3DownNation power rankings: Ticats make massive leap

The 3DownNation power rankings are back following the fourth week of the 2021 CFL season.

This week features consistency at the top of our rankings but a massive leap from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and a drop for the Montreal Alouettes. Our apologies to R-Nation — regrettably, your Redblacks are still living their best life in the basement.

Our power rankings are created by having our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. Last week’s rankings are listed in brackets.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter for anything you feel we’ve got wrong.

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders

1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1)

Rider Nation was on a bye in Week 4, which has given them a chance to enjoy life at the top of our rankings. The Riders have back-to-back games with the Blue Bombers coming up during which they’ll put their perfect record on the line to determine who is the best in the west.

Photo courtesy: CFL

2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2)

Winnipeg pulled out a tight win over the Stamps on the foot of rookie kicker Marc Liegghio. The offence bounced back after a poor showing in Week 3 against Toronto, while the defence limited young Jake Maier to 16 points. The Blue Bombers should give the Riders a run for their money.

Photo courtesy: Toronto Argonauts

3. Toronto Argonauts (3)

The Boatmen were stranded in Week 4 with the Elks suffering a COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in the postponement of their game. Toronto has back-to-back games against the Ticats coming up during which they will have ample opportunity to prove that they are the new beasts of the east.

Photo courtesy: Ticats.ca

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

Dane Evans led the Ticats to their first win of the season in Week 4, which resulted in his team making a massive leap in our rankings. Hamilton entered the 2021 season as a popular pick to win the Grey Cup and could be rounding the corner following a weak start to the season.

Photo courtesy: Nik Kowalski/Stampeders.com

5. Calgary Stampeders (5)

The Stamps stayed pat after playing well in Winnipeg despite coming away with a loss. Jake Maier has shown rapid improvement and has actually posted better numbers this season than Bo Levi Mitchell. Is this team better than its 1-3 record? They’ve got two games against Edmonton to prove it.

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

6. B.C. Lions (7)

Michael Reilly had a bounce-back game in Week 4, reaching the 300-yard mark against the Redblacks without turning the ball over. The near future is bright for the Lions, who have a much-needed bye week to nurse some injuries before playing against Ottawa again in Week 6.

Photo courtesy: John Kenney/Ticats.ca

7. Montreal Alouettes (4)

The Larks crashed down three places in our rankings after a disappointing 17-point loss to the Ticats in their home-opener. William Stanback was unable to make an impact along the ground, while Vernon Adams Jr. had his worst performance of the season. We expect more from Montreal.

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks

8. Edmonton Elks (6)

Edmonton spent this past week isolating after 13 members of the team tested positive for COVID-19. The team got its first win in Week 3, but going from quarantine to a victory over the rejuvenated Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day Classic seems like a really tall order.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

9. Ottawa Redblacks (9)

The Redblacks have fewer passing yards in three games than Jake Maier had in his first six quarters of professional football. Yikes! Paul LaPolice called the performance of his offence “unacceptable” thus far and it appears Matt Nichols could be on a short leash in Friday’s upcoming game against the Als.