After Week 8: CFL Power Rankings (Winnipeg Still on Top)
For the fifth consecutive week, Blue Bombers remain the undisputed class of the CFL
The Canadian Football League just completed Week 8 of the 2021 regular season and have even played a game into Week 9 (the early game was last night's shocking upset, with Ottawa winning).
Despite enjoy last week off with a bye, 2021 remains very much the year of the Blue Bombers.
Winnipeg has pulled away from the other eight teams in the league and is leaving everyone behind in the dust. Not only do they own the CFL's best W-L record and remain undefeated at home. The Blue Bombers are also second in the league in scoring (offense) and rank first in the least number of points allowed (defense).
That's dominance!
Here's a glance at the standings heading into Week 9:
So, has anything changed lately on the CFL power rankings? Not much.
As expected, the best and worst teams remain the same, with the other 7 teams bunched in the middle. However, let's give Ottawa their due for now being 2-5, equal in wins and losses to the disappointing Elks.
Here’s the complete CFL breakdown – with comments -- we head into Week 9.
What follows are the complete power rankings #1 through #9 according to 3DownNation website (Note that the #8 and #9 spots are likely to flip-flop after the RedBlacks win over the Elks):
1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1)
Life is good in The Peg with the local club heading into a bye atop the West Division with a 6-1 record. The defence scored two touchdowns in the third quarter of a 37-22 win over the Elks, forcing young quarterback Taylor Cornelius to pay for a few costly rookie mistakes. If this team can find a kicker, they might be unstoppable.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (2)
The Green and White got back to form in Week 7 with a big win at home over the Argos. Cody Fajardo appears to be back to full health following a concussion scare, while William Powell had a breakout game with 122 yards along the ground. If this offence can maintain some balance, it’ll be extra dangerous as the season progresses.
3. B.C. Lions (4)
Michael Reilly has emerged as a serious MOP candidate following another 300-yard game, though one of his star receivers may overshadow him come awards season. Lucky Whitehead has been sensational this season and now has 30 receptions for 554 yards and two touchdowns in six games.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6)
The Ticats overcame injuries to their two top quarterbacks to beat the Stamps at Tim Hortons Field. David Watford led a highly-conservative offence that avoided turning the ball over, while veteran linebacker Simoni Lawrence scored a defensive touchdown for a second-straight home game to seal the win.
5. Toronto Argonauts (3)
The Double Blue fell two spots after a disappointing 14-point loss to the Riders, though the game was probably closer than the score indicated. A dubious call on third-and-goal cost the Argos a possible touchdown, while quarterback Nick Arbuckle narrowly missed a small handful of deep shots against a depleted Saskatchewan secondary.
6. Montreal Alouettes (5)
Vernon Adams Jr. had a disappointing performance against the visiting Lions, completing 44.4 percent of his passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. William Stanback had an excellent day along the ground, rushing 18 times for 139 yards, but it wasn’t enough to keep Montreal’s offence on track throughout the game.
7. Calgary Stampeders (7)
Bo Levi Mitchell played so poorly in Calgary’s Week 7 loss to Hamilton that he was pulled late in the game by head coach Dave Dickenson. Rookie pivot Jake Maier engineered a quick touchdown drive in relief of Mitchell, leading us to wonder if the Stampeders could soon have a quarterback controversy on their hands.
8. Edmonton Elks (8)
Trevor Harris hitting the six-game injured list with a neck issue has crippled an Edmonton team that has suddenly fallen to 2-4. Taylor Cornelius was decent considering the circumstances, but we remain skeptical that he can lead this team to the playoffs. The good news for the Elks? They get to play Ottawa following a bye in Week 8.
9. Ottawa Redblacks (9)
A Week 7 bye spared the Redblacks from the chance of suffering a fifth-straight loss. They host the banged-up Ticats on Wednesday, which could be their best chance to snag a win for the rest of the season.
