TORONTO — Week 2 offered a lot of good football across all four games.
A testament to the high level is Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ running back Matthew Peterson, who took over for an injured Brady Oliveira and delivered an excellent performance as the focal point of the offence in the win against the BC Lions.
Who else excelled in the latest slate of games? CFL.ca brings you five Pro Football Focus stats that stand out from Week 2.
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KEESEAN JOHNSON | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | 5 CONTESTED CATCHES
KeeSean Johnson was the latest receiver to put forth a dominant effort for the Roughriders. After Samuel Emilus led the team in Week 1, Johnson was the main culprit of Trevor Harris‘ aerial attack, catching eight passes for 124 yards and a major.
Even more impressive was the fact that all eight catches went for a first down, leading all pass-catchers in receiving first downs for Week 2. Johnson also led the league in contested catches with five, showcasing his ability to win against tight coverage.
MATTHEW PETERSON | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | 88 YARDS AFTER CONTACT
Peterson’s CFL debut could not have gone any better. The tailback not only tallied 130 yards on 23 carries, he also earned five rushing first downs and forced four missed tackles.
An impressive 88 of Peterson’s total yards came after the contact, giving Winnipeg yet another National back that can break tackles out of the backfield like starter Brady Oliveira.
VERNON ADAMS JR. | CALGARY STAMPEDERS | 4 BIG TIME THROWS
Vernon Adams Jr.’s first two games with the Stampeders have not been perfect, but they offer a lot of optimism for the Red and White.
That’s because Adams Jr.’s big-play ability is just as good as we all remember, evidenced by his Week 2-leading four big-time throws. His playmaking is also coming along on the ground, where VA earned three rushing first downs and forced two missed tackles.
TONY JONES | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | 3 STOPS / 0 MISSED TACKLES
Speaking of missed tackles, well, Tony Jones did not. The linebacker earned nine tackles in the win over the Lions and did not miss a single one according to PFF.
Jones also finished tied for fourth in stops with three according to PFF, which are solo tackles that lead to an offensive failure and showcase his ability to shut down the team’s opposing run game.
DERRICK MONCRIEF | CALGARY STAMPEDERS | 37.5 COMPLETION PERCENTAGE ALLOWED
Linebackers are tasked with stopping the run but also have to play the pass, and Derrick Moncrief showed he can do both at a high level in Week 2.
Over eight passes thrown in his direction, Moncrief allowed only three to be completed, according to PFF. Those went for only seven yards and zero first downs. The linebacker also forced two incompletions, flying sideline to sideline to stop Toronto’s short passing game.