AMSOIL Power Rankings: Making moves

TORONTO — Week 15 created the perfect storm for some movement in the CFL.ca Power Rankings presented by AMSOIL.

The Montreal Alouettes are now 0-1-1 in their last two, including Saturday’s tie with (still) ninth-ranked Calgary. The Ottawa REDBLACKS missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot and dropped a game in Hamilton to a Tiger-Cats team that’s playing better but is still ranked below them. With three teams — Winnipeg, Edmonton and Saskatchewan — all on byes this week, it was difficult to stick to our almost-always followed practice of not moving teams while inactive.

We say that acknowledging that this practice was completely abandoned this week. Montreal and Ottawa’s losses didn’t make them top-of-the-list contenders, with both needing to drop. That opened the door for a pair of teams coming off of bye weeks — Winnipeg and Edmonton — to move into spots No. 1 and 2, respectively.

The Bombers move to the top spot for the first time this year and for the first time since Week 9 of the 2023 season.

Finally, let’s give some love to this week’s No. 2 team. This is the highest the Elks have sat in these rankings since Week 12 of the 2019 season, more than five years ago.

Let’s get into this week’s rankings, where only one team stayed in the spot it held a week ago.

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1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-6)

Last Week: 3
Last Game: 26-21 win over Saskatchewan (Week 14)
Next game: At Edmonton, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: The Bombers were vulnerable in Week 15, sitting idle while the Lions had a chance to push them out of the top spot in the West Division. To their great delight, they head into a pivotal pair of games with the Elks still atop the West (and likely lower on their priorities list, atop these rankings). The Bombers’ upcoming home-and-home series with the Elks gives them a chance to claim yet another season series over a divisional rival. They’ve already taken the series’ over Calgary, BC and Saskatchewan. Despite slow starts from each team this year, we should be in for a treat from these clubs this week and next.

2. Edmonton Elks (5-8)

Last Week: 4
Last Game: 37-16 win over Calgary (Week 14)
Next game: Vs. Winnipeg, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: The Elks head into this set of games with the Bombers knowing that their playoff hopes are tightly linked to them getting at least a win — and ideally two — against the West’s top team. On the field, we’ll get to see a very interesting brothers’ matchup unfold, as Tre Ford gets the start for the Elks against his brother Tyrell and his league-leading six interceptions for the Bombers. Now 5-1 after their 0-7 start, the Elks are hoping to follow the same type of path that the Bombers have, working their way out the West’s cellar. The Elks have pushed the Stamps down into last place, but need to keep climbing to earn their first playoff appearance since 2019.

3. Montreal Alouettes (10-2-1)

Last Week: 1
Last Game: 19-19 tie with Calgary
Next Game: At Ottawa, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: The Als drop from the top spot after their 19-19 tie with the Stamps. With just 292 yards of net offence against the Stamps, the Als have just 562 yards combined in their last two games. With a playoff spot locked up and the top spot in the East likely theirs, could the Als have hit a rut, 13 games into what’s been a magnificent run for them? They’ll need to get back into form this week, as they head to TD Place, where the REDBLACKS are hungry to clinch a playoff berth of their own and would love to do it at the Als’ expense. An Ottawa win on Saturday would leave them just two points behind the Als for the East Division lead.

4. Ottawa REDBLACKS (8-4-1)

Last Week: 2
Last Game: 37-21 loss to Hamilton
Next game: Vs. Montreal, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: The REDBLACKS had a shot at ending their six-year/five-season playoff drought last week and laid an egg against the Ticats. The REDBLACKS can move past this disappointing loss, but it won’t be easy. Adarius Pickett is one of those heart-of-the-defence type players, so if his injury is serious, defensive coordinator Barron Miles will miss him and the team will feel his absence. Just as the Als will need to get back on track for Saturday’s game, the Dru Brown and the REDBLACKS will need to be in strike-first mode as they look to add to their perfect (or pretty much perfect, at 6-0-1) record at TD Place. A win on Saturday gets them into the playoffs and would be a mental boost against an Als team that handled them easily earlier this year.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-9)

Last Week: 6
Last game: 37-21 win over Ottawa
Next game: At Toronto, Fri. Sept. 20

Worth noting: As Pat Steinberg detailed in his MMQB column this week, the Ticats are on something of a tightrope as they try to piece together a last-gasp playoff run. So far, in their modest two-game win streak, they’re controlling what they can control: they’re getting a high level of play from Bo Levi Mitchell and their offence, while the arrival of Chris Jones has brought a defensive awakening, to the tune of a five-turnover game this past week in their win over the REDBLACKS. Add in the return threat of Lawrence Woods III and the Ticats have a myriad of ways they can hurt you and give themselves a chance to win games. Friday night’s trip to BMO Field in Toronto is a big one for them.

6. Toronto Argonauts (7-6)

Last Week: 8
Last Game: 33-17 win over BC
Next game: Vs. Hamilton, Fri. Sept. 20

Worth noting: The Argos bounced back exceedingly well from their difficult Week 14 loss to the REDBLACKS with a dominant showing against the Lions. While the Lions’ offence had issues of its own last week, don’t take anything away from an Argos’ defence that held a combo of Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams Jr. to just a combined 185 passing yards, while their offence looked to take a step forward with Chad Kelly playing his fourth game back with the team. A win over the Tiger-Cats on Friday would add some helpful distance between the two teams in the standings and would dim the Ticats’ playoff hopes, but not extinguish them.

7. BC Lions (7-7)

Last Week: 5
Last Game: 33-17 loss to Toronto
Next game: Vs. Hamilton, Fri. Sept. 27

Worth noting: The Lions had a shot at first in the West and instead go into a bye week shrouded in uncertainty. Their 7-7 record is a far cry from their 5-1 start and when they get back on the field next week, all eyes will be on whether it’s Nathan Rourke or Vernon Adams Jr. getting first-team reps. This isn’t where anyone thought this team would be with just four games left on the regular season schedule. The talent is there on all sides of the ball to figure things out and make a strong push into the playoffs. That’ll have to start in Week 17, when a Tiger-Cats team that will be tough to tame makes its way to town.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-7-1)

Last Week: 7
Last Game: 26-21 loss to Winnipeg (Week 14)
Next game: At Calgary, Fri. Sept. 20

Worth noting: For all of their troubles, winless now in their last seven games and clinging to the West’s third and final playoff spot, there’s still time for this club to turn things around and assert itself over its final five games. The Riders are nearing a critical point, though. The Elks are just a point behind them in the standings and the Stamps — a team with no shortage of woes itself this year — will try to jump back into the race at the Riders’ expense on Friday. The Riders have been within a hair in so many of these recent losses. They’ll need to find a way to break through if they want to turn things around.