By admin
Week 19 is officially in the books and the six playoff contenders are now set.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will officially join Calgary and Edmonton outside the velvet rope, though there is still plenty to be determined about the order in which the other VIPs will be admitted.
3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having twelve contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets. As always, please be sure to check back every Monday morning for our updated power rankings following each week of action in the CFL.
Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter — yes, we still call it “Twitter” — for anything you think we got wrong.
1) Montreal Alouettes (2)
It was a win-win scenario for everyone in Montreal this week, as Cody Fajardo got to soak up a few extra moments with his newborn son and Davis Alexander secured his fourth victory of the season as a starter. This game won’t make the Alouettes’ greatest hits album but getting back to winning form and getting Austin Mack back in the lineup is enough to put them back on top of these rankings.
2) Saskatchewan Roughriders (3)
The Riders secured a home playoff game with a dominant win over the B.C. Lions, opening things up with a wacky pick-six. That was the first of six turnovers forced on the day, allowing Saskatchewan’s highly efficient offence to coast to victory without mistakes. Attention now turns to a pivotal Week 21 finish, with a first-round bye now within their sights.
3) Toronto Argonauts (4)
The Argonauts might have struggled in short yardage against Winnipeg this past weekend but still pulled off an impressive win thanks to the performance of their defence, which generated seven sacks and four takeaways. As a result, Toronto has leap-frogged into second place in the East Division and will have a chance to lock up a home playoff game in The Six when they host Ottawa next week.
4) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1)
The Blue and Gold’s eight-game winning streak was snapped by the Argonauts on Friday night as the team’s offence fell apart, generating a measly 11 points. Winnipeg might have gotten hosed on the spot on Zach Collaros’ late-game run but also benefited from a phantom pass interference call that was drawn by Kenny Lawler at the back of the end zone. The loss means that the Blue Bombers can still finish second in the West Division, depending on how the team fares following its upcoming bye.
5) Edmonton Elks (8)
Tre Ford improved his record as a starter to 3-1 as he threw for 208 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a win over Calgary. The Canadian quarterback also helped open the run game yet again as rookie sensational Justin Rankin rushed for 140 yards on only 10 carries, while Eugene Lewis caught a touchdown pass for the seventh straight game. The Elks will miss the playoffs yet again this year but sweeping the Stampeders has to have local fans feeling good.
6) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6)
The Tiger-Cats were idle this past week but still made headlines as they were eliminated from postseason contention due to Toronto’s win over Winnipeg. Hamilton’s won four of its last five games but it was too little, too late for a club that started miserably this season. All that’s left for local fans to root for is awards night as Bo Levi Mitchell and Shemar Bridges are legitimate candidates to win Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Rookie, respectively.
7) Ottawa Redblacks (7)
Call it undisciplined or call it uninspired, it won’t change the fact that Ottawa’s fourth straight loss was a brutal blow to their confidence. Lacklustre play from backup QB Jeremiah Masoli led to zero touchdowns and 122 yards worth of penalties helped gift the Alouettes extra opportunities. With two games remaining, the Redblacks are in jeopardy of losing a home playoff date that once seemed guaranteed.
8) B.C. Lions (5)
There is almost nothing redeemable about this Lions team, as a porous defence and anemic offence combined to surrender a home playoff game. With Amar Doman’s hopes and dreams hanging by a thread, there is a distinct possibility that Rick Campbell will be coaching for his job in the opening round of the playoffs. The question now is whether he will stick with Nathan Rourke after another middling performance or bet his career on Vernon Adams Jr. providing a spark.
9) Calgary Stampeders (9)
Matthew Shiltz did nothing to ignite Calgary’s anemic offence as the club suffered a season sweep at the hand of the rival Edmonton Elks and has now gone eight games without a win. The Stampeders will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004 but there are at least two things to be thankful for in Cowtown: the team can secure the first overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft with a loss this week and former NFL quarterback P.J. Walker could be the team’s future under centre.
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