
Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
TORONTO — With just two weeks of regular season games remaining, we’re seeing a pair of teams trying to push their way up the CFL.ca Power rankings presented by AMSOIL.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have won four games in a row and could have a shot at taking first place in the West Division when they (and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers) come out of a Week 20 bye.
The Toronto Argonauts’ win streak is a more modest two games, but it consists of wins over the Montreal Alouettes and the Bombers. Both the Riders and Argos have moved up in this week’s rankings, creating a logjam of talented teams in our top four spots.
You could make arguments for each of them to be in the top spot. The Bombers have won eight of nine but came out on the wrong end of a defensive battle with the Argos; the Als have the league’s best record and continue to show how deep their roster is; the Riders are an absolute force right now and finally the Argos in their last two games have taken down two teams that have held the No. 1 spot in these rankings. Not only that, their pair of wins over the Lions means that they have beaten every single team that’s been ranked No. 1 this year.
Consider all of that, as we will, when we reconvene next week for the final ranking of power for the 2024 season.
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1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-7)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: 14-11 loss to Toronto
Next game: At Montreal, Sat. Oct. 26
Worth noting: The Bombers were overwhelmed by the Argos’ aggressive defence last week, as Zach Collaros was sacked seven (!) times in a defensive battle that saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end. The bye week arrives at a good time, in a sense, as the Bombers can re-examine what went wrong and how they might be able to fix it in the playoffs. In years past, Week 21 of the season was an opportunity for reserves to play and for vets to rest. This year, the Bombers need at least a tie against the Als or just a Roughriders loss in Week 21 to lock up the West Division. The regular season finale will be anything but ceremonial this year; it’ll have a playoff-type feel to it.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-7-1)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: 39-8 win over BC
Next game: Vs. Calgary, Sat. Oct. 26
Worth noting: While people across the country enjoyed Thanksgiving meals, the Riders were feasting on a six turnover effort against the BC Lions, which helped them to their fourth win in a row. That seven-game winless stretch feels like it happened a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? The Riders will sit out this bye week and will get ready for a high stakes Week 21 that could see them come out on top of the West Division, if the Bombers are unable to get a regular season finale win over the Alouettes. In the meantime, the Riders and their fans can celebrate that they’re guaranteed to host a playoff game this year, after consecutive finishes outside of the post-season.
3. Montreal Alouettes (12-3-1)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: 19-12 win over Ottawa
Next Game: At BC, Sat. Oct. 19
Worth noting: The Als drop this week, but that’s more about how well the Riders are playing of late. This team can be thankful for the depth it has flexed across the board this year, which has allowed it to stay at the front of the pack, record-wise, in its Grey Cup title defence. Davis Alexander was solid once again as he filled in for Cody Fajardo, whose family had an addition this past week. With a pair of games left and the East Division secured, we wouldn’t be surprised to see head coach Jason Maas start to selectively rest some of his players as the regular season winds down. Saturday’s game in BC has traditionally been a difficult one for the Als, who are 9-31-1 all-time on the road against the Lions.
4. Toronto Argonauts (9-7)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: 14-11 win over Winnipeg
Next game: Vs. Ottawa, Sat. Oct. 19
Worth noting: The Argos have spent much of their season taking a step or two forward, then a step or a step-and-a-half back. Consecutive wins over Montreal and Winnipeg aren’t just steps; they’re leaps forward. Behind a gargantuan defensive effort against the Bombers last week, this team has real momentum at the point in the season when every team in the league wants it. Locking up a home playoff date would be a big advantage for them as they size up a playoff run. While that seemed unlikely at points this year, it’s very much in play now for the Argos. A win on Saturday would ensure that the REDBLACKS would be making a trip back to BMO Field on Nov. 2.
5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-10)
Last Week: 4
Last game: 31-10 loss to Winnipeg (Week 18)
Next game: Vs. Calgary, Fri. Oct. 18
Worth noting: That Week 18 loss to the Bombers put the nail over the Ticats’ coffin and the Argos were more than happy to hammer it through with their win over the Bombers. The Ticats’ five-year playoff run comes to a close but this will be an interesting team to watch over its final two games. Will Bo Levi Mitchell stay under centre and add to the tremendous season he’s put together? Or will head coach Scott Milanovich look to Taylor Powell to see what the 25-year-old can do in his offence? Tim White, Shemar Bridges (if healthy), Steven Dunbar Jr. and Kiondré Smith could all hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark in the final two games and Mitchell is 423 yards away from the 5,000-yard passing mark; a plateau he’s hit just two other times in his career.
6. Edmonton Elks (6-11)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: 23-18 win over Calgary
Next game: Vs. Toronto, Fri. Oct. 25
Worth noting: If you’re looking for a silver lining to this non-playoff season for the Elks, how does a three-game season sweep of arch-rival Calgary sound? The Elks get a bye week to gear up for an Argos team that could have a lot to play for in their regular season finale, as they fight for a home playoff game. If it all lines up, the Elks could have a chance to play spoiler in front of their fans for one final game this season. For an organization that’s heading into an off-season where everything from the GM and head coach job to starting quarterback is up in the air, there’s still a lot for this team to play for, even if the road stops disappointingly early for them.
7. BC Lions (8-9)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: 39-8 loss to Saskatchewan
Next game: Vs. Montreal, Sat. Oct. 19
Worth noting: The Lions will reportedly go back to Vernon Adams Jr. in Week 20 for their regular season finale. As the Lions slide into the playoffs, knowing now that they would have to win a pair of games on the road to get back to BC Place for the 111th Grey Cup, they need results. Adams helped this team to five of its eight wins this year, before injury and the return of Nathan Rourke left him on the sideline for essentially the final two-thirds of the season. As Adams said on social media this week, the team is having issues across the board. Yes, the offence needs some firepower, but the defence needs some extinguishing ability and the return game could use a spark. We’ll see what Week 20 brings for the Lions. Can it be enough to power them into the post-season?
8. Ottawa REDBLACKS (8-7-1)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: 19-12 loss to Montreal
Next game: At Toronto, Sat. Oct. 19
Worth noting: The losing streak has stretched to four games, leaving the REDBLACKS in a tough spot as they head to Toronto this week, where the winner is the likely host of the Eastern Semi-Final on Nov. 2. Discipline was a big issue in the REDBLACKS’ holiday Monday loss to the Alouettes (12 penalties for 122 yards) and will have to be cleaned up if the REDBLACKS want to start to head in the right direction before the post-season. A big part of that equation will be around the return of Dru Brown, who has been nursing an ankle injury and missed the REDBLACKS’ last two games. If the REDBLACKS want some playoff momentum they need to get back on track quickly.
9. Calgary Stampeders (4-11-1)
Last Week: 9
Last game: 23-18 loss to Edmonton
Next game: At Hamilton, Fri. Oct. 18
Worth noting: The Stamps travel East to face Bo Levi Mitchell and the Tiger-Cats and for the second week in a row take on a fellow non-playoff team. Winless since Aug. 4, this might be the Stamps’ best chance to put that streak to bed, given that they head to Saskatchewan for the regular season finale on Oct. 26 and the Riders could be in a down-to-the-wire fight with the Bombers for the top spot in the West Division. Friday’s game could also mark Matt Shiltz‘s return to Tim Hortons Field. Shiltz spent the past two seasons with the Ticats and played the majority of last year’s Eastern Semi-Final for them.
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OK Tire Labour Day Weekend |
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Week 14 |
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Week 18 |
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Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator |
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