CFL Week 3 Preview: Zach Collaros returns for Winnipeg

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• Montreal is off to a dominant 2-0 start: The Alouettes have outscored opponents by 39 points behind the league’s top scoring defense and steady play from QB Davis Alexander.
• Zach Collaros returns for Winnipeg in a rematch with B.C: The two-time league Most Outstanding Player returns from suspension as the Bombers look to win their second game against B.C. in as many weeks.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

MONTREAL ALOUETTES VS. EDMONTON ELKS

The Alouettes have picked up right where they left off last regular season, looking like the CFL’s top team. They’ve opened 2-0, outscoring opponents by a combined 39 points, and currently boast the league’s No. 1 scoring defense and No. 2 scoring offense. Quarterback Davis Alexander (74.2 passing grade) has looked solid, recording three big-time throws to just one turnover-worthy play.

Montreal faces the Edmonton Elks next, who are coming off a Week 2 bye. Edmonton struggled offensively in their Week 1 loss and will need a stronger performance from quarterback Tre Ford. While Ford rushed for 63 yards and three first downs, he posted a 63.7 passing grade and will need to be more effective through the air if the Elks hope to upset the Alouettes.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: WR TYSON PHILPOT, MONTREAL VS. CB TYRELL FORD, EDMONTON

A year ago, Tyson Philpot appeared poised to emerge as one of the CFL’s top receivers before an injury cut his season short. While he hasn’t fully returned to that form yet, he’s flashed playmaking ability through two games, including an explosive touchdown in Week 1 and two broken tackles after the catch in Week 2. This week, he’ll face a major test in Tyrell Ford, last season’s highest-graded defender (91.8 overall). Ford allowed just two catches for 14 yards and no first downs in Week 1 while forcing an incompletion, and he’ll be looking to reinforce that his standout 2023 campaign was no fluke by shutting down Philpot on Saturday.

PLAYER TO WATCH: ED BRANDON BARLOW, EDMONTON

A key to any Edmonton upset will be their ability to generate pressure on the quarterback, and A.C. Barlow will need to play a central role against Montreal’s strong offensive line. In Week 1, Barlow recorded just one pressure but added six more pass rush wins, finishing with a 29.2% win rate, one of the highest marks in the league. Over the past three seasons, he’s converted more than 60% of his wins into pressures. If Barlow can maintain that win rate and turn more into actual disruptions, he could be a game-changer for the Elks on Saturday.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS VS. TORONTO ARGONAUTS

This week’s matchup features the unbeaten Saskatchewan Roughriders facing a winless Toronto Argonauts team. Saskatchewan has opened the season with back-to-back five-point wins but is aiming for a more complete performance against a struggling Toronto squad. Without former league MOP Chad Kelly under center, the Argonauts have stumbled. Backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle owns the league’s lowest passing grade at 56.0 and leads all quarterbacks with six turnover-worthy plays. Unless Arbuckle can rediscover the form that helped Toronto capture the Grey Cup, the Argos risk falling to 0-3, a difficult deficit to overcome in the East Division.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: SASKATCHEWAN OFFENSIVE LINE VS. TORONTO PASS RUSH

This matchup highlights a full-unit battle, as Saskatchewan’s dominant offensive line squares off against a struggling Toronto pass rush. Through two games, the Roughriders have allowed just seven total pressures on 69 pass-blocking snaps, posting a 94.2 pass-blocking efficiency score, second in the league behind Winnipeg, which has played only one game. In contrast, Toronto’s pass rush ranks second-to-last in win rate at just 30.0%. Defensive interior Jordan Williams leads the unit with a 65.8 pass-rush grade, ranking just 19th league-wide. If the Argonauts are to notch their first win of the season, they’ll need to find a way to generate more pressure up front.

