Lots as happened since Week 11 in the CFL. Chad Kelly was reinstated, Nathan Rourke signed a mega deal with the Lions, Chris Davis was hired by the Tiger-Cats, and the Elks are no longer publicly owned. On the field, it’s the Als, the Redblacks, and everyone else as the playoff race in the CFL heats up. There are only eight weeks left, starting with Week 12. Let’s dive in.
1. Montreal Alouettes (9-1)
It took until the final drive, and it wasn’t pretty, but the Montreal Alouettes squeaked out their ninth victory of the CFL season on Friday, beating the Roughriders 27-24. Davis Alexander was 22-for-23, throwing for 285 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 33 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds remaining, to put the Als up for good. Charleston Rambo continued his breakout play in Philpot’s absence, catching seven passes for 94 yards.
QB Cody Fajardo is set to return on Sunday night against the Elks, while Tyson Philpot is still on the sidelines with an injury. Receiver Austin Mack, 2023 CFL All-Star, is back with the Als after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons last week. Mack was fifth in the CFL last year with 1,154 yards and will be a welcome addition to an already stud-filled receiver locker room.
On Sunday, in Montreal, the Als will unveil their 1974 retro uniforms to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 62nd Grey Cup. This has nothing to do with the play on the field, but they are beautiful. It will be a cool moment for the home crowd on Sunday.
2. Ottawa Redblacks (6-2-1)
QB Jeremiah Masoli revisited his younger days last week, helping the Redblacks beat the Stampeders 31-29. Masoli was 27-for-35, throwing for 254 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t have to be spectacular in Dru Brown’s absence, but he did just enough to get his team the win. RB Ryquell Armstead continued an incredible season, running for 120 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries. A new receiver breaks out every week on this team. Last week, it was Jaelon Acklin’s turn, catching six passes for 94 yards.
Despite allowing 29 points last week, the defense put up relatively good numbers, allowing 269 pass yards and 62 rush yards. Overall, this defense has been a terrific surprise for the nation’s capital. They are top three in the CFL in points allowed, yards allowed, rush yards, and pass yards.
3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-6)
Toronto or Saskatchewan could easily be in this spot, and that’s fair. However, it’s impossible to ignore the turnaround that the Bombers have had in the last five weeks. After starting the season 0-5, Winnipeg has won four out of their last five and is a win and a Lions’ loss away from second in the West, and a home playoff position.
In their second straight win against B.C., QB Collaros threw for 288 yards and a touchdown, while Oliveira ran for 78 yards. Kenny Lawler caught 54 yards in his return from injury, while Nic Demski caught 109 yards and a touchdown.
The Bombers’ defense continues to dominate the CFL, allowing only 11 points in their last two games, and are No. 1 in almost every category. The one weakness is in the running game, where they allow 110.9 yards per game, which is last in the CFL.
4. Toronto Argonauts (5-4)
In the wake of Chad Kelly’s suspension in the offseason, the goal for the Argos was to hit their Week 11 bye above .500 and contention for a playoff spot. With Kelly coming back this week, the Argos are 5-4 and three games up on the Ti-Cats for the third and final playoff spot, and a game and a half back of the Redblacks (6-2-1) for home-field advantage.
In Kelly’s absence, the running game, both offensive and defensive, has kept the team afloat, with big help from their special teams. Offensively, the Argos are No. 1 in the CFL, running for 123.9 yards per game, while allowing only 69.2 yards per game on defense, which is also first in the CFL. RB Ka’Deem Carey is third in the CFL with 611 yards, and first among running backs with five touchdowns.
Kelly was the MOP last season, throwing for 4,123 yards and 23 touchdowns, but this is his first game back since the East Division Finals last fall. Since his suspension, he hasn’t practiced with the club. It’s hard to know if rust will be a factor, but if he can even hit 75 percent of what he was last year, this will be a huge boost for the offense. The Argos are last in the CFL in passing yards and total yards per game with 210.9 and 309.7.
5. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-4-1)
After starting the season 5-1, the Riders are 0-3-1 in the last four games and are quickly losing ground in the West. Trevor Harris was excellent in his first game back from injury, but the defense and kicking game let them down in a 27-24 loss to the Alouettes. Harris threw for 355 yards and two scores in the loss. A.J. Ouellette was excellent in his return as well, running for 77 yards on 18 carries. His return is short-lived, however, as the running back has been placed on the 6-game injured list.
The Riders have been fortunate to have the Lions hit their own skid the last four weeks, as Saskatchewan holds on to first in the West. The Bombers and Stampeders are only a game and a half back heading into Week 12, as the Lions remain half a game back.
6. Calgary Stampeders (4-6)
The Stamps’ winning streak at home came to an end last week as they lost a heartbreaker to the Ottawa Redblacks, 31-29. QB Jake Maier was 24-for-32, throwing for 269 yards. Maier has had a perplexing season to say the least, and this game was no different. He is second in the CFL in passing yards with 2,624 and tied for second in touchdowns with 14. His completion percentage is also near the top of the league with 72.2 percent. By all the metrics, he’s been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the CFL. Yet, this offense has struggled with consistency all year long.
What was a strong defense to start the year has turned into a liability in the last few weeks. They have allowed 30 or more points in three of the last four weeks, which makes them eighth in the CFL in PPG allowed with 29.0.
7. Edmonton Elks (3-7)
Yes, Hamilton is an awful team, so beating them 47-22 isn’t as impressive as beating anyone else by that number would be. Still, the once 0-7 Elks have won three in a row, scoring 30-plus in all of them, and 40-plus in two. That cannot be taken away from them. McLeod Bethel-Thompson will be back behind center this week as Tre Ford continues to nurse a rib injury.
The passing game has been good enough all year long. It’s the running game that has been a real revelation the last few weeks. Averaging only 62 yards a month ago, they are now third in the CFL, averaging 106.7 yards per game. Javon Leake has set the league on fire, running for 398 yards and 5 touchdowns, with the majority of both of those stats being in the last three weeks.
8. B.C. Lions (5-5)
This might be an overreaction, but the Lions have lost four in a row and have looked awful doing it. Nathan Rourke returned to the CFL last week and had the worst game of his career north of the border. Rourke was 8-for-25 with 126 yards and two interceptions. Long-term, it’s reasonable to expect Rourke to shape back into MOP form. Between the CFL and the NFL, he has had to study and learn five different playbooks and was thrust into an unfair position at home against Winnipeg.
It doesn’t get easier for the Lions as they head to Ottawa to take on the second-hottest team in the CFL.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-8)
If you’ve kept up with our power rankings this season, there’s really nothing to add here. Week after week, the Ti-Cats find more embarrassing ways to lose, and with eight games left in the season, it appears that this season is a lost one.
That wasn’t necessarily the case last week, however, as the Ti-Cats never had a chance against the Elks, and it wasn’t entirely their fault. Receiver Hakunavanhu and quarterback Taylor Powell were both taken to the hospital with head injuries and have since been discharged.
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