Unofficial Week 7 Power Rankings

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
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1. Winnipeg

What is there to say? They unloaded on an under-manned Elks team. I doubt it would have mattered but the Champs remain the clear favourite.

2. Saskatchewan

Back in the 2 spot after 2 losses to the Champs they beat a quality Argos team at home. Fajardo was his normal efficient self, keeping with his 10 yard or so completion average, and with some key injuries they continued their home success.

3. BC

It was hard to give them too much credit for 2 straight Ottawa wins, but this win looked much better. On the road travelling across the country. It has to count for something right? BC is showing they are in the West mix with Saskatchewan for a home playoff game.

4. Hamilton

The D has started to play like the D us Ticats fans were expecting coming out of camp. This game reminded me of the post Collaros injury games when Austin, Steinauer, Condell and Reinbold had to figure out ways to manufacture wins. This game was won with a patient offense, waiting for Calgary to make mistakes (which they did) and capitalizing with points when it mattered. The Cats also got a much needed boost in the kicking department. Instead of an expected downward spiral, the Cats find themselves mathematically in 1st in the East. If the D continues to play like this, the return of both QBs and key receivers could be enough to give the Cats home field for the East final. They're not ranked here because of the win - they're ranked here because to win a game like that you must be a good team.

5. Toronto

Never really in the game in Sask, Toronto gave up 122 rushing yards to William Powell. The Argos have big play ability and Nick Arbuckle is far and away their best QB, but right now they are firmly planted in the middle of the inconsistent teams.

6. Edmonton

Somehow they had the lead in the 3rd quarter, but personally I never felt like they would win. Edmonton is high on Tyler Cornelius but if they're going to rely on him for the next 5 games he'll have to cut down on the INTs but all in all he didn't look too bad for his first CFL action playing that Winnipeg D.

7. Montreal

You can't lose that game at home. Vernon Adams continues to be inconsistent with turnovers of the worst kind. They've been a disappointment after some late success in 2019. Im not sure the absence of Coach Jones hurt them that much, I just don't think they're as good as Hamilton and Toronto.

8. Calgary

Possibly the worst game on record for the Huff/Dickenson/Bo Levi era. They looked horrible. Bo looked slow and tentative. Hamilton's D shut them down but going into the game without any sort of proven kick/punt returner really hurt them. You can't simply ignore special teams in this league and expect to win a road game. I got this team wrong, they're young and making young mistakes.

11. Ottawa

This was their best performance in a while.

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Seems right to me.

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At least Ottawa has upside - they could very quickly jump two whole places in your rankings. Hopefully not this week though.

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Agree on all your points...but there need to be a BIGGER gap from the number one to the number two spot... the teams are not that close.

  1. Bombers

                                                                                                                 2. Riders. 3,lions

:innocent:

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PREDICTION, spoiler alert.

Hamilton will finish #2 at seasons end for the power rankings.

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Is that before or after the Grey Cup is played?

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I was going to save the reveal BUT since you asked.
BEFORE
Cats 2021 Grey Cup Champs

I hope this doesn't spoil everyone's season now that the suspense is all gone.

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well now that I know how it will all end we need to cancel the rest of the season and the playoffs... darn you you spoiled the only fun we was gonna have

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yeah, but what season ? :slight_smile:

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the 1967 season rings a bell, but could be wrong on that

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As a Rider fan , that was a difficult Grey Cup for you to watch . :frowning_face:

Pat Lynch (the old guy)

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Still having nightmares to this day. That was shellacking was it not.

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I was cheering for riders back in the day, but mercifully I dont remember that game. Now the 76 game, sob

On the other hand, the 86 win by ticats was just great

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I was 9 in 67... Still remember most of the heartache of that game

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Another's take on CFL Power Rankings

Tribune Sports

tn21sohrld ·

CFL Power Rankings

1.WPG Blue Bombers-Last Week 1st

No surprise here. The dominant defense of the Blue Bombers has once again stolen a game. Forcing 5 turnovers kept the Bombers win streak going but there is still room for improvement on special teams. Winnipeg kickers are now just 5/11 (45%) on field goal attempts this season. 3 points or less could be the difference between winning or losing a championship so this is an issue the team will need to address in the upcoming weeks.