PLAYER TO WATCH: QB TREVOR HARRIS, SASKATCHEWAN

Two weeks into the CFL season, Trevor Harris is right back where he’s been so often — atop the league’s quarterback rankings. His 78.2 passing grade leads all quarterbacks, and no one processes defenses faster. Harris owns the CFL’s quickest average time to throw at 2.20 seconds, and he leads the league with 50.8% of his passes targeting beyond the first-down marker. He also boasts a 75.8% adjusted completion rate and one of the league’s lowest inaccuracy percentages. If Harris maintains this level of play, Saskatchewan is well-positioned to keep winning.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS VS. CALGARY STAMPEDERS

The Calgary Stampeders have been one of the early surprises of the CFL season, starting 2-0 despite being widely projected as a bottom-tier team. New starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. has been a key reason for that success, leading the league with four big-time throws through two weeks. The Ottawa Redblacks, on the other hand, have shown flashes but remain winless at 0-2.

Getting quarterback Dru Brown back could provide a major boost — the offense looked more dynamic with him under center in Week 1, even though his 65.5 passing grade was slightly lower than Matthew Shiltz’s 68.5 mark in Week 2. Brown offers more upside and could help unlock the full potential of this Ottawa offense if he’s back in the lineup.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: RT DARTA LEE, OTTAWA VS. ED FOLARIN ORIMOLADE, CALGARY

Through two games, Folarin Orimolade has established himself as one of the CFL’s premier pass rushers, ranking second in both pass-rush grade (82.4) and win rate (24.3%). He’s a disruptive force capable of derailing an opposing game plan on his own, and he’ll have a favorable matchup this week. Ottawa tackle Dino Boyd has struggled in pass protection, earning a 41.3 pass-blocking grade — one of the lowest in the league — while allowing five pressures and 12 additional losses on pass-blocking snaps, the most in the CFL. If Boyd can’t contain Orimolade, Ottawa’s passing offense could be in for a long night.

PLAYER TO WATCH: ED LORENZO MAULDIN IV, OTTAWA

Lorenzo Mauldin led the CFL in total pressures last season with 80 — 20 more than the next closest player, but he’s off to a slow start in 2025. Through two games, Mauldin has recorded just two pressures on 58 pass-rushing snaps, with his 3.5% pressure rate ranking among the lowest in the league. That mark is well below his 12.0% pressure rate over the past three seasons, making this a clear outlier. If Ottawa is going to notch its first win, Mauldin will need to return to the disruptive form that made him one of the league’s most feared pass rushers.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS VS. BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS

One of the unique quirks of the CFL schedule is the back-to-back matchups, and this week brings an immediate rematch between the Blue Bombers and Lions. Winnipeg came out on top in last week’s meeting, securing a 34-20 win behind a strong showing from backup quarterback Chris Streveler, who earned Quarterback of the Week honors with a 79.6 overall grade in his first start since mid-2024. With Zach Collaros expected to return, Streveler will likely resume his short-yardage and rushing role. For the Lions, quarterback Nathan Rourke struggled to replicate his Week 1 performance, completing just 12 passes for 249 yards, one touchdown and one interception while earning a 56.8 passing grade — a significant drop from the 86.6 he posted in the opener.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: RT KENDALL RANDOLPH, WINNIPEG VS. ED MATHIEU BETTS, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Mathieu Betts opened the season with a dominant performance, tallying 11 total pressures and four additional pass-rush wins in Week 1. His 14.3 pass-rushing productivity score led the league and signaled a potential breakout season. However, Winnipeg’s offensive line neutralized him in Week 2, limiting Betts to just one pressure and a productivity score of 2.4. He lined up across from tackle Eric Randolph 11 times, winning only two reps, neither resulting in pressure. That level of production won’t cut it for a Lions defense that needs Betts to disrupt the quarterback and relieve pressure on the secondary. A bounce-back effort from Betts will be crucial if B.C. hopes to even the season series.

PLAYER TO WATCH: QB ZACH COLLAROS, WINNIPEG

Collaros missed Winnipeg’s season opener due to a suspension stemming from a non-response to a drug testing request. He’ll return as the starter in Week 3, aiming to begin a campaign that could lead the Blue Bombers to a record-tying sixth straight Grey Cup appearance. By his standards, 2024 was a down year — his overall grade dropped from 87.3 in 2022 and 86.4 in 2023 to 78.7, and his big-time throw rate fell from 7.3% to 4.6%. While he flashed high-level play — including a 92.9 grade in Week 17 and a 90.6 in the West Semi-Final — he lacked consistency throughout the season. To return to form and guide Winnipeg to another title run, Collaros will need to deliver more steady performances, starting this week.

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