3DownNation CFL power rankings: Bryson Barnes saves Ottawa Redblacks from depths of despair

Photo courtesy: Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca

Week 20 has come and gone in the CFL, and there is still meaningful football being played.  One team clinched a playoff spot this week, while another secured the division. One postseason berth remains up for grabs, as three Western clubs fight to decide who will stand pat, who will head East, and who will get a jump start on the offseason.

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 might have lost this week, but pushing a playoff team to the absolute brink with Davis Alexander, Tyson Philpot, and Tyler Snead all watching in sweats is pretty impressive. Even with a few backups playing major roles, Noel Thorpe’s defence locked down the Riders until their final drive. Dustin Crum didn’t show much in his first significant action at quarterback, but Shomari Lawrence made the most of an extended audition at running back with 109 yards rushing.

2) Edmonton Elks (3)

The Green and Gold have officially gone from worst to first in the West Division, securing the first West Final at Commonwealth Stadium in over a decade and causing Cody Fajardo to give thanks to all the haters. The 34-year-old QB’s quiet stretch as a passer continued, but he took off for 72 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Justin Rankin had 133 rushing yards of his own, including 69 yards on the deciding fourth-quarter drive alone. The Elks now have three weeks to pack the Concrete Castle of the North with fans and leave all those still upset with the name change with nothing left to cry about.

3) B.C. Lions (2)

The Lions got what they needed from the first half in Week 20, battling to a 13-13 draw, then pulled the plug on most of their key starters after being locked into second in the West. Backup quarterback Kaidon Salter had a rough showing, completing less than 50 percent of his passes, while both Zander Horvath and James Butler were bottled up on the ground. At least Canadian standouts Cristophe Beaulieu and Jevon Cottoy had strong outings in the meaningless defeat.

4) Calgary Stampeders (6)

A gentle reminder that power rankings represent how teams are performing right now, and not where they sit in the standings or their odds in the playoff race. The Stampeders will likely be eliminated next week given the dynamics at play, but have won four of their last five and kept themselves alive with an explosive second half against B.C. Deonta McMahon led the way with 149 all-purpose yards in the victory, while Charles Wiley added two sacks. There is nothing to do now but sit around and wait, as Calgary has to finish the regular season on a bye with their fate in Winnipeg’s hands.

5) Toronto Argonauts (4)

The result may have been meaningless for the Boatmen in the standings, but it is hard to scrape the egg off your face when you provide a reprieve to arguably the worst team in CFL history. Not only did the Argos open the door to defeat with horrific clock management in the final minute against Ottawa, scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 30 seconds remaining rather than kneeling out the clock, but they did so after potentially losing franchise quarterback Chad Kelly to an injury earlier in the game. His status remains unknown ahead of the playoffs. Kevin Mital made a statement with a two-touchdown outing, while Darius McKenzie had an impressive outing when the backups went in on defence, recording two sacks.

6) Saskatchewan Roughriders (7)

The defending Grey Cup champions are heading back to the playoffs, but the way in which they clinched doesn’t inspire much confidence. KeeSean Johnson hauled in a 17-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left to end an offensive dry spell and break a four-game losing streak. However, they were held to just 16 points against a backup-laden Montreal team without anything to play for. Will that translate against a meaningful opponent in an elimination game? We’ll have to find out.

7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5)

The Bombers blew their first opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a poor second half, scoring just six points while surrendering 18. Zach Collaros kept slinging the ball but tossed a couple of costly interceptions, while the defence got run over to the tune of 212 yards on the ground. Winnipeg still has a chance to punch their postseason ticket next week, but there is nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

8) Ottawa Redblacks (8)

The long nightmare is finally over in the nation’s capital, as rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes helped to snap a 22-game losing streak with a three-play, 52-yard game-winning drive in the dying seconds. The pig farmer from Utah State rushed for 72 yards and threw for 339 in his first career start, delivering a pair of touchdown strikes to Ayden Eberhardt. It may not mean anything for the future, and the Redblacks still have a chance to tie for the worst record in CFL history next week, but the glimmer of hope (and a little pity) pulls them out of last place for the first time since Week 2.

9) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9)

The Tiger-Cats enjoyed a late-season bye this week and faded to the bottom of the rankings as a result. That may not be fair for a five-win team, but Harrison Frost has failed to inspire the same hope in Hamilton’s quarterbacking future that Ottawa captured this week. The Tabbies will have a chance to climb out of the basement in the finale and can rest assured that their passing game will improve when Bo Levi Mitchell returns next year.