3DownNation CFL power rankings: Saskatchewan Roughriders defend crown on banner day

Photo: Tanner Piper/Piper Sports Photography/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Week 2 of the CFL season is officially in the books, and we’ve finally seen all nine teams in action.

The FIFA World Cup forced a shortened three-game slate in each of the first two weeks, which has meant a slew of awkward early bye weeks. Now, a full picture can actually be formed regarding how each team stands entering the year, though the hyper-competitive games thus far have made stacking the contenders an incredibly difficult task.

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) Saskatchewan Roughriders (1)

The defending Grey Cup champions were simply sublime as the banner went up at Mosaic Stadium and Trevor Harris celebrated a belated 40th birthday with a complete evisceration of the B.C. defence. The Riders’ quarterback had just six incompletions while throwing for 417 yards, spread out between his three key playmakers. Kian Schaffer-Baker ripped off 165 yards, KeeSean Johnson had 131, and Samuel Emilus caught all three touchdown passes, including the decider in the final minute. The Lions kept it close, but it remains Saskatchewan’s time — at least in the short term.

2) Montreal Alouettes (3)

The Alouettes inch closer to the top of the rankings after another dazzling offensive performance from Davis Alexander and company. The quarterback remains undefeated in the regular season after throwing for 441 yards and two touchdowns in a hard-fought victory over Toronto, with Canadian receiver Tyson Philpot exploding for 193 yards, a couple of otherworldly catches, and both majors. Even so, it took a timely blocked punt from veteran linebacker Micah Awe, which was recovered for a touchdown, for Montreal to keep their record spotless.

3) B.C. Lions (2)

The preseason Grey Cup favourites stumbled out of the gates in the same stadium where their 2025 campaign ended, as the defence couldn’t generate pressure and struggled to do anything to contain Saskatchewan’s potent aerial attack. The Lions’ offence was still in position to mount a game-winning drive in the final minute, but key injuries at the receiver position left them severely short-handed. It was fullback Jacob Bond, a converted CJFL linebacker, who dropped the deciding pass to end the game, though reigning M.O.P. quarterback Nathan Rourke seems to believe a missed call on the previous play could have been the difference.

4) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7)

The Tabbies bounced back from a heartbreaking loss in Week 1 by smashing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a complete offensive performance. Bo Levi Mitchell was highly efficient, throwing three first-half touchdown passes, two of which came courtesy of Canadian receiver Kiondre Smith. More important was the arrival of a ground game, with Larry Rountree III rattling off 124 yards in the game. The victory was soured by a scary injury suffered by defensive back Jamal Peters, which saw him carted off the field on a stretcher, though, thankfully, he was quickly cleared and released from the hospital.

5) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4)

Zach Collaros put up gaudy passing numbers against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, finishing with 421 yards and two touchdowns, but also tossed a costly end-zone interception in a game that never felt in reach for the Bombers. Jordan Younger’s defensive unit, generally regarded as a strength, struggled to get stops early, and the mounting deficit largely took Brady Oliveira out of the equation. Canadian receiver Tommy Nield was a bright spot, going for a career-high 111 yards in front of the sellout crowd at Princess Auto Stadium.

6) Calgary Stampeders (5)

The Stampeders dropped by one spot while sitting idle this week, through no fault of their own. The time off gave the squad a chance to mull over costly mistakes from the season-opening loss to Winnipeg, while moving impact defensive linemen Folarin Orimolade and Jaylon Hutchings ever closer to returning to the field. Even though they didn’t play a game, Calgary is hoping for an imminent personal victory for one of their staff, as defensive backs coach Barron Miles seeks donations to assist with a life-saving treatment for his daughter.

7) Edmonton Elks (6)

No need to pinch yourself, the Edmonton Elks are indeed undefeated. Sure, they’ve only played one game, but that’s still an accomplishment considering the franchise’s recent history. This ranking would suggest that our voters aren’t sold quite yet, but the defence is already showing promise with the addition of Malik Carney, and anything is possible on offence with Justin Rankin — even the elusive 1,000-yard rushing and receiving double-dip.

8) Toronto Argonauts (9)

Chad Kelly checked a lot of boxes in his return to the field after 580 days away, throwing for 445 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while proving that the Argonauts are a much-improved team with him at the helm. However, defensive failures and a serious special teams miscue kept Toronto from getting the upset needed to prove the doubters wrong. There was also a heated interaction between Kelly and head coach Mike Miller on the sideline in the second quarter, which raised questions despite multiple members of the team dismissing it as a normal interaction between competitors.

9) Ottawa Redblacks (8)

The Redblacks didn’t get a shot at redemption after their monsoon-like loss in the season-opener, but their place at the bottom was the only unanimous selection on this week’s rankings. Ryan Dinwiddie shook things up by naming Jake Maier as his starting quarterback over incumbent Dru Brown, but he looked an awful lot like the player benched in Calgary against Edmonton. With the health of the market dwindling, he’ll need a bounce-back in Week 3, or questions will begin to be asked about the length of his leash.