Week 9 of the 2024 CFL regular season is officially in the books and it hasn’t become any easier to figure out how to stack these teams.
The B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, two presumed powerhouses, both suffered crushing upsets for the second game in a row. Meanwhile, basement dwellers like the Edmonton Elks are starting to figure it out and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are just one game out of a playoff spot after being left for dead.
3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having twelve contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets. As always, please be sure to check back every Monday morning for our updated power rankings following each week of action in the CFL.
Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter — yes, we still call it “Twitter” — for anything you think we got wrong.
1) Montreal Alouettes (1)
The Alouettes overcame arguably the worst missed call in CFL history to trounce the Ticats in Davis Alexander’s first career start at quarterback. The young pivot struggled early with a fumble and an interception but later found his footing, throwing for 262 yards and a touchdown to Charleston Rambo. Fellow backup Caleb Evans tossed a TD of his own before going down with a knee injury, though thankfully Cody Fajardo is close to a return. The defence continues to carry Montreal, with takeaways from Kabion Ento, Bryce Cosby, and Tyrice Beverette.
2) Ottawa Redblacks (4)
The Redblacks have legitimized their status as CFL contenders and a bad week from some other top teams sent them climbing up the rankings despite enjoying a bye. The team is getting healthy in the secondary with Brandin Dandridge returning to practice and star returner DeVonte Dedmon could be back in the lineup as well. You can also safely assume Dru Brown won’t have to operate without a running back next week.
3) B.C. Lions (2)
If their Week 7 loss to Calgary was an anomaly, the Lions’ Week 9 outing against Winnipeg was an abomination. The team managed just 102 net yards and four first downs en route to their first shutout loss in three years, leaving their defence to suffer on the field for over 40 minutes. M.O.P. frontrunner Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 74 yards before leaving with a knee injury early in the fourth quarter and is expected to be out week-to-week going forward.
4) Saskatchewan Roughriders (3)
Some of the shine has come off the Riders, as their defeat at the hands of the previously winless Elks made it three losses in the last four games. Mario Alford took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown but it all went downhill from there, as Corey Mace’s elite run defence crumbled at the feet of Tre Ford and Javon Leake. Shea Patterson threw for over 300 yards for the first time in his career but rookie Ajou Ajou couldn’t get a toe down in the clutch to keep Saskatchewan alive.
5) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8)
It may have taken six field goals from Sergio Castillo, including a 60-yarder, to get the job done, but the Bombers did the seemingly impossible with a shutout victory on a short week. A dominant performance from the secondary led by Canadian cornerback Tyrell Ford and consistent three-man pressure from the trio of Willie Jefferson, TyJuan Garbutt, and Devin Adams entirely defanged the league’s top offence. Lucky Whitehead was a nice addition to the offence, exacting some revenge on the Lions with six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in his Winnipeg debut.
6) Calgary Stampeders (6)
21 unanswered fourth-quarter points, including a spectacular touchdown grab from Cameron Echols, helped whip a sparse crowd at McMahon Stadium into a frenzy, as the Stampeders came from behind to hit .500. While Jake Maier poured it on late with 287 yards and a pair of majors, it was the defensive line that stole the show with six total sacks, including a pair from Mike Rose, and a pivotal batted ball by Julian Howsare. Demerio Houston called game with a final interception, though Micah Awe deserved the credit for knocking the ball loose with a big hit.
7) Toronto Argonauts (5)
Everything was going according to the script for the Argos until the fourth quarter when a previously stout defence fell victim to a couple of huge plays. Cameron Dukes didn’t need to be pulled in this one, rushing for 95 yards with a touchdown on the ground and through the air. However, he was sacked six times, including twice in the final frame as Toronto’s lead withered away. The team now has just one more game until Chad Kelly’s expected return, though no update has been provided by the CFL regarding his status.
8) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7)
The Ticats couldn’t make it three wins in a row as the offence sputtered to a standstill against Montreal. Bo Levi Mitchell failed to get over the 250-yard mark passing and tossed a pair of costly interceptions, eventually giving way to Taylor Powell in a lost cause. Defensive tackle Casey Sayles was a bright spot for much of the game, up until he drew a 25-yard penalty for a blatant spear to the head of Alouettes’ QB Davis Alexander.
9) Edmonton Elks (9)
Tre Ford’s first start of the season had exactly the desired effect, powering the Elks to their first victory of the year. Tevin Jones hauled in a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yard dime from the Canadian QB, but it was the running game that had the Elks looking like an entirely different franchise. Javon Leake went off for 169 yards and three touchdowns against the Riders in his debut as a feature back, hitting a top speed faster than any NFL player last season on one of his two fourth-quarter back-breakers.
