3DownNation CFL power rankings: Montreal Alouettes talk their way out of top spot

Photo courtesy: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions

Week 15 in the Canadian Football League has come and gone, and the rare quadruple-header provided plenty of surprises.

Most notably, the traditional rivalry rematches were not the games with the most animosity, as it appears there is a genuine hatred brewing between the Alouettes and Lions. The ensuing fracas has caused a shake-up at the top of the podium, as Montreal might just protest too much.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. Each team’s most recent ranking is listed in brackets.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on social media for anything you think we got wrong.

1) Edmonton Elks (2)

When you reside in the Concrete Castle of the North, it is only fitting that you wear the crown. The Elks swept the Battle of Alberta in commanding fashion, putting up over 50 points for the first time since 2004. It was three-phase dominance, highlighted by five defensive takeaways, a blocked punt for a touchdown by Silas Hubert, and a pair of touchdowns from Joe Robustelli. The team leveraged the blowout to clinch a postseason berth for the first time in seven years, though they may have lost star running back Justin Rankin to injury in the process.

2) Montreal Alouettes (1)

Even after a 19-point loss in Vancouver, there were still some voters who kept the Alouettes firmly at the top of their power rankings ballot. However, the brutal result in the rematch drops them down into pole position, which should provide substantial motivation for a group that already plays with a chip on their shoulder. Davis Alexander had a relatively quiet night passing against the Lions, but was as loud as ever with his trash talk and went after Mathieu Betts for a perceived dirty tackle. Tyson Philpot delivered one of those himself, kicking off a melee on the visiting sideline. The defence, at least, did the talking with their pads, as Tyrice Beverette notched two sacks and a forced fumble, which was recovered for a touchdown by Mustafa Johnson.

3) B.C. Lions (4)

The Lions got down in the muck with their opponents on Saturday night, as Ronald Kent Jr. played the role of enforcer during a sideline brawl and Mathieu Betts managed to get himself ejected. However, the team’s performance between the whistles was arguably their best of the season. Nathan Rourke refrained from throwing an interception for the first time since the season opener and finally used his legs to their full ability, while Zander Horvath recorded his third hat trick of the year. Defensive tackle Casey Sayles also got into the end zone, returning his first career interception 43 yards for a score.

4) Saskatchewan Roughriders (3)

Conspiracy theorists may question whether the Saskatchewan offence made the trip to Winnipeg for this year’s Banjo Bowl, but six measly points stand as proof that Trevor Harris and company actually got off the plane. Five total turnovers, including fumbles by KeeSean Johnson and D’Sean Mimbs, proved to be devastating, as the Riders struggled to threaten their prairie rivals in any way. At least the defence played well, with interceptions from Aubrey Miller Jr. and Seyi Oladipo Jr., and five different pass rushers notching sacks.

5) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6)

Losing the Banjo Bowl is something the Bombers simply will not abide, but they don’t require that victory to be elegant. It was all defence this week, as Redha Kramdi announced his return to the lineup with an interception and a forced fumble as part of a five-takeaway night. Tommy Nield added the only offensive major, and Zach Collaros was picked off twice. The 38-year-old quarterback was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after trying to make a tackle on his second turnover, and backup Dru Brown needed just 46 passing yards to coast the rest of the way.

6) Toronto Argonauts (5)

A win is a win, but the streets in Toronto were hardly filled with celebrations after the Boatmen narrowly escaped embarrassment at the hands of the winless Ottawa Redblacks. Chad Kelly was in his usual form, throwing for 443 yards and two touchdowns while also tossing a pair of bad interceptions. Receiver David Ungerer III had a career game, racking up 175 yards and a major, and defensive tackle Ralph Holley played hero with a late sack. That set up the Argos for a 12-play, 74-yard final drive, which was capped by a walk-off winner from Lirim Hajrullahu.

7) Calgary Stampeders (7)

If this isn’t rock bottom for the Stampeders, you can probably see it from here. After a fourth-quarter collapse on Labour Day at McMahon Stadium, Calgary figured it was best not to try for a lead at all in the rematch and got spanked by 37 points. Vernon Adams Jr. struggled while throwing two interceptions and found himself benched for Josh Love, while the defence got picked apart. Even the special teams had a rough outing, surrendering a punt block for a touchdown. Injuries continued to mount as well, as Canadian receiver Dejon Brissett and star running back Dedrick Mills both left early.

8) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were on bye this week, but their problems aren’t the type that a little time away can fix. The slim hope that Bo Levi Mitchell could return for the postseason gets dimmer every day, as do the odds of them actually making the playoffs. The status of his replacement, Tre Ford, remains uncertain after a head injury on Labour Day. By head coach Scott Milanovich’s own admission, anything less than running the table down the stretch probably won’t get the job done.

9) Ottawa Redblacks (9)

The Redblacks came tantalizingly close to their first victory of the season, but failed to deliver in the fourth quarter and saw their active losing streak extended to 18 games. Neither the franchise nor new head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has tasted a win in over a calendar year, and this one hurt a little extra. Starting quarterback Jake Maier found himself benched in the second quarter and replaced with veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who became the scapegoat for an unsuccessful red zone audible and a fatal sack. By all accounts, the most important position will remain in limbo in the nation’s capital.