The 3DownNation power rankings are back following the second week of the 2021 CFL season.
This week cemented the top-tier status of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders as the league’s only 2-0 teams, though the Montreal Alouettes looked great in an upset win at Commonwealth Stadium. Meanwhile, fans across the province of Alberta are hitting the panic button following 0-2 starts in Edmonton and Calgary.
Our power rankings are created by having our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. Last week’s rankings are listed in brackets.
Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter for anything you feel we’ve got wrong.
1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1)
Winnipeg used the passing game to outclass the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 20-7 with Zach Collaros throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns. The defence has been dominant so far this season, allowing an average of just 6.5 points per game through two big wins at IG Field.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4)
The Riders made a big statement on Saturday by running roughshod over the Ticats, forcing six takeaways and recording six sacks. Cody Fajardo looks just as sharp as he did in 2019, while the team’s patchwork offensive line has done a solid job of opening holes for William Powell.
3. Montreal Alouettes (6)
Montreal jumped up three spots following their dominance of the Edmonton Elks. Vernon Adams Jr. was elusive in the pocket, William Stanback rushed for over 100 yards, and Jake Wieneke made one of the best catches we’ll see this year on either side of the border.
4. B.C. Lions (8)
The Lions rocketed up four spots after Michael Reilly’s surprise return to health and his 342-yard performance against Calgary. B.C.’s defence also deserves props for getting consistent pressure on Bo Levi Mitchell and forcing him into a career-high four interceptions.
5. Toronto Argonauts (3)
The Argos dropped two spots following a disappointing loss to the Blue Bombers. The defence still looked sharp — they did a great job shutting down Winnipeg’s run game — but McLeod Bethel-Thompson regressed following a standout performance in Week 1.
6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2)
The Ticats plummeted four spots in our rankings following a poor performance at Mosaic Stadium. Jeremiah Masoli was under assault until he was pulled in favour of Dane Evans, who struggled just as badly following the swap. Hamilton is on bye in Week 3, which should give them a chance to fix their offence.
7. Calgary Stampeders (5)
Bo Levi Mitchell had the worst game of his career in a tough loss to the Lions on Thursday, tossing four picks. The Stampeders are now 0-2 at McMahon Stadium where they’ve been virtually unbeatable in years past. Can Calgary turn it around or is the dynasty finally over?
8. Ottawa Redblacks (9)
The Redblacks moved up one spot while on a bye in Week 2, which speaks volumes about our bottom-ranked team. Matt Nichols and the rest of his squad have a tough test this week when they visit the Riders at Mosaic Stadium as they look to improve to 2-0.
9. Edmonton Elks (7)
Edmonton has crashed to the basement of our rankings following a humiliating 17-point loss to the Alouettes at home. The Elks have arguably the most talented offence in the CFL, but you wouldn’t know it from their pathetic inability to score points through the first two weeks of the season.
