Week 19 of the 2025 CFL regular season has come to an end, and although the Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched first place in the West Division, everything else remains open. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats' misfortune left the victorious Montreal Alouettes in the lineup for a first-round bye, while the Edmonton Elks staged a upset that kept Winnipeg and Calgary from clinching for another week.
These awards are selected 3DownNation'and will be presented weekly throughout the 2025 season. Enjoy.
BEHIND THE SIGN
Sam Emilus, we are not worthy!#CFL #Riders #RiderNation
pic.twitter.com/SQgbbTsJMt— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 11, 2025
Forward of the Week: REC Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan Roughriders
It's hard to earn that weekly award without a spectacular touchdown, but Emilus more than made up for it with three big plays among his six catches. The Canadian wide receiver opened the game with a 50-yard catch and run, followed it up with a brilliant kick late in the first half and capped it all off with an impressive over-the-top grab in the fourth quarter that would have been the play of the week in almost any other week. His receiving total was 142 yards, making the final statement that Emilus was back in elite form three weeks into his return from injury.
Honorable Mention: RB Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks.
This year, Marc-Antoine Dequois is grateful for Ottawa's punt defense — or lack thereof.
A veteran Montreal safety gets a block and a count this holiday.#CFL #AlsMTL #Alouettes
pic.twitter.com/SSngNraN8Q— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 13, 2025
Defensive Player of the Week: DB Marc-Antoine Dequois, Montreal Alouettes
Did Dequa play after the first quarter? Who knows and who cares. The Canadian defender received this award almost in the 15th minute of the match with Ottawa. He only made three tackles, but had a key sack in the red zone and a pair of knockdowns, including one that returned a touchdown. While it might be cheating to include him in this category, the crowning jewel of his performance was a blocked punt that he recovered himself for a touchdown.
Honorable Mention: L.B. Isaac Darcangelo, Toronto Argonauts.
RESTORATION OF DOINK
Jose Maltos-Diaz deflects the ball from Zachary Filion and hits a surprise shot out of bounds to start the second half!#CFL #AlsMTL #Alouettes
pic.twitter.com/7peJ1RMZJ3— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 13, 2025
Special Teams Player of the Week: C. Jose Maltos-Diaz, Montreal Alouettes
The Alouettes scored just one offensive touchdown in their 30-point game against the Redblacks, meaning all that production had to come from somewhere. Consider Maltos-Diaz, who was a perfect five-for-five on field goals and scored more than half of his team's points. The Mexican kicker kicked his longest goal from 53 yards out and hit three more from 40 yards out, as well as a perfect completion of a surprise onside kick from a front row player to open the second half.
Honorable Mention: C. Brett Lauter, Saskatchewan Roughriders.
ALL THE WAY TO HOME!
Ludovic Choquette breaks free and scores a huge touchdown!@WestJet Thanksgiving weekend
📅: @calstampeders vs Ticats RIGHT NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, STV, RDS
🌎: CFL+#CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/R6RaPYDuqo— CFL (@CFL) October 11, 2025
Player of the Week: RB Ludovic Choquette, Calgary Stampeders
Sixth-round CFL draft picks rarely make it big, and undersized Canadian running backs almost never make it. Choquette has already beaten the odds on both fronts to earn a roster spot this season, and Saturday was his coming out party as he turned seven carries into 73 yards and a touchdown. Native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. looked like a star player en route to his first career major, hitting the game-winning hit and walking through two would-be tacklers before capping his 44-yard game with a decisive hard armbar.
Honorable Mention: DB Anthony Johnson, Calgary Stampeders.
