3DownNation CFL power rankings: B.C. Lions swagger into second place

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/BC Lions.

Week 17 of the 2026 CFL regular season is officially in the books, and the playoff race is down to seven teams.

Hamilton joined Ottawa as the second team eliminated, while Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto have all punched their tickets. That leaves B.C., Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Calgary battling for three remaining chairs, though one of those teams took a huge step forward this week.

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) Montreal Alouettes (1)

The Alouettes enjoyed their final bye this week, which may have been more restful for their opponents than it was for them. Nobody is questioning Montreal’s supremacy in the East right now, and they remain the overwhelming Grey Cup frontrunners. They just got a little older and wiser as well, with veteran defensive tackle Dylan Wynn expected to join the fold.

2) B.C. Lions (3)

Just when the rest of the CFL thought they were safe, Nathan Rourke appears to have recaptured his M.O.P. form from last season. The Canadian QB shredded Saskatchewan to the tune of 375 yards and four touchdowns through the air, including a jaw-dropping scramble and shot downfield to Justin McInnis which cemented the result in the fourth quarter. Mike Benevides’ defence gave up some yards with a short-handed secondary, but came up with key stops in the red zone to capture the season series against the Riders. With the return of Robert Carter Jr. and that tie-breaker in hand, a home playoff date at BC Place no longer seems far-fetched.

3) Edmonton Elks (2)

Cody Fajardo may not care about the manner in which his team managed to return to the win column, but our voters sure seem to. The Elks drop one spot after they needed overtime and a two-point conversion shootout to knock off the dismal Ticats at home. Offensive inefficiency was the problem of the day, as Fajardo’s unit was stopped three times in the red zone and Brendan O’Leary-Orange committed some costly drops. Thankfully, Vincent Blanchard was there to bail his teammates out with a CFL single-game record nine field goals, including two in overtime, and Joshua Cephus secured the victory with a diving grab.

4) Toronto Argonauts (4)

If there was any belief that the fire in the Argos’ belly might fade now that they have a home playoff date sewn up, Winnipeg learned the hard way that won’t be the case. Chad Kelly tossed his usual two interceptions, but hit a couple of outstanding deep shots, including an 84-yarder to Damonte Coxie, to even the scales. However, it was Janarion Grant, who had already taken a missed field goal back 128 yards for a major, who executed the best throw of the night when he hit David Ungerer III across the field on a trick return late in the fourth quarter. That massive play set up Lirim Hajrullahu for the winning field goal.

5) Saskatchewan Roughriders (5)

The Riders got A.J. Ouellette and Kian Schaffer-Baker back in the lineup against B.C., and both made a sizeable impact. However, Saskatchewan’s winning mojo didn’t return with them, as the defence struggled to stop the Lions’ passing attack and the offence stalled out in the third quarter. Trevor Harris and company finished just two-for-five in the red zone, while Tommy Stevens was shockingly stuffed for a turnover on downs. The defending Grey Cup champions lost second place with their second straight defeat, and there may be serious consequences for the hopes of a home playoff.

6) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6)

With Zach Collaros sidelined by a head injury, Dru Brown was back under centre for the Bombers and showed some early promise before fizzling out fast. A pair of bad interceptions, special teams gaffes, and defensive busts opened the door for Toronto to snatch away a victory. At least Winnipeg was productive on the ground, with Brady Oliveira putting up 139 yards and short-yardage QB Bryce Perkins turning a simple sneak into a 76-yard touchdown run.

7) Calgary Stampeders (7)

Calgary’s second victory over Ottawa came much easier than their first, though the winless Redblacks were still able to pull within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Clark Barnes took care of that scare with a 60-yard touchdown to ice the game, joining Tevin Jones and Jalen Philpot as the third receiver to go over the century mark on the afternoon. Vernon Adams Jr. was back to throwing it all around the park, with 422 yards and three touchdowns to push the Stampeders back into the thick of the playoff race.

8) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

The Ticats fought tooth and nail for 60 minutes and then some to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but were ultimately eliminated from playoff contention in the second two-point conversion shootout in CFL history. A strong defensive outing, capped by a clutch interception from Reggie Stubblefield, wasn’t matched by the offence. Harrison Frost completed just 50 percent of his passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, and failed to pull the trigger to a wide-open Kiondre Smith on their first conversion attempt to lose the game.

9) Ottawa Redblacks (9)

Misery loves company, and the Redblacks were kind enough to give the 1994 Shreveport Pirates some of that in the CFL history books by tying the record for the worst ever start to a season. McLeod Bethel-Thompson continued his strong play since taking over at QB, throwing for over 400 yards, but it is hard to survive when your defence surrenders 520 net yards. It felt like the result was decided when Kenzel Lawler went offside on a surprise onside kick to start the second half, though King Ambers made sure to put the nail in the coffin with an open-field whiff on Calgary’s final touchdown.