The B.C. Lions climbed into third place in the SportsCage.com CFL Power Rankings after getting revenge on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
B.C.'s 30-16 victory over Saskatchewan at BC Place flips the two West Division contenders in this week's rankings. The Montreal Alouettes remain the unanimous No. 1 team after rolling past Ottawa, while Edmonton stays firmly in second following its dramatic comeback win over Winnipeg. Calgary moves up despite being on the bye, while Toronto and Hamilton swap spots after the Argonauts dominated the Tiger-Cats.
1. Montreal Alouettes (9-1) — Last Week: 1
Still sitting comfortably on top.
The Alouettes continue to make a strong case as the CFL's best team after crushing Ottawa 46-16. Davis Alexander threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while Montreal's defence forced five turnovers in the club's seventh straight victory.
Montreal has now improved to 9-1 and continues to separate itself from the rest of the league.
2. Edmonton Elks (8-3) — Last Week: 2
No movement at the top.
The Elks remain second after rallying from a 16-point deficit to defeat Winnipeg 22-19 on Vincent Blanchard's 40-yard field goal as time expired.
Cody Fajardo threw for 259 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, while Justin Rankin contributed 141 yards from scrimmage. Edmonton continues to find ways to win and remains one of the CFL's top contenders.
3. B.C. Lions (5-5) — Last Week: 4
Moving back up.
The Lions bested Saskatchewan with a convincing 30-16 victory at BC Place. Nathan Rourke threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns while B.C.'s defence intercepted Trevor Harris twice and forced a fumble.
Each team has one win apiece in the season series. The rubber match goes in Week 17.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-4) — Last Week: 3
A step backward.
The Riders couldn't duplicate their Week 2 victory over B.C., falling 30-16 in Vancouver. Trevor Harris still put up big numbers with 356 passing yards and a touchdown, but two interceptions proved costly.
Saskatchewan also had touchdowns erased by penalties and lost the turnover battle. The Riders remain one of the CFL's top teams, but B.C. earns the higher ranking this week.
5. Calgary Stampeders (4-6) — Last Week: 6
Moving up without playing.
The Stampeders climb one spot despite being on the bye.
Calgary benefits from Saskatchewan's loss and moves into fifth place in the SportsCage.com rankings. The Stamps remain in position to make a serious push in the West Division as the second half of the season continues.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-5) — Last Week: 5
A tough one to swallow.
Winnipeg jumped out to a 16-0 lead in Edmonton but couldn't finish the job, eventually falling 22-19 on Blanchard's walk-off field goal.
Zach Collaros threw for 219 yards while Brady Oliveira rushed for 118, but Edmonton's defence shut down the Bombers after halftime. Winnipeg remains firmly in the playoff picture, but takes a step back this week.
7. Toronto Argonauts (5-5) — Last Week: 8
The Argos are moving up.
Toronto dominated the second half to defeat Hamilton 39-20 and move back to the .500 mark.
Chad Kelly threw three touchdown passes and added a rushing major, while the Toronto defence recorded four sacks and shut out Hamilton in the second half. The Argonauts flip spots with Hamilton and move into seventh.
8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-7) — Last Week: 7
Trending in the wrong direction.
Hamilton held a halftime lead in Toronto but couldn't maintain it after the break. The Tiger-Cats were shut out in the second half as the Argonauts pulled away for the 39-20 victory.
Tre Ford threw for 356 yards and added 33 rushing yards, but the Toronto pass rush created problems throughout the second half. Hamilton drops one spot this week.
9. Ottawa Redblacks (0-10) — Last Week: 9
Still searching.
Ottawa remains at the bottom of the rankings after suffering another lopsided loss to Montreal.
The Redblacks actually opened the game with an eight-minute scoring drive, but Montreal quickly took control. Davis Alexander and the Alouettes offence proved too much to handle, and Ottawa ultimately fell 46-16 to drop to 0-10.
The Redblacks remain in search of their first victory of the season, while the rest of the CFL continues to jockey for playoff positioning.
