Weekly, SportsCage.com contributors from around Western Canada collaborate to rank the Canadian Football League teams. After week 18, the B.C. Lions remain atop the rankings, and the lone team to fall was a team on a bye week.
Here is how the ranking broke down:
Number one for the second week in a row is the B.C. Lions. B.C. had a chance to make a statement in Week 18 at home against the Calgary Stampeders. The Lions took the opportunity to move into second place in the West Division with a 38-24 win over the Stamps. The offence is dangerous, and the defence looks to have figured out Mike Benevedes’ system.
At number two for a second week, the Montreal Alouettes. The Als enjoyed a bye in Week 18 and have the league-worst Ottawa Redblacks in Week 19. Montreal looks to be peaking at the right time with a healthy Davis Alexander under centre. Does this sound like the Grey Cup-winning team of 2023?
With the league-best 11-4 record, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are stuck in third place. A seven-point win over Ottawa didn’t impress the contributors this week, but an opportunity to clinch first in the West against Toronto on Friday will have all eyes on the green and white.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are up one spot from a week ago to number four. Bo Levi Mitchell and the Ti-Cats' offence shredded the beaten-up Argos' defence, scoring 47 points. The Tiger-Cats are tops in the East, but Montreal is nipping at their heels with a game in hand.
Falling a spot, despite being on a bye week, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are down to number five in the ranking. The Bombers are getting healthier for the stretch run. The question may be, will that playoff run be in the East or the West? A week 19 matchup in Edmonton will go a long way to answering that question.
The Calgary Stampeders are at number six for a second straight week. It is baffling how quickly the Stamps have fallen. Calgary topped these rankings five weeks ago, but four straight losses have the Stamps battling for playoff positioning, let alone a home playoff game.
The Edmonton Elks, also on a bye week, remain in the seventh spot. Yes, the odds are against Edmonton making the playoffs, but their home date with Winnipeg on Saturday could be franchise-defining. Is the rebuild headed in the right direction, or is it going to be another rebuilding offseason in the Alberta capital? A lot of questions will be answered.
The hits keep coming for the Toronto Argonauts, who are in eighth spot this week. The Argos' defence has been banged up all season. With quarterback Chad Kelly yet to throw a pass this season and Nick Arbuckle potentially sustaining a season-ending injury on Saturday, the Argos haven’t found a way to build roster consistency. The Argos' approach to their final three games will determine their ranking moving forward.
For the fourth week in a row, the Ottawa Redblacks are in the basement. Fun fact: Montreal is the only team ranked below Ottawa at any point this season. That said, the Redblacks looked defeated and like they were only going through the motions against the Riders in their 20-13 loss. The Redblacks are playing out the string with three games to go. Time will tell if they can move out of the basement.
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