There is a new team sitting in the No. 2 spot in this week's SportsCage.com CFL Power Rankings.
The B.C. Lions move up one spot after beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 31-24 in Vancouver. That sends the Edmonton Elks down to No. 3 despite their dramatic overtime win over Hamilton.
Montreal remains No. 1, while Saskatchewan stays fourth.
1. Montreal Alouettes (11-3) — LW: 1
No change at the top. Montreal had the week off, but the Alouettes remain No. 1 in the SportsCage.com Power Rankings.
The Als are 11-3 and have already clinched a playoff spot. They will now prepare for the final stretch of the regular season. For now, nobody is taking their spot at the top.
2. B.C. Lions (8-6) — LW: 3
The Lions are moving up. B.C. knocked off Saskatchewan 31-24 on Friday night and, in the process, moved ahead of the Riders in the West Division standings.
Nathan Rourke was outstanding, throwing four touchdown passes while completing 22 of 28 attempts for 375 yards. The Lions have now won seven of their last eight games.
That's enough to move them into the No. 2 spot.
3. Edmonton Elks (11-4) — LW: 2
The Elks drop a spot despite winning. Edmonton needed overtime and a two-point conversion to get past Hamilton 37-35, but a win is still a win.
Vincent Blanchard made CFL history with nine field goals, including the record-breaking kick in overtime.
Joshua Cephus then caught Cody Fajardo's two-point pass to give Edmonton the victory.
The Elks remain one of the CFL's top teams, but the Lions' win over Saskatchewan moves B.C. ahead of them this week.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-6) — LW: 4
The Riders stay put.
Saskatchewan couldn't find enough offence in Vancouver and fell 31-24 to the Lions.
Trevor Harris threw for 297 yards and a touchdown, while KeeSean Johnson had nine catches for 119 yards. A.J. Ouellette also made his return from injury, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown. The biggest issue was the red zone. The Riders scored just two touchdowns on five trips inside the B.C. 20.
Saskatchewan remains fourth.
5. Toronto Argonauts (9-6) — LW: 5
The Argos keep rolling. Toronto went into Winnipeg and came away with a 30-28 victory over the Blue Bombers.
Chad Kelly threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, while Damonte Coxie had seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. The Argos are now 9-6 and continue to look like a dangerous playoff team.
No movement this week, but Toronto continues to make its case.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) — LW: 6
The Bombers stay sixth. Winnipeg jumped out to a 21-7 lead against Toronto but couldn't hold on, falling 30-28 at home.
Brady Oliveira ran for 139 yards, while Dorian Singer recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game. Dru Brown threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions proved costly.
The Bombers remain sixth in the rankings.
7. Calgary Stampeders (7-8) — LW: 7
Another win for Calgary. The Stampeders took care of Ottawa 45-31 for their second straight win over the REDBLACKS.
Calgary's offence continued to put up big numbers, with Deonta McMahon scoring twice and Tevin Jones adding another major.
The Stamps stay seventh.
8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-11) — LW: 8
Hamilton is officially out of the playoff picture. The Ticats pushed Edmonton all the way to overtime before losing 37-35.
Vincent Blanchard's record-setting night proved to be the difference, while Hamilton couldn't finish off the Elks after taking a late lead. The loss eliminated the Tiger-Cats from playoff contention and locked in a crossover in the postseason.
Hamilton remains eighth.
9. Ottawa Redblacks (0-14) — LW: 9
Still looking for their first win. Ottawa fell to Calgary 45-31 on Saturday, dropping the Redblacks to the bottom of the rankings once again.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson and the Ottawa offence kept fighting, but Calgary's explosive offence was too much to overcome. No movement at the bottom.
Ottawa remains ninth.
SportsCage.com Week 18 CFL Power Rankings
|
Rank |
Team |
LW |
|
1 |
Montreal Alouettes |
1 |
|
2 |
B.C. Lions |
3 |
|
3 |
Edmonton Elks |
2 |
|
4 |
Saskatchewan Roughriders |
4 |
|
5 |
Toronto Argonauts |
5 |
|
6 |
Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
6 |
|
7 |
Calgary Stampeders |
7 |
|
8 |
Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
8 |
|
9 |
Ottawa REDBLACKS |
9 |
B.C. makes the move this week.
The Lions jump Edmonton and take over the No. 2 spot after beating Saskatchewan.
The Elks drop to third despite winning in overtime, while the rest of the rankings remain unchanged.
With the playoffs getting closer, the West Division race continues to tighten — and B.C.'s win over Saskatchewan could prove to be a very important one.
