Three Stars: Travis Lulay, Shea Emry and Grant Shaw top the list in Week 16

Continuing on with our Three Stars series, here's a look at Week 16's best performances:

First Star: Travis Lulay, quarterback, B.C. Lions: Friday's game loomed somewhat ominously for B.C., as they were facing the desperate Tiger-Cats in front of a tough crowd in Hamilton. The Lions passed that test with flying colours though, and although their 37-17 victory was partly thanks to the Tiger-Cats rolling over and playing dead, it was also thanks to Lulay's magnificent performance. He completed 27 of 34 passes (a ludicrous completion percentage of 79.4 per cent) for 343 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover, and also scrambled for 10 yards on one carry. Perhaps most impressively, he did it all without top receivers Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce. Yes, the Lions have plenty of receiver depth, but Lulay's had to quickly adapt to not having two of his most trusted options, and he's had to rapidly adjust to his new targets' styles and skills. So far, he's done an incredible job.

(Honourable mentions for offensive star: Hugh Charles, RB, Edmonton Eskimos; Terrence Edwards, SB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Courtney Taylor, WR, B.C. Lions.)

Second Star: Shea Emry, linebacker, Montreal Alouettes: Emry's team wasn't all that impressive in their 24-12 win over Toronto Sunday, but he certainly was, providing the game's critical moment with a fourth-quarter interception and 46-yard return that gave him his first career touchdown. Emry was a key contributor for the Alouettes all day, too, adding four tackles and a sack. The Alouettes' defence hasn't been consistently great, but it was crucial to their victory Sunday. When their defence does play well, it's a sure bet you'll find Emry leading the way.

(Honourable mentions for defensive star: Marcellus Bowman, LB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Ricky Foley, DE, Toronto Argonauts; Kyries Hebert, DB, Montreal Alouettes.)

Third Star: Grant Shaw, kicker/punter, Edmonton Eskimos: Kickers and punters don't always get a lot of attention, but Shaw's contributions played a significant role in the Eskimos' 37-20 win over Saskatchewan Saturday. He particularly shone in the punting game, booting three punts 166 yards for an average of 55.3 yards per punt. Even if you remove his longest punt (a 65-yarder), he'd still have an average of over 50 yards per punt. Shaw also booted seven kickoffs 477 yards (an average of 68.14 yards per kick), and he wasn't bad at field goals either, converting three of his four attempts. Oddly enough, given his success this year, he might be the best piece the Eskimos got in the Ricky Ray trade.

(Honourable mentions for special-teams star: Onrea Jones, returner, Hamilton; Paul McCallum, K/P, B.C. Lions; Rene Parades, K/P, Calgary Stampeders.)

Bonus Star/Top Canadian: Shea Emry, linebacker, Montreal Alouettes: Emry's amazing performance is detailed above, but it's worth adding that it's a feat in and of itself for a Canadian to hold down the traditionally import-dominated middle linebacking role. Emry's not only done that for the last few seasons on one of the league's most consistently dominant teams, he's also been one of the most consistently effective defensive players in the whole CFL. He's a top middle linebacker regardless of nationality; when you throw in his passport, he becomes one of the most valuable players to his team in this league.

(Honourable mentions for top Canadian: Shomari Williams, LB, Saskatchewan Roughriders; Grant Shaw, K/P, Edmonton Eskimos; Ricky Foley, DE, Toronto Argonauts.)

Want to nominate a player for inclusion in next week's Three Stars? During next weekend's games, send your submissions to me at andrew_bucholtz@yahoo.com or tweet them to @AndrewBucholtz.