Stamps - #1 ranking to be determined when they meet in a couple weeks
Argos - Seem to be coming together really well. The D was 3/4 new to start the season, but is starting to step up. Still not what it was last season, but looking a lot better.
Lions - A team not playing as good as it is capable of, or at least what we have grown accustomed to.
Esks - Seemed to spark up in the 2nd half of last week. I believe we will see a team that has turned a corner.
Als - Saw some life, let's see if they can build on it.
TiCats - Starting to get bodies back, Their secondary is young, the DL is suspect, but Isaac seemed to fit at LB and make a difference with his energy level...until he went down.
Bombers - The D was their backbone, but it seems to be either wearing down or losing a step for other reasons. And now potentially a 3rd string QB.
So the upcoming Stamps/Riders tilt will determine who should be above the other? Even though they have already played each other once?
I’d have the Riders above the Stamps, then things going somewhat in pairs, BC and Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal, and Ti-cats and Bombers. I’m finding it hard to really put one above the other in those 3 pairings.
No guarantee, but IMO most likely yes. It will be the 1/3 mark of the season and teams will be establishing a lot more of their identity at that point than week 2, plus Chamblin has stated they build this team to beat the Stamps…here is his test.
Calgary - Doesn't seem to matter a lot who they put in at QB, does it? The telling thing for me was when Duane Ford on TSN was asked what would have happened if the two QBs in the Calgary/Winnipeg game swapped teams, and he clearly wanted to say that Winnipeg would have won but just couldn't do it with a straight face. Truth is that the other guys around the QB matter, and this team is loaded with playmakers and strong coaching.
Toronto - Took the boots to BC with a backup QB, and are rolling now.
BC - Still a really good team with loads of talent, but their dominance in BC Place just doesn't extend to road games.
... and then the chasm between 1-4 and 5-8. Once again, I think there's not a lot that separates these teams and you could put them in a number of different orders.
Montreal - Got the win against Edmonton, but realistically the inexperience of the Eskimos young team helped that along tremendously. While a win is a win, it's not a game they should feel particularly arrogant about winning.
Edmonton - The bad news is that they lost. The good news is that they fought hard, rallied, and learned some very valuable lessons about clock management.
Hamilton - Don't really have a lot to say here. They have a very young secondary, and it shows. This is a rebuilding year, but with Winnipeg and Montreal also being weak a shot at the playoffs is not out of the question.
Winnipeg - Tim Burke said they can't tackle, can't cover, and can't rush the QB. They also can't move the ball offensively in the third quarter, and their kicking game is suspect. They had the worst performance of the four backup QBs, but only because the wheels fell off yet again in the third quarter (the first half was entirely respectable).
When that happens four games in a row, it's time to take a hard look at the coaching and management.
Just wanted to add…power rankings are more of who is hottest hear and now…the force so to speak, in combination with othe aspects. Lets say the Riders lose it by 14 points…I don’t then likely view them as the #1 rank because the #2 knocked them off…they are still 1st in the standings at such a point. If it was at the end of a season and some 10-1 was toppled by a 7-4 team, yeah, might not effect my view on the power rankings, but in this case they would have the same win/loss record, so it is a lot different.
FWIW - My calculated power rankings, based on scores, home vs. away, and teams' previous week rankings.
Saskatchewan - 0.998
Calgary - 0.745
Toronto - 0.688
BC - 0.590
Montreal - 0.294
Winnipeg - 0.200
Hamilton - 0.154
Edmonton - 0.142
Probably no arguments, or at least not many, over the order of the top four. And really, the bottom four are pretty much interchangeable, as they're all pathetic. The only thing keeping Hamilton barely above Edmonton is their slightly more difficult schedule so far. And with four more injuries for Hamilton this week, I'd probably slide them below Edmonton. (Forget cutting players. Time to start cutting the training staff.)
1.(1) Saskatchewan - #1 last week, only undefeated team and beat up on their opponent again. (deja vu again)
2.(2) Calgary - more consistent this week and with a back up QB no less
3.(4) Toronto - by default. Miles behind Calgary, but ahead of the bottom 4 and BC, well........
4.(3) BC - wish I could justify putting them lower. One of the most disgraceful performances I've seen in a long time. Collaros played well but the Lions inability to tackle made him look like an all-star. Pretty ugly.
5.(5) Winnipeg - Played a decent game, but they need to beat a top 4 team if they're going to crack the top 4
6.(7) Hamilton - finish a few drives and produce in the red zone and Sunday could have been closer. Pretty good considering their opponent.
7.(8) Montreal - they beat Edmonton, absolutely nothing to get excited about
8.(6) Edmonton - they lost to the Als there's nowhere else to put them but the basement
The bottom 4 are the most difficult for sure. You could make an argument that Edmonton, Hamilton, or Winnipeg could all be last. Hamilton has the most severe injuries of the lot, along with a new coaching staff so I do expect them to leapfrog the other 2.
Saskatchewan: Most points for, least points against. Only undefeated team. Calgary in Calgary should be a good game.
Calgary: Playing well offensively
Toronto: Able to win with their backup QB. Collaros looked good, but will be interesting to see how he does in his next start given teams now have film on him.
BC: Had a very poor game. Their offense isnt where it should be. Their d needs more pressure.
Montreal: This team is only going to stay down for so long.
Winnipeg: Good d, bad o.
Hamilton: Too many injuries. This team has some potential when they get healthy.
Edmonton: Is terrible. Nice to see them at the bottom of the league. Need a coach who isnt so emotional.
Winnipeg’s D has been shredded in the last two weeks. It seems at this point that they’re not actually very good at all, and just looked good early because they played Montreal twice.