2.BC Lions-Last Week 2nd

Another dastardly defense in the West Division, the Lions have the second-biggest win streak (3) in the league right now and are making a case as the top team in the West. Currently sitting behind Saskatchewan in the standings due to a 4-point loss to the Roughriders in Week 1, the Lions actually have the same win percentage (.667) and a better point differential (+50) than their Western Division foe. Between multiple impressive showings from QB Mike Reilly, and a defense that continually forces turnovers, the Lions are in a good place right now.

3.SASK Roughriders-Last Week 3rd

Have to hand it to the Fajardo and the Riders who came back from a grueling two weeks of playing the Blue Bombers to produce a team win over the Toronto Argonauts. The Argos are a formidable opponent as they have a strong defensive front, workhorse running backs, and receivers who like to get physical, however this week belonged to the Roughriders offense. After going without a touchdown for 2 games and a quarter, the green and white put up 3 against the skidding Boatmen. WR Kian Schaffer-Baker (University of Guelph) had a breakout game and earned his first CFL TD while Cody Fajardo threw for 2 and rushed for 1 in the team's convincing win.

4.HAM Tiger Cats-Last Week 6th

It seems like every week this team bounces up and down the lost with every big win and every disappointing loss; and once again they are on the upward trend. Down to their 3rd-string quarterback after losing Dane Evans last week, the Ti-Cats defense really stepped-up and stole this win. Forcing 2 fumbles on special teams and a pick-6 on defense, the Cats capitalized on the Stamps costly mistakes to earn a gritty victory. The offense didn't look strong with Watford under-center with all the team's points coming from their defense and their kicker; however it was enough to keep them atop the East Division.

5.TOR Argonauts-Last Week 4th

The Argos currently sit at .500 with a negative point differential (-29) which truly isn't a good representation of how good this team is. Toronto boasts a pretty big defensive unit and is filled with tons of offensive talent such as John White IV, Eric Rogers, D.J. Foster, and Rocky Collins among others; yet they can't seem to win in big moments. With both the Alouettes and Redblacks sitting below .500 (.400 and .200 respectively) the Argos will continue to battle the Ti-Cats (.500) for the top spot in the East but will need to figure out how to get in the end zone more consistently if they plan to represent the division in Grey Cup. Shake this one off and focus on beating the Als and Redblacks in the next two weeks.

6.EDM Elks-Last Week 7th

We can finally boost the Elks despite a loss. The Elks came out with a lot of confidence in their matchup with the league's top team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Entering the game with a backup QB who only had one full practice, the Elks established a strong run game in with James Wilder.Jr scoring twice (once in each half) and rushing for 77 yards. Unfortunately for the team, costly turnovers cost them a close game. Taylor Cornelius threw 3 interceptions in his first start with the team while having one taken back for 6 points. On the following drive, on the first play, Cornelius was sacked and the ball was stripped and ran back for another 6 points. In a two-possession game where the opposing kicker missed 3 field goals, it was the turnovers that clearly did them in.

  1. MTL Alouettes-Last Week 5th

There is no team in the CFL that is skidding more right now than the Alouettes. Despite only being on a 1-game losing streak, the Alouettes have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Even worse, thanks to a blowout victory over the Redblacks two weeks ago, the team only has a negative differential of -4 meaning they look better on paper than on the turf. The Montreal defense needs to figure out how to keep points off the board or put up a few of their own while Vernon Adams needs to find some consistency in his passing. VA8 has 9 TD/4 INT and has only completed 54% of his passes on 153 attempts. The Als will need to look for a quick turnaround when they play the Argos Friday night.

8.CAL Stampeders-Last Week 8th

Calgary's defense kept a 3rd-string QB out of the end zone...good for them. However, their offense failed to beat the Hamilton defense and Bo Levi Mitchell continues to be less than mediocre. BLM is now 39/70 (55%) for 446 yards with 1 TD and 3 INT since his return from the IL. The Calgary starter now has over 3 times as many interceptions (7) than touchdowns (2) on the season while backup QB Jake Maier has one more TD (3) than interceptions (2). The Stamps organization needs to rethink a lot about this team if they plan on turning the season around.

  1. OTT Redblacks- Last Week 9th

They did not play this week. This is probably for the best. Redblacks will look to get their first win since week 1 when they take on the Hamilton Tiger Cats on Wednesday night.

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Finally. Someone ranked Calgary were they ought to be right now. Second to last.

Mind you that probably won't last. :crazy_face: