Trevor Harris is proving he’s ageless, and the Chad Kelly vs. Davis Alexander duel highlight Week 2 CFL roundup
The second week of the CFL had just three games due to the World Cup, and they all delivered a level of excitement we expect.
The first week of CFL action delivered three excellent games that went down the final moments. This week didn’t quite deliver that level, but all three games proved to be very good.
We saw three teams have their season debut, along with Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly return after 580 days away from the game due to injury. Here’s everything we learned from Week 2, including a very concerning trend.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defense is a concern
Going into the 37-27 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, there was a lot of excitement about the Blue Bombers’ defense. The additions of defensive lineman Jake Ceresna and cornerback Jonathan Moxey paid major dividends in Week 1, but they didn’t make much of a difference in Week 2, nor did linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, who is out for the season with an injury.
Ceresna had three sacks in the season-opening win against the Calgary Stampeders, but looked non-existent on Thursday night, as did star edge rusher Willie Jefferson. They were held in check by the Tiger-Cats offensive line. Can they get consistent pressure this season? It’s needed, especially after Moxey got exposed on multiple occasions by Keric Wheatfall. Was it a one-off with Wheatfall having revenge on his mind, or are there some potential issues with Moxey on the outside? The Blue Bombers will only go as far as the defense will take them.
Montreal Alouettes are the best team in the East
Even before the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions played on Saturday night, it was clear that the Montreal Alouettes are the best team in the CFL.
The Toronto Argonauts were returning quarterback Chad Kelly after 580 days between games due to a broken and dislocated ankle suffered in Montreal in the 2024 East Final. He looked good in his return to the field, as he threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns. They couldn’t quite get the win, but that’s due to the Alouettes playing well in all three phases.
They forced multiple turnovers on the Argonauts and blocked a punt for a touchdown, wreaking havoc on Kelly all game long. Even with those elements, it’s important to note that the offense might have been the best unit of the three.
Quarterback Davis Alexander was explosive from the jump, throwing for 441 yard, with wide receivers Tyson Philpot (nine receptions, 191 yards, two touchdowns) and Jerreth Sterns (nine receptions for 114 yards) were explosive catching the ball. You couldn’t stop the Alouettes offense in the last six quarters of football, and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.
The West goes through Saskatchewan
Having the season opener for your Grey Cup champion starting in Week 2 is a rough look, but it ended up being a great game worthy of their season opener. It was evident from the start that the West is likely going to go through not just the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but specifically Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
There were questions about whether or not Trevor Harris still had the goods at 40 years old, but he proved the Riders right by bringing him back. He dominated the BC Lions on defense early and often, including multiple instances of him beating Cover-0, which started to get a little crazy after he beat it the first couple of times. He completed 83.3% of his passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns, all of which went to Samuel Emilus
This isn’t a slight on the Lions at all, as Nathan Rourke looked every bit the MOP that he was in 2025. Unfortunately for the Lions, he took the lead with too much time left on the clock, and the conceded rouge in the second half made it impossible for the Lions to kick a field goal to send the game into overtime.
Whoever gets home field advantage in the West likely makes an appearance in the Grey Cup, and if the first two weeks are any indication, we are in for quite a fun season.