TORONTO — Choosing the three most interesting stats of 2024 is a daunting task.
That’s because there are dozens, if not hundreds of stats that standout from yet another exciting CFL season. It’s also a highly subjective matter, as people have their personal preferences as to which stat-driven storylines caught their attention the most.
That said, there are some that either because you wouldn’t think of them straight away, like the Elks offensive domination, or others that you could not tell the story of the season without mentioning, like the Roughriders turnovers, that have to be featured on this list.
Agree or disagree, the magic of football is that there will be at least one number that will intrigue every single fan.
That said, here are CFL.ca’s top 3 most interesting team stats from 2024.
RELATED
» CFL.ca’s top 30 pending free agents
» Recapping every East team’s 2024 season
» Recapping every West team’s 2024 season
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
RED ZONE KINGS
The Edmonton Elks were the kings of the red zone in 2024. No team scored as many touchdowns (43) as the Green and Gold did in the last 20 yards of the field.
In fact, no team even came close to that number, with Hamilton (33) finishing with 10 fewer scores than the Elks. That’s due to an efficient offence that also finished second in total yards per game (390.3), first downs (388), and points (28.0).
The Tre Ford/McLeod Bethel-Thompson-led unit also led the league in total touchdowns (56), thanks in big part to a three-headed-monster rushing offence that totalled a league 2,365 rushing yards with recently extended Javon Leake, alongside Justin Rankin and new Toronto Argonaut Kevin Brown dominating on the ground.
As a team, the Elks also led the league in missed tackles forced (109), yards after contact (1,481) and runs of 10 or more yards (70) according to Pro Football Focus.
COMPLETE TURNOVER
You can’t talk about the 2024 season without mentioning the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their turnovers. To say they dominated the league in turning the ball over AND avoiding giveaways themselves would be an understatement.
The Riders finished first in turnover differential with +26, SIXTEEN more than second place Montreal (+10). That’s in Corey Mace’s first season as the bench boss in Regina, an impressive feat for any squad let alone one that needs to learn an entire new system on both sides of the ball.
Leading the way was, of course, Most Outstanding Defensive Player Rolan Milligan Jr., who caught eight interceptions in a career season in the middle of the Green and White defence. But the MODP was not the only standout responsible for the gaudy numbers. Marcus Sayles (four), C.J. Avery (three), Adam Auclair (three), Jameer Thurman (two) and Deontai Williams (two) all had multiple interceptions. On the other side of the ball, Saskatchewan’s pivots threw only 14 interceptions, tied for second with the Elks in fewest picks thrown.
Those numbers were a huge reason why the Riders returned to the post-season and advanced all the way to the Western Final, but they also spell optimism that the Mace-led squad can do even bigger things in year two.
HOME RUN
While not a statistic per se, Ottawa’s home record was one of the biggest surprises of 2024. The REDBLACKS finished 7-1-1 at TD Place Stadium, propelling them back to the post-season for the first time since 2018.
That run is even more impressive if you consider that Ottawa went 3-15 at home in 2022 and 2023 combined. A big reason for that discrepancy was the arrival of quarterback Dru Brown. The pivot helped the REDBLACKS finish second in passing yards per game, aided by All-CFL receiver Justin Hardy, who finished second in receiving yards (1,343).
Ottawa’s home dominance included a 41-27 win over the eventual champions Toronto Argonauts in Week 14 in which they forced four interceptions against Chad Kelly, including two by defensive back Damon Webb.