Inside the CFL: Power rankings

Hamilton, ON (Sports Network) – A ranking of the CFL teams heading into Week 15 of the season:

1. Calgary Stampeders (11-3)

It was another impressive win by the John Hufnagel-led Stampeders. Running back Jon Cornish ran for 208 yards on just 17 carries in a 38-11 throttling of Winnipeg. With just four games to go, barring a total collapse, the Stamps should be the first-place finishers in the CFL West. It’s the adage: You should be playing your best football in the last third of the season as you head into the playoffs. Right now, the Stamps are doing that, and they’re the class of the league.

2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5)

After going into a bit of tailspin, losing four in a row, the Riders went into BC and beat the Lions, 31-17, giving the Lions their first home loss of the year. The loss clinched a playoff berth for the Riders, and if they play any playoff game outdoors, they’ll need a strong running game. Kory Sheets gained 80 yards on 14 carries and showed he’ll be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. With four games left, including three at home – against Edmonton twice and BC once – and a visit to Calgary, the Riders look to be in good shape to finish second. They hold the tie-breaker in points against BC, 54-41.

3. BC Lions (9-5)

It was a bit of a setback for the Leos, losing at home to Saskatchewan. Old Dominion grad Thomas DeMarco once again got the start at quarterback in place of Travis Lulay, who has missed three games because of a partly dislocated shoulder suffered in the Sept. 15 game against the Montreal Alouettes. While DeMarco threw for 286 yards, he was intercepted three times, and that was the difference. While no timetable has been put on Lulay’s return, it’s clear he’s the difference maker. Lions fans better hope Lulay is a fast healer.

4. Toronto Argonauts (9-5)

So much for home-field advantage. After winning four in a row on the road, the Argos returned home to lose 33-19 to their arch-rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The vaunted Argo defense, under coordinator Chris Jones, was exposed in the loss. At times, Jones looked like he was going to blow a fuse while the Argos blew a chance to all but wrap up first place with a win. Now they’ll have to play Hamilton again on Oct. 14. It was the CFL’s worst-kept secret: the Argos did not want to play an improving Hamilton squad in the playoffs. It looks like their fears may come true. They better hope, if it’s a home game, they get more than 28,000 or so because the mausoleum known as the Rogers Center could be where their season ends.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-7)

Once again, the Tiger-Cats are at .500, a spot they haven’t been able to get past all year. Their ground game, for the most part, ineffective this season, is showing signs of life, with former USC Trojan C.J. Gable carrying 16 times for 96 yards, while quarterback Henry Burris also got over his brutal game in a loss to Calgary, in a win against Toronto. After the home game on Oct. 14, Hamilton has a home-and-home series with Montreal, then finishes the season in Winnipeg. Which means a probable home playoff game, of some kind in Guelph.

6. Montreal Alouettes (6-8)

It was hard to tell if the Als were that good or Edmonton was that bad in a 47-24 Montreal win in Edmonton. After jumping into a 31-3 halftime lead, the Als resorted to their old tricks, being outscored 21-16 in the second half. While Josh Neiswander wasn’t bad, completing 15-of-25 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns, it’s still apparent this team will go as far as Anthony Calvillo will take them. And no one knows when the veteran pivot, suffering from a concussion, will return, if at all. It appears this team will probably finish third for the first time in 2007. And that means no home playoff game.

7. Edmonton Eskimos (3-11)

How does one sum up the Eskimo loss to Montreal? “I apologize to our fans that we didn’t give them the kind of season they deserve,” Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed said after the loss. “That’s a personal apology and it’s extremely disappointing that we’ve played this way again.” Perhaps Reed should apologize to Mike Reilly. The quarterback started the game one week after suffering a concussion. He was intercepted twice, then was benched for the second half. The Eskimos claim he was medically cleared, but the game plan was designed to keep him out of trouble, not to have him play with the abandon he normally does. Or, to sum it up another way, Reed has four games left as head coach of the Eskimos.

8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-12)

Winnipeg head coach Tim Burke looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but in Calgary, where his team was steamrolled by the Stampeders. There were no positives in the game at all. Burke claimed his defense was upset all week by social media postings that a trade of one of the members of the defensive team was imminent. If they were upset they didn’t show it, allowing 622 yards to Calgary. By the way, the rumors were true: rush end and sack leader Alex Hall was dealt to Saskatchewan. As a front-office member of another CFL team told me, “Some guys can be a head coach and some can’t.” It’s clear where Burke lies in that equation, unfortunately.

Ted Michaels is the host of the Fifth Quarter on AM900 CHML. Comments? Criticism? Applause?

Categorized in: CFL