3DownNation CFL power rankings: fans bid adieu to the basement dwellers

The CFL postseason is officially here and while several of the league’s most exciting teams are preparing for sudden-death battles, we can close the book on the rest of the franchises and officially lay them to rest at the bottom of the standings.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having eleven of our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets.

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

Photo courtesy: CFL

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1)

Winnipeg came out of their bye week firing on all cylinders and will now take another week of well-deserved rest as their prize. It really is hard to see anyone upsetting the two-time defending champions at this point, but I guess that’s why we have playoffs.

Photo courtesy: CFL

2. Calgary Stampeders (2)

The Stampeders fan base had a chance to say goodbye to the greatest quarterback in franchise history on Saturday but not even a few tears could dampen their hopes for the future. With a multi-faceted ground game that looks unstoppable, Calgary may be the league’s most dangerous team heading into the playoffs.

Photo courtesy: B.C. Lions

3. B.C. Lions (3)

Laugh it up Bombers fans, you can decisively claim the season series over the Lions. But the only thing that mattered league-wide in Week 21 was that Nathan Rourke is back on the field and looks just like he did before the injury, altering the playoff outlook for everyone.

Photo courtesy: CFL

4. Toronto Argonauts (4)

Toronto failed to get a victory ahead of their first-round bye but the future sure looks bright with Chad Kelly under centre. Plus, Juwan Brescacin’s spectacular touchdown catch got a shoutout from Randy Moss, which is one hell of a consolation prize.

Photo courtesy: CFL

5. Montreal Alouettes (5)

Despite a myriad of jokes pre-game, backup quarterback Dominique Davis looked like the second coming of Doug Flutie in one half of action and Montreal got in one last jab on the division leaders before playoff time. The question is can Trevor Harris do the same over the next few weeks?

Photo courtesy: CFL

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6)

Like the rest of Week 21, it meant absolutely nothing but the Ticats still kept their impressive winning streak going against Ottawa. Having been in do-or-die mode for most of the season, Hamilton didn’t throttle back and will remain dangerous heading into the playoffs.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

7. Ottawa Redblacks (7)

Ottawa may be a team better than their record indicates but they still can’t escape their demons. A head coaching decision will need to be made in the coming months but one thing should already be decided: no more starting Caleb Evans at quarterback. Please, we’re begging here.

Photo: Paul Swanson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

8. Edmonton Elks (9)

The Elks’ dismal first season under Chris Jones ended a week earlier than everybody else’s but the pain still lingers. At least there are big-time extensions for key pieces like Kevin Brown and Dillon Mitchell to provide some relief.

Photo courtesy: David Moll/Calgary Stampeders

9. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8)

Those hoping for a proud end to the Riders’ disappointing season were instead treated to a dispassionate team letting themselves get run over by a bunch of backups. The winds of change are certain to blow through the team just as forcefully this week.