The CFL power rankings have been pretty status quo the last few weeks. Finally, Week 6 brought chaos and drama back into our lives, switching up our rankings in the process, including a new team at number one.
Montreal and Saskatchewan each lost their first games of the season, and the Elks fired Chris Jones after another abysmal start. The Bombers won again as they try to salvage their 0-4 start, while the Lions’ offense is a fast-moving train that has no signs of slowing down.
The top of the West is crowded as the 5-1 Lions and the 4-1 Riders look to pad their lead against the rest of the division. Montreal still has a stranglehold on the East, but a loss to the Argos last week brought Ottawa and Toronto closer to the defending champs.
Now that we have had a quick overview, let’s dive right in.
1. B.C. Lions (5-1)
Despite a 35-20 score against Saskatchewan, the game was closer than the numbers would indicate. That said, this Lions offense continues to dominate the CFL.
QB Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 451 yards, ran for another 39, and had a touchdown both on the ground and in the air. Those stats would have been even more impressive if it wasn’t for the two interceptions, which was the first time he had been picked off since Week 1.
Justin McInnis had another strong week with 243 receiving yards, a touchdown, and a perfect 14 catches on 14 targets. Hollins added 83 yards on five catches.
The offense wasn’t totally orchestrated by Adams Jr., however. Kicker Sean Whyte was a perfect seven-for-seven on his field goals, with the longest being 50 yards.
This week, the Lions head to Calgary to play the Stampeders on Sunday.
2. Montreal Alouettes (5-1)
Montreal could easily find themselves back in the number one spot in no time, but that all depends on the status of QB Cody Fajardo. Fajardo exited their game against the Argos in the first quarter with a hamstring injury, and his status moving forward is unknown. He will benefit greatly this week as the Als enter their first bye of the season.
They were bound to lose eventually, and if Fajardo wasn’t hurt as early in the game as he was, it could have been a different story. Caleb Evans entered the game in relief and struggled all night, going 12/22 for 127 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-1)
The Argonauts or the Roughriders could both be in the number three slot. But, because the Argos beat a team with a backup quarterback, and the Riders had their backup quarterback, this is where Saskatchewan belongs. Oh, and they pounded the Argos just last week.
On Saturday, the Riders were only down 22-20 in the fourth quarter before the Lions took advantage of offensive miscues and put the game away for good. Despite Shea Patterson making his second CFL start, he and the Riders were right there throughout the entirety of this game.
Patterson was 17-25 for 278 yards and another 14 on the ground. Running back A.J. Ouellette is rounding into midseason form, putting up another good game with 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, this unit continues to swarm to the ball. They intercepted Adams Jr. twice, bringing their total to 11 on the season, which leads the CFL.
4. Toronto Argonauts (3-2)
Heading into the season, the CFL community projected a major setback year for the Argonauts. Then, they started 2-0 and became instant contenders for the East Division. Then, they lost two in a row, and the regression officially started. Now, after defeating the Alouettes 37-18 on Saturday, the doom and gloom will have to take a back seat.
Yes, they beat a backup quarterback, but this Als’ defense is tremendous, and the Argos ran all over them. RB Ka’Deem Carey ran for 94 yards, while QB Cameron Dukes had 46 yards of his own. Adeboboye and McMahon added 43 yards combined, while McMahon scored his second touchdown of the season.
Janarion Grant has had a rejuvenation to his career, becoming a returning hero in Toronto. In Week 6, between punt and kick returns, Grant had 242 yards and is a threat to get to the house every time he touches the ball.
The Argos travel across the QEW to take on the winless Ti-Cats on Saturday.
5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-4)
In the battle for fifth on the Total Apex Sports CFL Power Rankings, the Blue Bombers beat the Stampeders in a shootout, 41-37. After starting the season 0-4, the Bombers have won two in a row, putting themselves back in the thick of the West playoff picture.
Zach Collaros had his best game of the season by far, throwing for 344 yards, two touchdowns, and interceptions. RB Oliveira continues to elevate his play, running for 109 yards on 15 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
Receiver Ontaria Wilson had a breakout game to remember, catching 13 balls for 201 yards and a touchdown.
If there was one concerning thing to take away from Friday’s contest, it was the defense giving up 37 points to a team that scored over 30 only once this year, against the lowly Tiger-Cats.
The tests continue as the Blue Bombers travel to Saskatchewan on Friday.
6. Calgary Stampeders (2-3)
Calgary’s defense allowed 24, 26, and 19 points in the first three weeks of the season. The 24 and 26 were against Hamilton and B.C., two of the CFL’s best offenses. Over the last two weeks, they have allowed 71 points combined, which is a terrible trend considering they host Adams Jr. and the dominating Lions offense on Sunday.
QB Jake Maier has all the makings of a good CFL quarterback, but his periodic bad decision-making puts this team in a tough position. Maier was 20/31 with 316 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, one being a pick-six.
RB Dedrick Mills continues to have a strong season, running for 131 yards last week.
With the Bombers continuing to make moves, the Stamps need a strong showing at home on Sunday.
7. Ottawa Redblacks (3-2)
Sunday’s game in Edmonton was the definition of a heart-attack game. They were down early, up late, and nearly blew it, scoring a game-winning field goal with the clock at zero.
Dru Brown threw for 480 yards, while three receivers hit the century mark in receiving yards. WR Kalil Pimpleton led the way with 153 yards and a score. The Elks limited running back Armstead to only 40 yards on 14 carries, but he contributed to the passing game, catching four passes for 31 yards.
This team is so hot and cold that it’s tricky to predict what they will do on any given Sunday. One week, the offense is bad, and the defense is great. The next week, it’s the opposite. One week, they can’t pass; one week, they can’t run.
This week, they’re back in the nation’s capital for a rematch with the Elks, so we’ll see if they can duplicate Sunday’s performance.
8. Edmonton Elks (0-5)
The Elks aren’t at number nine this week because the Tiger-Cats were on a bye, and it wouldn’t be fair to move them up without making them earn it. After a third straight 0-5 start, another three-point loss, and a string of time management disasters that cost coach Chris Jones his job, there’s no doubt the Elks deserve to fall.
The fanbase is calling for the Elks to start up-and-coming QB Tre Ford, and those calls have been coming since the offseason. But to be fair to veteran QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, this is not the offense’s fault.
MBL is fourth in the CFL in yards with 1,497 and third in touchdowns with nine. On Sunday, he was 26/35 with 272 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
There are many reasons why it was time for Chris Jones to be relieved of his role as GM and head coach. We’ll give you two here. Number one, this running game provides absolutely zero support for passing. On Sunday, RB Kevin Brown had only eight carries for 35 yards, and the team as a whole is eighth in rush yards per game with 66.
Number two, Chris Jones is known as a defensive-minded coach. He always has been. Not only did they give up 37 points and 480 passing yards to a mediocre Ottawa offense, but they are also second last in points allowed, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed for the season.
In every game this season, the Elks have had plenty of opportunities to win. Last year, they were just bad. This year, their offense always gives them a chance to win, but their defense cannot get the job done.
This week, they travel to Ottawa to get revenge and earn Jarious Jackson his first win as interim head coach.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-5)
This one doesn’t deserve much of an explanation. The last time the Ti-Cats played a football game, they got blown out 44-28 at home by the B.C. Lions. Fresh off a bye, they welcome the local rival Argonauts for the Battle of the QEW. They stay at number nine on the list without a chance to redeem themselves last week.
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