Things are heating up in the Eastern standings, and in the West there’s still some room for a shuffle. With the cold weather imminent, the count down to GC 102 is underway. And in the meantime, here are the power rankings for Week 19.
Week 19 CFL Power Rankings
1. Calgary Stampeders
Calgary has their sights set on tying the 1989 Edmonton Eskimos single season record for wins with 16. Other than that, the Stamps have nothing to play for as they have wrapped up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Head Coach John Hufnagel will have some decisions to make when it comes to finding the balance between keeping his players healthy and keeping them sharp for playoffs. The biggest decision will be with starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell. Recently missing time due to a knee injury, there is a great argument on both sides as to whether he should play. Count this as a good predicament to be in for the Stamps.
2. Toronto Argonauts
The Argos have climbed up and down the power rankings more than any other team in the league. They have demonstrated the potential to hang in with Calgary and dominate B.C. on the road, but on the other hand they have a loss to Ottawa on their resume. Which team shows up week to week is anybody’s guess. But one thing is certain: when Ricky Ray is in his rhythm and the defence is making plays, the Argos have a high ceiling and could potentially roll right to the Grey Cup.
3. Montreal Alouettes
There’s a song popular in Quebec culture which has chorus of “alouette, gentille alouette!” Gentille of course means nice, and fans in Montreal have been singing this song all the way to the top of the division since Labour Day. 7-1 in September and October, they look to continue their winning ways this Sunday at home against Toronto, with a chance to host the East Final on the line. Ryan Dinwiddie’s possession offence is keeping Noel Thorpe’s defense off the field most of the game, but when they are on, they get the ball right back to the offense. The combo has given the Alouettes most of their wins and the system is almost unbeatable.
4. Edmonton Eskimos
Playing .500 football with four wins and four losses since Labour Day, the Eskis are slowly sliding into the team they were last year, an inconsistent bunch with talent. They are still a very good football team with a very real chance at playing in the Grey Cup, but players like Adarius Bowman and Fred Stamps aren’t performing at their best. Chris Jones has to be thankful for his turnover creating defence, led by Odell Willis, Patrick Watkins, and Dexter McCoil. A home game in the West semis is imminent and the Esks look to heal their battered up defense following their bye week, leading into the post season.
5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
They showed such promise after Labour Day, but the Cats have squandered both that promise and the lead in the East. They could have qualified for a home playoff spot with a win over the hated Argos in October; instead, they coughed up a pair of painful losses. Now they need two wins to close out the season, and almost everything about the team – quarterbacking, receivers, secondary, kicking, game preparation, and coaching – is in question. If they take these last two games, they’ll get into the post-season, but we’ll see whether they answer those questions on the way.
6. B.C. Lions
The Lions haven’t beaten a playoff-bound team since back in mid-August – week 8 of the CFL schedule. They’ve perpetually been on the outside looking in out west, and only the total collapse of the Riders and Bombers has kept them in the playoff hunt. B.C. is guaranteed a post-season game, but a crossover spot is still in play. The Lions will have to unleash their wild side if they’re going to be in action after the first week of the playoffs.
7. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The defending Grey cup champs are on a bye week, which may seriously help the limping Riders. Dressler is banged up and we all know how much this team needs Kerry Joseph to have an extra week to prepare for the big finale. Durant has not been completely ruled out for the playoffs, but it is likely that this is Joseph’s team for now. He will need to continue throwing the deep balls and let the talented Riders wideouts go get them. Failing to do so would be a disaster, like their once promising 8-2 start fizzling away.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Is Drew Willy the guy? An honest question, but not a great one. The problems for the Bombers stem from the mess left by their previous management. Drew Willy will be a star and next year the Bomber faithful can be just as excited as they were at the start of this season. A 5-1 start was great, but realistically this team was a sub .500 team all along, just hidden among a bunch of new schemes. Those schemes were eventually figured out, and the result is last place in the West.
9. Ottawa Redblacks
Playing out the string can be a frustrating time for any team, but Ottawa can embrace the fact they can spoil an Eastern rival’s playoff chance at least. With important games against Hamilton and Toronto in the final two weeks, it shouldn’t be to hard to get motivated. Than again, after the season this squad has been through, maybe they are just hoping for it to end and build on next year.
That’s it for our collaborative power rankings this week. Our CFL panel consists of Matt Bin (@lastwordonCFL), Nicholas Di Giovanni (@lwosnick), Steve Gifkins (@lwossteve), and Lance Keiser (@lwoslance). Thank you for reading! Leave a comment below to contribute to the conversation.
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