Week 2 of the 2023 CFL season is in the books and there is some serious shifting going on across the league.
Eight of the nine franchises find themselves in a new spot after the second week of action, save for the juggernaut at the top. With Toronto becoming the last club to see the field on Sunday, the pundits have now gotten a look at every team and the preseason predictions have been fully re-assessed.
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: Matt Smith/CFL
1) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1)
Week 2 featured an uncharacteristically porous performance from the Bombers’ usually stalwart defence, as they surrendered 437 yards against. Fortunately for them, Zach Collaros kept the offence clicking and Janarion Grant put together one of the greatest punt return touchdowns in CFL history to ensure that they still won by 18 points.
Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
2) Toronto Argonauts (3)
After they sat out Week 1, nobody quite knew what to expect from the defending champion Argonauts and their new quarterback Chad Kelly. What we got was flashes of brilliance from the Grey Cup hero — particularly in the first half — and a dominant win over Hamilton, fueled by Kelly’s three rushing touchdowns. Their status as kings of the East is safe for now.
Photo courtesy: Jeff Vinnick/BC Lions
3) B.C. Lions (2)
LL Cool J may have rocked out in front of a crowd of 33,103 fans at BC Place, but he didn’t inspire much in the way of offensive output from the home team. Vernon Adams Jr. and his crew only scored a single touchdown and settled for five Sean Whyte field goals in a drawn-out affair. Instead, it was the defence that did most of the heavy lifting, pitching the team’s first shutout since 1977.
Photo courtesy: Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards/Saskatchewan Roughriders
4) Saskatchewan Roughriders (5)
The Riders couldn’t have asked for more from veteran quarterback Trevor Harris against Winnipeg, as he threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns while battling a hip injury that put his status in question for most of the week. It still wasn’t enough for a win but that level of offensive output against the league’s top team has fans feeling optimistic for once.
Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders
5) Calgary Stampeders (6)
Jake Maier and company bounced back from a bad opening week to down Ottawa by double digits, even without the services of star running back Ka’Deem Carey. Backup Dedrick Mills crossed the hundred-yard mark and Maier threw for 332 through the air, though two-thirds of that came courtesy of his receivers after the catch.
Photo: Montreal Alouettes
6) Montreal Alouettes (7)
Our voters are still hesitant to put their full support behind the undefeated Alouettes based on a narrow win over Ottawa in Week 1, but they got a bye-week bump nonetheless. With Ottawa and Hamilton floundering, even Montreal’s inexperienced roster looks good by comparison.
Photo: Matt Johnson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
7) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4)
If Hamilton showed signs of life late in their season-opening loss, they needed the defibrillators applied in Week 2. Bo Levi Mitchell continued to struggle in his new colours, throwing two endzone picks before leaving the game with a lower-body injury. With his status now in doubt for next week, the new-look Ticats could find themselves in a serious early season hole.
Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com
8) Ottawa Redblacks (9)
The best news to come out of Ottawa’s latest loss is that Nick Arbuckle will no longer be under centre, as he got the hook in favour of Tyrie Adams after another ineffective performance. The Redblacks are now headed into a bye week and must wait with bated breath to see if Jeremiah Masoli will be healthy enough to start when they return.
Photo courtesy: David Friedrich/B.C. Lions
9) Edmonton Elks (8)
When you get shut out for the first time in 47 years, there will always be a spot for you at the bottom of the power rankings. A solid defensive outing couldn’t cover the stick of Edmonton’s putrid offence this week, as they were held to just 146 total yards. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius continues to struggle, throwing for just 98 yards against B.C., but Chris Jones remains inexplicably committed to the third-year gunslinger.
