SportsCage.com Week 19 CFL Power Rankings: Big shakeup in the West

The Calgary Stampeders are making a serious move up the SportsCage.com CFL Power Rankings.

After three straight wins, Calgary jumps from No. 7 to No. 4 this week, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders take the biggest tumble, falling from fourth to sixth.

Winnipeg also drops one spot, moving from sixth to seventh.

At the top, there is no change. Montreal remains No. 1 after a dominant 37-10 win over Winnipeg that clinched first place in the East Division.

The Alouettes, along with Hamilton and Ottawa, were the only three teams to receive unanimous votes from the SportsCage.com panel this week.

B.C. stays second, Edmonton remains third, and Toronto holds fifth.

1. Montreal Alouettes (12-3) — LW: 1

It's getting harder to argue against Montreal at the top.

The Alouettes absolutely dominated Winnipeg 37-10 on Saturday night, clinching first place in the East Division.

Montreal controlled the game from start to finish, putting up 526 yards of offence while holding the Bombers to just 182.

The Als also dominated time of possession, holding the ball for more than 40 minutes.

Tyson Philpot was spectacular, catching 11 passes for 207 yards and setting three major Canadian receiving records in the process.

Montreal is now 8-0 at home and has clinched a first-round playoff bye.

The Alouettes remain No. 1, and unanimously so.

2. B.C. Lions (9-6) — LW: 2

The Lions stay in second after another important victory.

B.C. beat Toronto 24-17 on the road to improve to 9-6 and move into the driver's seat for second place in the West.

Sean Whyte was the star, setting a Lions franchise record with eight field goals.

B.C.'s defence made the biggest play of the game, stuffing Toronto on back-to-back quarterback sneaks from the one-yard line to preserve the victory.

Nathan Rourke didn't have his best night, throwing for 254 yards without a touchdown, but the Lions found a way to win. That's what good teams do.

3. Edmonton Elks (11-4) — LW: 3

No change for Edmonton. The Elks didn't play in the results provided this week, but remain firmly entrenched in No. 3.

With the West Division race tightening, Edmonton remains among the teams fighting for playoff positioning.

For now, the Elks hold their spot behind B.C. and ahead of Calgary.

4. Calgary Stampeders (8-8) — LW: 7

This is the big move of the week.

Calgary jumps three spots, from seventh to fourth. And it's hard to argue with it.

The Stampeders beat Saskatchewan 37-31 at Mosaic Stadium for their third straight win.

Calgary is now 8-8 and has suddenly put itself right in the middle of a crowded West Division playoff race.

Even more importantly, the Stamps own the tiebreaker over Saskatchewan after winning Friday night's game by more than four points.

Vernon Adams Jr. threw four touchdown passes in the victory, becoming the first Calgary quarterback to reach 32 touchdown passes in a season and surpassing 150 career touchdown passes.

The Stampeders are catching fire at exactly the right time.

5. Toronto Argonauts (9-7) — LW: 5

Toronto stays fifth after losing 24-17 to B.C.

The Argos had their chances, but couldn't finish off the Lions despite a strong performance from Nick Arbuckle in his first start of the season. Arbuckle threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions.

David Ungerer III was outstanding, catching all 12 of his targets for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Toronto remains 9-7 and still sits in a strong playoff position, but the loss opened the door for Montreal to clinch the East.

6. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7) — LW: 4

The Riders take the biggest hit in the rankings this week. Saskatchewan drops two spots after losing 37-31 to Calgary at Mosaic Stadium.

The Riders are now 8-7 and have watched Calgary close the gap in the West. Saskatchewan's loss also gives the Stampeders the tiebreaker, making the defeat even more costly.

Calgary's offence kept finding ways to strike, with Vernon Adams Jr. throwing four touchdown passes.

The Riders fall from fourth to sixth.

7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-8) — LW: 6

Winnipeg drops one spot after getting hammered by Montreal.

The Bombers were beaten in virtually every area of the game in a 37-10 loss to the Alouettes.

Montreal held Winnipeg to just 182 yards of offence and kept Brady Oliveira in check, limiting him to 44 rushing yards.

It was a difficult night for Winnipeg, which falls to seventh in this week's rankings.

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-11) — LW: 8

Hamilton stays eighth, but the Ticats certainly gave the voters something to think about.

Hamilton snapped a losing streak with a convincing 34-16 road victory over the Ottawa Redblacks.

Harrison Frost was excellent, completing 28 of 35 passes for 342 yards. Kenny Lawler had his best statistical game of the season, catching six passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

The Hamilton defence also shut out Ottawa in the second half. The Ticats remain eighth, but they were one of only three teams to receive unanimous votes this week.

9. Ottawa Redblacks (0-15) — LW: 9

The losing streak continues.

Ottawa dropped its 15th straight game, falling 34-16 to Hamilton at home. The Redblacks led 16-13 at halftime but were completely shut down after the break.

Hamilton scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, with Kenny Lawler catching two touchdown passes from Harrison Frost.

Ottawa remains ninth and was also one of the three unanimous teams in this week's voting.

SportsCage.com Week 19 CFL Power Rankings

The big movers

The Calgary Stampeders are the story of Week 19.

Three straight wins have pushed Calgary from seventh to fourth, and the Stamps now own the tiebreaker over Saskatchewan in a fascinating West Division race.

The Riders go the other way, falling two spots to sixth after their home loss.

Winnipeg also slides one spot after its blowout loss to Montreal.

At the top, Montreal remains firmly in control.

The Alouettes, Tiger-Cats and Redblacks were the only unanimous choices among the SportsCage.com contributors this week.