<\/p>\n The importance of the big play stands put when you look at the touchdown drive numbers.<\/p>\n On drives where a team at had least one big play, a touchdown was the result on 61 per cent of those drives so far. Without a big play? 10 per cent.<\/p>\n When you factor in contributions from the kick return units (30 yards or more on a punt or missed field goal return and 40 yards or more on a kickoff return), the overall league number rises to 5.41 Big Plays per game compared to 4.98 in 2024.<\/p>\n The Saskatchewan Roughriders lead the Big Play category, with 21 one of them so far. Calgary\u2019s right behind at 20 and the Stampeders are league leaders in not giving up big plays, with just nine so far.<\/p>\n TURNOVERS ARE UP 10 PER CENT<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Defences have cranked up their takeaway skills, a little, this season.<\/p>\n Last year, turnovers occurred at a rate of 3.77 per game but in 2025, they are happening at a 4.15 clip.<\/p>\n There have been 112 turnovers so far this year, broken down this way: 23 fumble recoveries, 56 interceptions and 33 on downs.<\/p>\n Calgary leads the loop in total takeaways with 19 and the Stamps are tops in the Turnovers On Downs category with nine. Hamilton leads in interceptions with 11, and Winnipeg is number one in fumble recoveries with five.<\/p>\n SACKS ARE DOWN 17 PER CENT<\/p>\n This is one I would not have guessed, what with the quick starts for defensive linemen like Toronto\u2019s Andrew Chatfield Jr. (five sacks), Montreal\u2019s Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund<\/a>, Calgary\u2019s Jaylon Hutchings and Hamilton\u2019s Mario Kendricks Jr. (each with four).<\/p>\n So far in 2025, sacks are being tallied at a pace of 3.3 per game, compared to 3.99 in 2024. There have been 89 sacks registered on 1,942 dropbacks this season.<\/p>\n Shout out to the big men on the CFL\u2019s offensive lines as well as the backs and receivers who chip in regularly in order to keep the quarterback upright.<\/p>\n
\u00bb 4 storylines to watch in Week 8<\/a>
\u00bb Game Notes: What you need to know ahead of Week 8<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Prediction Time: CFL.ca writers\u2019 Week 8 picks<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0AMSOIL Power Rankings: Tight race for the top<\/a>
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