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West Division boasts a number of MOP candidates

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Paul Hoogkamp, TSN.ca
11/3/2009 10:39:29 PM
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With one week remaining in another exciting CFL regular season, a select few players have raised their game to the point of being considered for TSN.ca's MOP Watch.

While the East Division appears to be all but locked up by perennial MOP candidate Anthony Calvillo, the West Division boasts a strong stable of contenders.

Joffrey Reynolds is closing on the rushing title, Ricky Ray leads the league in passing yards, Henry Burris has the Stampeders in first place and Darian Durant hopes to secure the Roughriders's first division title in over 30 years.

First in the East, Calvillo is the architect of the league's most explosive offence. The Alouettes lead the league in points, first downs and passing yards, all categories in which Calvillo plays a direct role. Personally, the Las Vegas native leads the league in touchdowns and QB rating.

The Alouettes are the only team with three receivers in the 1,000-yard club and it's no mistake that Calvillo is the one throwing the ball their way. Kerry Watkins (1,188), Jamel Richardson (1,050) and Ben Cahoon (1,025) are great receivers but Calvillo helps them raise their game to a different level.

And for those who would argue Calvillo padded his stats against a weak East Division, the future Hall of Famer threw for almost 900 yards and five touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season against Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan.

Running backs Fred Reid of Winnipeg and Avon Cobourne of the Alouettes have had solid seasons and Hamilton wide receiver Arland Bruce turned things around after a tough start in Toronto but the East belongs to Calvillo.

In Calgary, Joffrey Reynolds took a few weeks to get rolling but once he got started with 131 yards against the Lions in Week 4, he hasn't looked back. The current rushing leader has reached the 100-yard plateau eight times this season as chases 1,5000-yard mark.

Reynolds has been a model of consistency all season, registering at least 50 yards on the ground in all but five games. And he gives Burris a solid option out of the backfield with over 400 yards in receiving, something Burris acknowledged last week by giving him his support for the year-end award.

"This is the year of the running back and who is on top: Joffrey Reynolds," Burris told Sun Media. "The things he's done to keep our offence going is the reason he should get it."

While Reynolds has enjoyed a consistent year, Burris has been very good at times and very bad at others. The Temple product has an outside shot at reaching 5,000 yards in passing and has thrown for 21 touchdowns.

With the likes of Jeremaine Copeland and Nik Lewis roaming the secondary, Burris has a formidable arsenal at his disposal and he's taken advantage of the enormous talent.

But perhaps the best statistic for Burris lies in his won-loss record within the West Division. The Stampeders have won six of nine games against divisional opponents, which a major reason why they sit in first place with one game to go.

In Saskatchewan, the quarterback position had many questions when training camp ended in late June. Who should start behind centre? Was Durant the man to lead the Roughriders to the promised land?

But in his first full year as the starter, Durant has answered all the critics with his solid play. The Riders will likely finish the season with no receivers in the top 10 and yet, he has still managed to pass for over 4,000 yards. His leading receiver, Weston Dressler has been out for three weeks with a broken leg but he has amassed over 800 yards through the air since then.

Wes Cates is the lowest ranked rusher among the starters with 878 yards and five touchdowns, yet Durant has managed to put the Riders in the position of winning a home game in November to clinch the West Division title. The future looks bright behind centre in Regina.

In Edmonton, Ricky Ray has quietly gone about leading the league in passing as he continues to light it up with the Eskimos. With one game remaining, Ray leads the league in passing yards and has a chance to crack the 5,000-yard mark. He has completed 67% of his throws, which would lead the league if not for Calvillo.

Ray has also had the benefit of a running game this year, something he has not had in previous years. After free agent acquisition Jesse Lumsden went down with a shoulder injury in Week 1, Arkee Whitlock emerged to take some pressure off Ray and keep defences honest. And it has helped.

So while Calvillo rules the East, the West Division remains up for grabs. Who do you think should be the nominee? Let us know your thoughts in our Your! Call feature and vote in our poll.

Durant and Reynolds (Photo: The Canadian Press)

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(Photo: The Canadian Press)
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