Safimod’s Power Rankings – Week 15

Safimod’s Power Rankings – Week 15

Published: Monday, Oct 2nd 2017, 3:10pm

by Stephen Safinuk (@Safimod)

1. Calgary (Even) – Next up: Bye

2. Winnipeg (Even) – Next up: Hamilton

3. Saskatchewan (Even) – Next up: Toronto

4. Toronto (Even) – Next up: Saskatchewan

5. BC (Up) – Next up: Ottawa

6. Edmonton (Down 1) – Next up: Montreal

7. Ottawa (Even) – Next up: BC

8. Hamilton (Even) – Next up: Winnipeg

9. Montreal (Even) – Next up: Edmonton

 We’ve gone through another week of the CFL season and we still see Calgary sit atop the CFL Standings, and the Safimod Power Rankings. When Montreal rolled out to an early 1-0 lead, we thought this game might be different, but like a cat toying with a mouse, Calgary had enough and pounced.

Speaking of Montreal… My God they are a bad football team right now. The Wettenhall family must be kicking themselves for getting rid of Jim Popp in the offseason because the Popp/Trestman led Toronto Argos are currently atop the East Division, while the Poppless Als are sitting at 3-11 at the bottom of the standings, far removed from any hope for this season. The question is no longer will they make the playoffs. It has become, will they win another football game. I have to say no, but weirder things have happened.

Edmonton continued its slide, with a 28-19 loss to the 10-3 playoff-bound Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Their slide combined with the Riders 5-2 record over the past 7 games now puts the Roughriders in 3^rd in the Western Division, holding their own destiny for a playoff game. Who would have guessed that after 7 weeks, when Edmonton was 7-0 and Saskatchewan 3-4, that we’d see them swap places in the standings.

The Riders sure didn’t look pretty in their win over Ottawa, but at the end of the season, they don’t ask how – only how many. The team looked listless until Christion Jones (@Jonessboyy) returned a 97 yard punt return to put the Riders on the board. From there, it was all Saskatchewan, as they scored 18 unanswered points late for a 18-17 win. Once again the defence shows that they can win despite giving up approximately 640 yards in rushing to William Powell. If they roll through the West for the playoffs, they will need to shore up their run defence, as the opposing RBs would be Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam.

What does one say about the Ottawa REDBLACKS right now? They are awful at home, with a 2-5-1 home record, yet will likely get a home playoff game over 2 possibly 3 Western teams with better records. While this is another example of a season where people clamour for the single division, I hope it never happens. East vs West is the way the CFL should always be. Crossover works, but anything beyond that could be damaging to fan bases out East.

Hamilton looks nothing like the team that started off the season 0-8, and while they suffered a defeat vs Toronto that put their playoff hopes in jeopardy, they are much improved since June Jones took over.