Dedrick Mills revs his engines down to the 10 yard line! 🏃♂️@WestJet Thanksgiving weekend
📅: @calstampeders vs Ticats RIGHT NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, STV, RDS
🌎: CFL+#CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/i0cLsEJ0km— CFL (@CFL) October 11, 2025
Offensive Line of the Week: Calgary Stampeders
How did Choquette suddenly become so successful? Just like Dedrick Mills rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns as Calgary's starter, his exceptional blocking kept him busy until he reached the second level. The Stampeders' starting five of Josh Coker, Zach Williams, Christopher Fortin, Christy Nkanu and Preston Nichols helped pave the way for an impressive 211 yards on the ground, with sixth man Thomas Jack-Kurdil stepping in admirably after Coker went down with an injury. The unit also surrendered just one sack to Hamilton's defensive line, which has stepped up dramatically of late.
Honorable Mention: Edmonton Elks.
Coach of the Week: OK Pat DelMonaco, Calgary Stampeders
Dave Dickenson often gets most of the credit when Calgary makes strides offensively, but DelMonaco is the coordinator, official play caller and offensive line coach. In addition to getting elite play from his position group, the Sleepy Hollow, New York native deftly rotated his personnel to keep all the weapons fresh without losing the hot hand, and had the courage to take a deep shot to kill any hope of a comeback when others may have been too conservative.
Honorable Mention: DC JC Sherritt, Edmonton Elks
Winnipeg's Ontaria Wilson makes the catch of the year, knocking it over to himself inches above the turf.pic.twitter.com/eHursflFfu
— On the bench (@Benchedshow) October 13, 2025
Game of the Week: REC Ontaria Wilson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The game of the year seemed to be signed, sealed and delivered after Robert Carter Jr.'s interception in Week 8, but suddenly a legitimate contender emerged. Wilson seemed to have no hope of catching the ball when Zach Collaros took a shot into the end zone midway through the fourth quarter that bounced off the chest of Chalen Garnes and the hands of trailing Tyrell Ford. However, the former Florida State star managed to leap over the fallen Garnes and twice bounce the falling football off the turf with his outstretched right arm before finally driving it into his body. As much as Cordell Jackson tried to make it look like an interception late, it was a touchdown and a show of focus that proves CFL athletes are world class.
Honorable Mention: REC Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Worst Game of the Week: HC Mark Killam, Edmonton Elks
Mark Kilam's flamboyant personality clearly carried over into his team's fight against long playoff odds, but the first-year head coach There is still a lot to learn in the field of situational game management. While Edmonton needed a win this week to stay alive in the postseason hunt, they needed to do so by at least a 13-point lead to get a vital tiebreaker over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Despite this, Keelum prevented his team from punting into the end zone from Winnipeg territory while leading by five late in the fourth quarter and opted to go for third-and-2 with 10 seconds left. While a touchdown and two-point conversion were an unlikely outcome, they would have greatly improved his team's chances of making the playoffs, and playing conservatively could have been the Moose's undoing.
Honorable Mention: LB Zachary Filion, Ottawa Redblacks.
Game of the Week: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Edmonton Elks
Let's be honest, this week's preparations were a bit like carcassing a turkey after a holiday feast, but at least this match could be made into a strong soup. The playoff fates of three different CFL teams depended on the outcome of this game, and Edmonton's upset win ensured that nothing was decided until next week. Winnipeg's late surge and tiebreaker implications made for a compelling final despite the lack of real chemistry. The game also featured another great touchdown pass from Justin Rankin, Kordell Jackson getting in on his team's fumbled punt return to score in one of the craziest plays of the season, and a potential play of the year courtesy of Ontaria Wilson.
Honorable Mention: Toronto Argonauts at Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Worst Game of the Week: Ottawa Redblacks vs. Montreal Alouettes
There were many things to be grateful for at the dinner table this Thanksgiving, but this game was not one of them. Billed as a lopsided match between a Gray Cup contender and an eliminated cellar dweller, it delivered on all of this lack of meaningful stakes without any of the offensive excitement that comes with losing. Neither side topped 300 yards of offense, the lead never changed hands, and Davis Alexander called it the worst game of his career despite outgaining Dustin Crum by nearly 80 yards.
Honorable Mention: Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
