Seeing how we are at the midway point of the CFL season, we have decided to do our 鈥淧ower Rankings鈥� of the circuit.
I鈥檓 usually not a fan of rankings - especially those ridiculous 鈥淭op 50 lists鈥�- but I can live with ranking nine teams.
Without further ado, let鈥檚 get to it!
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders 8-1
Port Moody鈥檚 Corey Mace has his team rolling at 8-1 and the Riders, as a result, are definitely in their own tier. Quarterback Trevor Harris is playing lights out, mistake-free football and the defense is anchored by a stout front seven that leads the league in sacks with 28.
Throw in the fact that Rider Nation has returned to Mosaic Stadium en masse and it鈥檚 starting to look like winning a playoff game in Regina is going to be a difficult task for any team.
2. Calgary Stampeders 6-3
Funny what a difference nine months makes. At the end of last season, just about everyone in Calgary was calling for Dave Dickenson to step down as head coach and for a rebuild.
Dickenson had other ideas 鈥� namely bringing in Vernon Adams Jr. to replace Jake Maier at quarterback. Throw in an injection of a bunch of new faces and a new defensive coordinator in Bob Slowik and the Stamps are back in business.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the second half as teams will have a better read on Calgary鈥檚 personnel and schemes.
3. B.C. Lions 5-5
Yeah, I know. It鈥檚 a homer pick but I have said from the start of the season that this version of the Lions is going to be different.
The past few years the Lions have started hot and faded as teams began to expose some of the weaknesses that the organization either ignored or failed to address. From the outset, I have stated that this team will get stronger as the season progresses.
Head coach Buck Pierce is focused on the process and the players are buying in. Think of how good Nathan Rourke and the offense have looked in the last month. Then remind yourself that Rourke has played just eight games in Pierce鈥檚 offense.
If the defense can improve, watch out.
4. Montreal Alouettes 5-5
The Als are down to their fourth-string quarterback in James Morgan. Things are so bad in Montreal that rumour has it that Anthony Calvillo has begun throwing at a secret location in Drummondville in a comeback attempt.
All kidding aside, the Als are extremely banged up right now with quarterback Davis Alexander, running back Sean Thomas-Erlington, receivers Austin Mack and Tyson Philpot as well as safety Marc Antoine-Dequoy and cornerback Kabion Ento all sidelined. The defense is still a force but will wear down during a course of the game given the offense鈥檚 inability to move the ball.
When the Als get healthy, they will be the team to beat in the East.
5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats 6-4
The bubble finally burst on the Tiger-Cats six-game winning streak with losses to B.C. and Saskatchewan. Despite the hype train led by my good friend Bubba O鈥橬eil, I wasn鈥檛 buying into the streak too much given the strength of Hamilton鈥檚 opponents and the margin of victory.
Bo Levi Mitchell is playing some of the best football of his career but his protection broke down in Hamilton鈥檚 last game 鈥� a 29-9 beatdown at the hands of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders sacked Mitchell six times and forced him into two turnovers.
There was all this hype about how to stop Kenny Lawler and then Kiondre Smith but if you want to kill a snake, cut off its head. Get to Bo Levi and its game over.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5-4
The Bombers are no longer the dominant powerhouse that has managed to represent the West in the Grey Cup during the course of the last five seasons. Key players have moved on while Father Time is catching up with some yet they still scare me because they know how to win.
Exhibit A was their most recent game against Ottawa. A missed 57-yard field goal by Bombers鈥� kicker Sergio Castillo results in Ottawa鈥檚 Kalil Pimpleton taking it to the house for a 117-yard touchdown return to tie the game at 27.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros then throws an interception to give Ottawa the ball back on their own 21 with :37 seconds on the clock. The Riders completely mismanage the situation and are forced to give the ball back to the Bombers. Three plays later Castillo hits a 47-yard walk off field goal to win it.
The Bombers, by skill, by luck, or by both, always find a way.
7. Edmonton Elks 3-6
The Elks seemed to have found a solution to their early season woes by replacing Tre Ford at quarterback with veteran Cody Fajardo. Much like the Lions with Pierce, the Elks will continue to get better under rookie head coach Mark Kilam.
The Elks have a deadly one-two punch in running backs Justin Rankin and Javon Leake. The problem is that I think sometimes offensive coordinator Jordan
Maksymic equates running the ball with a trip to the dentist to get a molar removed. If they can continue to set up the pass by running the ball, they鈥檒l be fine. And there is too much talent on defense for this team to continue to struggle.
8.Toronto Argonauts 2-8
You are what your record says you are and right now the Argos are 2-8.
Despite their record, the Argos have been a tough out. Of their eight losses, six have been by 10 points or less. What鈥檚 puzzling to me about that statistic is that we are talking about the defending Grey Cup champions and championship teams usually find a way to win close games.
Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has openly criticized his players on a couple of occasions this year and maybe there is this belief that everything will change
when quarterback Chad Kelly returns from injury but quarterbacking hasn鈥檛 been the problem. Nick Arbuckle has had six games of 300-plus yards passing and is the least of the Argos worries.
The only reason Toronto is ahead of Ottawa is because of their championship pedigree.
9. Ottawa RedBlacks 3-7
Trying to figure out the RedBlacks isn鈥檛 an easy task. At certain points, they look like a competitive team and, at other times, they can鈥檛 get out of their own way with mistakes coming at critical times.
Now comes news that one of the few bright spots on the team - quarterback Dru Brown 鈥� is out with a knee injury and won鈥檛 play this week against Edmonton. Brown has already missed three games with a hip injury and also had to leave another game in the first quarter with a head injury.
It鈥檚 too bad really. The football fans in Ottawa deserve better.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 鈥渢he Moj鈥� Marjanovich writes about the B.C. sporting scene for Black Press Media. This column is brought to you by:
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