The first month of the CFL season is officially in the books and the top third of our rankings have stabilized with B.C., Winnipeg, and Calgary sitting comfortably in the top three spots. Not much separates our lowest-ranked teams but that hasn’t stopped Hamilton — who started the season at No. 3 in our power rankings — from falling all the way to the bottom.
Next week’s rankings could a little odd as three teams — Toronto, Hamilton, and Montreal — are on a bye. The squads should use the extra time to figure out how to pull up their socks as they’ve started the season with a combined 2-9 record.
3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having eleven of our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets.
Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter for anything you think we got wrong.
1. B.C. Lions (1)
The Lions have been the class of the league this season and played well against Ottawa this past week despite traveling across the country on little rest. Nathan Rourke bounced back brilliantly from his first taste of adversity this season, overcoming two third-quarter interceptions to put up 20 points in the second half.
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2)
Winnipeg continues to do just enough to win after narrowly sneaking by the Argos in Week 4. The defence has allowed a ton of yardage this season but has also forced plenty of turnovers, providing the offence with instant field position. Marc Liegghio seems to have figured things out in his second year as a pro and is a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals.
3. Calgary Stampeders (3)
The Stamps had a chance to kick back and relax during their bye week as they continue to sit pretty at 3-0. They travel to Edmonton this week, though the Elks have benched Nick Arbuckle since the club’s Week 3 meeting in favour of Canadian rookie quarterback Tre Ford.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (6)
The Riders put forth a solid bounce-back effort in the second half of their home-and-home with Montreal. The defence forced five turnovers and Cody Fajardo was able to remain effective despite a lingering knee injury. Ottawa is coming to town this week and Saskatchewan should be heavy favourites in the friendly confines of Mosaic Stadium.
5. Montreal Alouettes (5)
Almondo Sewell missed this week’s game against Saskatchewan and the future Hall of Famer’s absence was noticeable as Jamal Morrow rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. The Alouettes suddenly released starting middle linebacker Tre Watson on Monday following a pair of in-game incidents with a teammate and coach that took place in Regina.
6. Ottawa Redblacks (4)
The defence forced three turnovers against the red-hot Lions this past week but it wasn’t enough to avoid falling to 0-3 on the season. Jeremiah Masoli has regressed as the young season has progressed, throwing for just 162 yards against B.C. after opening the year with back-to-back 300-yard games.
7. Edmonton Elks (9)
Chris Jones got his first win back in Edmonton after Jalen Collins returned a fumble for a touchdown in the dying minutes in Hamilton. Tre Ford didn’t put up stellar numbers through the air — 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception — but his ability to run the football has added a new dimension to the Elks’ offence.
8. Toronto Argonauts (8)
The Argos outplayed Winnipeg on Monday but turnovers and a missed extra point cost them a narrow loss at home. A number of veteran players were seen arguing on the bench, which drew the attention of general manager Mike ‘Pinball’ Clemons. This team has talent, but it’s tough to overlook mid-game infighting along the sidelines.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7)
Dane Evans continues to struggle with turnovers and now leads the league with eight interceptions. The Ticats are on a bye this week and will need to do some soul-searching as they are off to a shocking 0-4 start coming off back-to-back Grey Cup appearances.
