Week 6 is upon us, which means we are roughly a third of the way through the 2024 Canadian Football League (CFL) season.
Through five weeks, what we thought we knew about the CFL has been turned on its head. The Blue Bombers have been awful, the Rough Riders have been great, and the Argos and Stampeders are somewhere in the middle.
With only nine teams in the CFL, if you’ve had a bad start, there’s still time to redeem yourself. If you’ve had a great start, you can’t get too comfortable. There is still a lot of time.
Week 6 starts today, so let’s get started.
1. Montreal Alouettes (5-0)
The Calgary Stampeders gave Montreal an epic battle on Saturday, but the Alouettes dug deep and found a way to grind out a win, bringing their record to a perfect 5-0.
After a slow start, the offense caught its stride en route to the victory. Cody Fajardo continues to impress, putting up 374 yards and two touchdowns. Tyson Philpot caught 12 passes for 134 yards, while Walter Fletcher helped carry the load with 104 yards of his own.
The defense had its worst half of the season, allowing Calgary to rack up 23 points through two quarters. However, they followed it up by allowing just three points in the third quarter and shut the Stamps down in the fourth, while the offense scored 15 unanswered points.
Even with the Als giving up 26 points last week, they still average only 19.8 points allowed per game, which is the best in the CFL.
Offensively, Montreal continues to be in the Top Three in every category. More importantly, they keep on winning.
They are home this week, playing Toronto on Thursday.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-0)
There is a logical reason to place the B.C. Lions in this spot, especially after their impressive win in Hamilton. However, the Roughriders just beat the only team the Lions have lost to and kept their record perfect at 4-0.
Backup QB Shea Patterson made his first CFL start, throwing for 192 yards and a touchdown while tacking on another score on the ground.
A.J. Ouellette had a productive game against his former squad, running for 67 yards on 18 carries.
As good as this offense has been before Trevor Harris got hurt, the defense has continued to give the Roughriders team a chance to win. Deontai Williams and Marcus Sayles each recorded a pick, while Rolan Milligan Jr. had two of his own. Sayles’s interception was a pick-six.
Saskatchewan will travel to B.C. on Saturday night to battle the Lions, and they will move into first place in the West if Montreal loses.
3. B.C. Lions (4-1)
After a tough loss to Toronto in Week 1, the Lions have won four in a row and offensively look unstoppable.
QB Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 1,752 yards and 11 scores, both of which lead the CFL.
The amount of threats he has to throw to and hand the ball off to is obnoxious. Justin McInnis caught 13 balls for 144 yards and two TDs, while Alexander Hollins had 116 yards and one touchdown. Both receivers are in the top three in yardage and tied for first in touchdown receptions.
On the ground, William Stanback leads the CFL with 311 yards, including the 82 he ran for on Sunday.
The Lions defense continues to be in the middle of the pack. Any good offense can put up points on them, and it will be interesting to see how long Adams Jr. and company can carry the load.
4. Calgary Stampeders (2-2)
One could view Saturday’s loss to Montreal as an epic meltdown. The truth is, the Stamps played the CFL champs tough, and no one was going to keep the Als offense down for 60 minutes.
Calgary took advantage of a great field position in the first half and ran the ball extremely well. Montreal’s defense came to life when the game was in jeopardy, and the Stampeders couldn’t respond.
Peyton Logan had a strong game as RB Dedrick Mills was sidelined with an injury, racking up 65 yards on the ground and 12 through the air.
Calgary’s offense won’t win in a shootout like they found themselves in on Saturday. If their defense plays at a top level, this team can compete with anyone in the league. They showed that through three quarters in Week 5.
QB Jake Maier had his worst start of the season, throwing for 106 yards, one TD, and one pick, while backup QB Tommy Stevens ran for 49 yards and two touchdowns. There’s no controversy here. Maier is the man in Calgary. They often use Stevens in rushing situations, but no doubt Maier needs to put this one behind him and get back on the horse.
5. Toronto Argonauts (2-2)
There is an argument to be made for Toronto to be in front of Calgary on this list. However, after a roaring 2-0 start, the Argos have stumbled significantly in the last two weeks, and there are legitimate reasons to be concerned.
