Some of the CFL teams have looked tougher than a two-dollar steak at your local pub. Others have looked weak, weaker than OJ Simpson’s alibi. In any event here are your CFL power rankings as viewed by the crew here at LWOS.
1. Toronto Argonauts
The Double Blue sit atop the ladder this week thanks to a masterful performance from QB Trevor Harris in the Argos’ 30-27 come back win against the Lions. Harris was not the lone contributor in that win, the whole team has rallied around this unfavorable five game road swing to start the year. The Boatmen are 3-1 so far on the road trip, which ends this week in Hamilton. A win against their bitter rivals would be huge for them this week as they continue to impress the league.
2. Edmonton Eskimos
No Reilly, no problem. The Eskimos used sound defence and a brilliant second half on offence to crush the Blue Bombers last week at Commonwealth Stadium. Matt Nichols did not look sharp in the first half, and HC Chris Jones put the starter stamp on Nichols for their week six matchup against the lowly Riders. Let’s be honest here, though; no matter who is behind centre, if that Esks’ defense continues to dominate, any opponent is in for a fight.
3. Calgary Stampeders
Expected to be the team to beat coming into the season, the Stamps haven’t shown much of the dominant spirit that carried them through 2014. They’re strong, but they’re no longer feared. With John Cornish sidelined with a broken digit, they need to step up before they slide down the chart. Luckily they can still depend on Bo Levi Mitchell to deliver a solid game every week.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Cats have underperformed; they’ve shown flashes of brilliance and then shown some appalling weakness, sometimes one drive after another. With their running game back, they seem ready to gun for top spot in the East again, with only team discipline holding them back. If they stop the stupid penalties, their rivals might see them as the team to beat soon.
5. Ottawa Redblacks
The Ottawa Redblacks are in the five spot this week and some may say they should be higher. I wouldn’t disagree: the Ottawa offence is red hot and Henry Burris threw for almost 400 yards last week in a spectacular overtime victory versus the Calgary Stampeders. This team is for real and on their way up.
6. Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes just keep doing it! Year-to-year, week-to-week, and day-by-day this team finds a way to stay close in the now highly competitive CFL east division. Overshadowing surprise rookie Rakeem Cato’s great start to his career this week is another debut, this time from highly publicized DL Michael Sam.
7. B.C. Lions
Despite Andrew Harris’s stellar performance in week five with three all-purpose touchdowns in the first half alone, the Lions failed to pull out a home win and once again proved why thy are this low in these rankings. The team doesn’t just have that stellar firepower that they had a few years ago and they have to get used to this position. The Lions’ roar just isn’t fierce enough.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Surprise, surprise, Drew Willy got hurt! And then the Blue Bombers were manhandled by the Eskimos! In comparison to the Bombers that started the 2014 season, these Bombers look like a pee-wee football team. Nothing seems to go right for the team and every aspect of their game just seems to be off.
9. Saskatchewan Roughriders
You have to feel sorry for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They have the best offence in the league, even with Darian Durant on the sideline, but the defence is by far the worst in the league. You can just expect the Riders to turn it around, but then the defence blows it for them. Until they win at least one game, the Riders will be stuck at number nine.
That’s it for the week five CFL power rankings, contributors this week include Lance Keiser, Matt Bin, Kelly Bale and Nick Di Giovanni. Stay tuned to see how next week’s ladder shapes up as we are off to sharpen an axe and tackle this tough pub steak.
