CFL Power Rankings: Alouettes still #1, plenty of movement below
TORONTO — Hello. You might be here because you’re mad.
Perhaps our social channels have exposed you to some sizeable movement in the Power Rankings presented by AMSOIL this week. Teams that have long occupied the top spots have stumbled a little. Other lower ranked teams have moved up. You’re likely wondering internally, perhaps externally and definitely will be asking in the comments, what are we thinking over here?
We’ll use this space to share that with you.
While it was just one game for all eight teams in action in Week 1, we saw some big statements made. The Montreal Alouettes looked every bit the defending Grey Cup champions in the season-opener, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did not look like the team that’s made four consecutive appearances in the final. Add in some injury wrinkles for them this week and some questions arise over whether this team will win at the clip that we’re used to out of the gate in 2024.
Another surprise riser — at least if you ask CFL.ca’s pick makers — is the Toronto Argonauts. Cameron Dukes put together a very solid game as the Double Blue’s starting quarterback and the Argos’ defence showed that while the cupboard may have been picked a little in free agency, it’s still stocked with a lot of talent. Their win over the Lions vaulted them up in this week’s rankings, as did the Riders’ impressive comeback win over Edmonton.
With voters focused on the present and who they could see winning the games in front of them this week, this is where they landed. When the order was sorted and the dust started to settle, one voter commented, ‘This really is a spicy list.’ They could be right. Check below to see where your team landed.
1. Montreal Alouettes (1-0)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: 27-12 win over Winnipeg
Next Game: At Edmonton, Fri. June 14
Worth noting: The Als impressed in every phase of their win over the Bombers but the thing that resonates for us now five days after they played was their confidence level. It takes a great amount of what a legendary sports entertainment announcer used to call intestinal fortitude to go into the Bombers’ house, have a two-score lead in the fourth quarter — with lots of time for a comeback, we’ll note — and run a flea flicker as a means of your knockout punch. There’s a comfort and confidence to this Als’ team. They’re setting the tone early this season and it’s up to the rest of the league to match or surpass them.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: 29-21 win over Edmonton
Next game: At Hamilton, Sun. June 16
Worth noting: True, the Elks have struggled at home, but the outcome of this game would have been the other way around if the Riders didn’t assert themselves and take control of the game in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. A year ago, Shawn Bane Jr. showed that he had No. 1 receiver potential after leaving the Stamps for the Riders. He used the opening game of the season to show that he wants to be regarded as one of the best pairs of hands in the league. A hat trick of touchdowns makes that a solid argument.
3. Toronto Argonauts (1-0)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: 35-27 win over BC
Next game: Vs. Edmonton, Sat. June 22
Worth noting: Questions at quarterback were put to rest fairly quickly on Sunday, as Dukes went 21-27 for 254 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Argos past what should be a very good BC team. The players might happily take the bye week in front of them in Week 2, but sometimes you hate to see a team get a big win and then have to let those good vibes not flow into the next game on the schedule. When they get back to business in Week 3, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. gets to return to his old stomping grounds and will lead the presently winless Elks into BMO Field. Oh, and the other part of that off-season trade? Defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, who looked good in Argos colours, with four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against the Lions.
4. BC Lions (0-1)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: 35-27 loss to Toronto
Next game: Vs. Calgary, Sat. June 15
Worth noting: The Lions were favourites going into the Week 1 finale, but history caught up with them. Their winless streak at BMO Field stretches back to 2019. The Lions gave up six sacks in their loss and had five turnovers — two of which were desperation turnovers on downs with the game already out of reach — but will have to clean up in both areas before they face a Calgary defence that showed in its debut that it can create its own brand of havoc on the field.
5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-1)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: 27-12 loss to Montreal
Next game: At Ottawa, Thurs. June 13
Worth noting: This…feels strange. The Bombers were third in these rankings for five weeks last season. They held the No. 1 spot here for the ENTIRETY of the 2022 season; they were No. 3 to open the 2021 season. The last time they sat at No. 5 in these rankings was Week 5 of the 2019 season. All of that to say that this could be a short-lived stay in the middle of the pack for a team that has historically — both in the literal and bigger picture sense of the word — since the confetti flew at the end of that 2019 campaign. The status of Brady Oliveira and Kenny Lawler loom over the team and that could hurt them in the short term, but we expect the Bombers to climb their way up these rankings.
6. Edmonton Elks (0-1)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: 29-21 loss to Saskatchewan
Next game: Vs. Montreal, Fri. June 14
Worth noting: It was an unfortunately familiar script for the Elks and their fans on Saturday night, as their 18-8 fourth quarter lead turned into a 29-21 loss. McLeod Bethel-Thompson and the Elks racked up 349 yards of offence and Hergy Mayala‘s two touchdowns reinforced the training camp storyline that the National was coming on strong this year. The Elks had three turnovers including two fumbles that were lost. Based on what we saw from the Alouettes against the Bombers, there is no room for that when the Als make their way to Commonwealth Stadium on Friday.
7. Calgary Stampeders (1-0)
Last Week: 9
Last game: 32-24 win over Hamilton
Next game: At BC, Sat. June 15
Worth noting: We can still picture Reggie Begelton telling us very clearly in an interview in Hamilton during the off-season that his team had work to do this year, but “we’re not nine” in CFL.ca’s Power Rankings. In a strong win over the visiting Tiger-Cats, Begelton and the Stamps showed just that. Jake Maier looked sharp in the win, making 21-26 passes and throwing a pair of touchdowns. Calgary’s defence — led by Demerio Houston‘s interception — feels elevated. They head west this week to face a familiar playoff foe, in the BC Lions. They’ll need to build on that same productive/disruptive level if they want to improve to 2-0.
8. Ottawa REDBLACKS (0-0)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Bye
Next game: Vs. Winnipeg, June 13
Worth noting: Dru Brown leads his new team into its home opener and his opponent is…his old team. It’s a perfect story, isn’t it? The Bombers could come into this game full of negative sentiment, given how they were manhandled at home by the Als in Week 1. Then there’s the bad memory of what happened the last time the Bombers came to TD Place: they coughed up a 25-6 fourth quarter lead and lost in overtime 31-28 in Week 6.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1)
Last Week: 8
Last game: 32-24 loss to Calgary
Next game: Vs. Saskatchewan, Sun. June 16
Worth noting: The Ticats dropped a tough one to the Stamps, but as fans get ready for the home opener at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday, there’s reason to feel optimistic about what they saw from Bo Levi Mitchell. Their QB 1 showed a ton of fight at McMahon Stadium, going 27-38 for 300 yards with a late touchdown to go with an interception. If Mitchell and his receivers can tighten up their timing through this week, they’re in position to give the visiting Riders a game.