Usually, there would be no shame in losing to a Roughriders team that is now 4-0. Saskatchewan’s QB Shea Patterson was making his first start in the CFL, and this one was there for the taking.
QB Cameron Dukes was 19/33, throwing for 204 yards and four interceptions. The Riders’ defense played well, but this was more bad decision-making than anything else. After a great start to the season, the CFL has read the book on this guy, and it’s getting harder for him to produce.
QB Chad Kelly is still under suspension and will be until at least Week 9. It is unclear whether the CFL will reinstate him. If they do, coach Ryan Dinwiddie committed to starting Kelly when the time comes.
This defense is very strong, and the O-line is maybe the best in the CFL. But it all starts and ends with Dukes’s play. They have a tough test on Thursday against Montreal, who beat them handily just two weeks ago.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-4)
Without star quarterback Zach Collaros, the Bombers were forced to simplify their game and win the old-fashioned way, as they beat Ottawa 25-16, capturing their first win of the year.
Backup QB Chris Streveler came in and managed the ball well, taking what the defense gave him along the way. He threw for only 127 yards and no touchdowns, but his 79 yards and a touchdown on the ground were where his talents shined.
Star RB Brady Oliveira finally had the game the Winnipeg faithful have been waiting for, racking up 166 yards from scrimmage.
The Bombers are in for a much tougher test on Friday night when Calgary comes to town. If they can recreate their performance and play the disciplined defense they’re known for, Winnipeg could wake up Saturday right back in the playoff picture.
7. Edmonton Elks (0-4)
When you’re 0-4, the best thing about a bye week is that you can’t lose. Last year, after a 0-4 start, the sky was falling in Edmonton. They looked lost, disjointed, and out of place in a competitive CFL. That’s not the case so far this year.
The Elks have lost four straight games by a field goal after losing in Week 1 by only eight points. They are right in the thick of every game but just can’t get over the hump.
In most categories, on both sides of the ball, the Elks look like a 2-2 team. They are sixth in points per game in the CFL, fifth in touchdowns scored, and fourth in net offense. Defensively, if their rush defense could tighten up, they could squeeze out more wins.
The Elks host the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday after a Week 5 bye. No disrespect to Ottawa, but this is a perfect get-right game for Edmonton if their defense can stop the run and give the offense a chance to win.
8. Ottawa Redblacks (2-2)
QB Dru Brown was knocked out of the game due to an injury in the first half of their loss to the Blue Bombers last week. Backup QB Dustin Crum did an admirable job, going 8/11 for 102 yards and adding 55 yards on the ground.
RB Ryquell Armstead had his best game of the year, running for 103 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
The pass defense did its job, but giving up only 127 yards to Winnipeg’s backup isn’t anything to write home about. The real issue was the run defense. Ottawa gave up 212 yards on 37 attempts, allowing an average of 5.7 yards per carry.
Ottawa travels to Edmonton this Sunday, and as tough as it has been for the Elks to win, their passing attack is much better than the one Ottawa saw last week.
It is still unclear if Dru Brown will get the start.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-5)
Hamilton, Hamilton, Hamilton. This season has been a disaster, let’s call it what it is, and they got pumped again on Sunday. This time, it was a 44-28 loss at the hands of the Lions.
Passing the ball, the stats always look marvelous. Yet again, Bo Levi Mitchell put up great numbers. He threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Sure, he was 32/48, but what is a man supposed to do when your running back only gets you 27 yards on nine carries, and you’re down 34-11 at the half?
That said, running back James Butler did catch nine passes for 108 yards and a score, so we can’t completely knock the guy.
Yes, the Lions’ offense is very good, but this game was over before the first quarter was. In fact, the final score was pretty flattering.
One of the beautiful things about the CFL is there are only four teams in Hamilton’s East Division. That means the Argos and Redblacks are tied for second place and only two games up on the Ti-Cats. Moreover, Edmonton is winless as well, and the Bombers are 1-4. So, in the event of a crossover, Hamilton still has a lot of life.
The good news is they can’t lose this week because they’re on their first bye of the season. The bad news is they will be at the bottom of the power rankings across the country for another two weeks.
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