We are almost at the halfway point of the 2014 CFL season, with Labour Day approaching quickly. Here are how the CFL squads shake out in our Week 9 power rankings.
1. Calgary Stampeders
Another week, another win for the boys from Cow Town. Some may consider LeFevour going down with an injury against the Stamps last week as critical. But even if he was healthy and ready to get the job done, Calgary still probably would have taken the points. With a trip to Ottawa this week, Calgary should take note that Ottawa took Edmonton to the limit last week and shouldn’t be overlooked.
2. Edmonton Eskimos
The Eskimos are going home after a not-so-dominating performance in Ottawa; it looks like they decided to take a week off as they showed some vulnerability. With Toronto coming up next for the Green and Gold, we all expect a much better performance, especially with Ricky Ray playing behind center on the other side. No team should be taken lightly in the CFL despite their record, so Edmonton will have to have learned a valuable lesson if they want to hit the top rung of the power rankings ladder.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
They may have faltered in the early going, but they’ve maintained a four-game winning streak since then. Those wins haven’t always been pretty – particularly last week’s contest against Montreal – but good teams win those games, and the Riders are unequivocally a good team. If Calgary or Edmonton falter, the Riders will top this chart easily.
4. B.C. Lions
One of the problems with an entire division playing like crap is that even good teams in the west slip down the rankings. If the Lions were in the East, they would be tops in the division with Kevin Glenn doing a great job filling in for a now nearly healthy Travis Lulay. But in the West, they’re on the outside looking in, and hoping at best for a crossover spot. They’ll stay there unless they can string some wins together in their own division.
5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Bombers drop down one spot in the rankings after going into Toronto and losing 38 to 21. For the second straight week the Bombers’ defense gave up huge yards against the run, with Toronto’s Curtis Steele and Steve Slaton combining for 154 rushing yards on just 19 carries. Meanwhile Drew Willy and the offense have been moving the ball well but have been unable to finish drives with touchdowns. It seems teams have found weaknesses in the Bombers, so now it’s on coach Mike O’shea to re-adjust.
6. Toronto Argonauts
The Argos split their two games at home in Week 8, beating Winnipeg handily but then following that up with a loss to the surging Lions. In the process they jump ahead of Hamilton, a team reeling after another tough loss. Argos Offensive Coordinator Marcus Brady will have a tough job dialling up plays for an injury-plagued offense. News this week has Maurice Mann and Steve Slaton out with injuries. Ricky Ray has done an admirable job keeping the ship from sinking while the Argos wait for superstars Chad Owens and Andre Durie to return to the line-up.
7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The only reason the Ticats aren’t the most powerful East team is the fact that they lost their surging quarterback, Dan LeFevour, to a torn ACL. They were getting better every week but just not good enough. Can Jeremiah Masoli bring them to the next level?
8. Ottawa Redblacks
The Redblacks surprised the league by holding the Eskimos to only ten points but managing to score only eight. They were once a team that looked to be on the brink of winning, but they’re slowly slipping back into the basement of the East.
9. Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is close to getting their second win of the season but fell five points short of the Roughriders in a 16-11 loss. Their defence looked strong, but they put up a donut in the turnovers category, and while Alex Brink showed potential he threw no TDs. Coach Tom Higgins making bad decisions will not help them find wins. There is the collaborative effort of the CFL panel from LWOS. Agree with our ladder or disagree, leave a comment. Our panel consists of Matt Bin (@LastWordOnCFL), Steve Gifkins (@LWOSSteve), Nicholas Di Giovanni (@LWOSNick), and Lance Keiser (@LWOSLance) Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lwosLance. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page. For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at sports injury alert. Football fans, check out our two partnered podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities. Main Photo:
