It’s lucky Week 13 in the 2014 CFL schedule. Last week saw a thriller in Calgary, a surprise in BC and a losing streak come to an end in Hamilton. The road to Grey Cup 102 is heating up. Who will be there is a long way from being determined. Here are the power rankings for the week.
1.Calgary Stampeders
What a way to win a game. The Stampeders have been atop the LWOS power rankings all season long. This team looks determined, ready to prove they can get it done. A terrific comeback after being 19 down against the Argos has many thinking that this may be Calgary’s year, and those many are probably be right. Jon Cornish and company are headed to Montreal for a date with the Als. I’d be surprised if we witness another slow start for this team.
2. Edmonton Eskimos
It seems a date with a eastern division team is what the Esks needed following back-to-back losses at the hands of their rivals to the south. A convincing victory over Montreal has helped propel the Eskimos back into second place on the power ladder. Mike Reilly’s return has certainly motivated them, as they look to make a push at the end of the year to show they belong up here. They will have to be careful, though, as Edmonton is in Hamilton this week to take on the Ticats, who are 2-0 at Tim Hortons field.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
4. B.C. Lions
5. Hamilton Tiger-cats
Hamilton becomes the first East division team in quite some time to jump ahead of any Western team in the LWOS Power Rankings. The Ticats are 2-0 in their new stadium after blasting the Roughriders 28 to 3 on Sunday afternoon. Wide Receiver Luke Tasker has emerged as a solid target for QB Zach Collaros, catching 2 TD passes in the win. Zach Collaros is getting better each week, which is bad news for the rest of the competition in the East. The defense has been inconsistent all season long, but they came to play on Sunday, holding the Riders to a season-low 35 rushing yards and just 3 points total. Hamilton is a legitimate threat to go on a hot streak down the stretch.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Panic mode in Winnipeg? A 6-6 record on the surface does not seem so bad, but when you consider the free fall to get to this point you can see why tensions are high in Bomberland. The bye week has come at the right time with stud QB Drew Willy going down with a shoulder injury on Saturday against B.C. The extra week should be beneficial for for former Louisville star Brian Brohm who now will be taking first team reps in preparation for their next matchup against Hamilton. If the Bombers want to fight their way back to being true playoff contenders, their defense will have to step up against the run and improve on the whopping 128 yards per game given up.
7. Toronto Argonauts
The boatmen blew a 19 point lead at halftime in Calgary to lose 40-33. No more at the top of the East standings, the Argos are taking a page out of city counterparts TFC and Maple Leafs playbooks by losing all the time. Injuries have plagued the Boatmen but character hasn’t showed at all through this adversity. With a 4-game losing streak to their name and another Western opponent coming up, the Double-Blue need an unlikely win to get back to the top in the East.
8. Montreal Alouettes
After a surprising two straight wins against Eastern opponents, Montreal went up against the Eskimos who recently got quarterback Mike Reilly back from injury. They were destroyed. Jon Crompton looked confused out there, only throwing one TD pass to Duron Carter; at least he threw no interceptions. The defence continues to be shaky with some good, then some bad games. A tough opponent this weekend with Calgary visiting during a home game commemorating Ben Cahoon, their top receiver during the glory years, will question the Alouettes true skill.
9. Ottawa Redblacks
Ottawa was idle this week after a boring 7-5 loss at home to BC in week 11. Marcus Henry seems to be the only hope for the expansion team. He is 7th in receiving with 510 yards, so look for Burris to throw to him early and often in this next game . The Redblacks will visit Riderville this week in what will be an extremely tough match up.
That’s it for our collaborative power rankings this week, our CFL panel consists of Matt Bin (@lastwordonCFL) Nick Di Giovanni (@lwosnick) Steve Gifkins (@lwossteve) Lance Keiser (@lwoslance). Thank you for reading! Leave a comment below to contribute to the conversation.
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