B.C. Lions

3DownNation CFL power rankings: Davis Alexander flies Alouettes back to the top

Published on

July 29, 2024

3Down Staff

Week 8 of the 2024 CFL regular season is officially in the books and several team’s true identities are finally being exposed.

The Ottawa Redblacks are rising into the league’s elite, while the Calgary Stampeders seem to just be pretenders. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers might be irredeemable and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats aren’t quite as bad as originally feared. All that’s left is to determine who the Edmonton Elks are with the right quarterback at the helm, something we are sure to learn next week.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having twelve contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets. As always, please be sure to check back every Monday morning for our updated power rankings following each week of action in the CFL.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter — yes, we still call it “Twitter” — for anything you think we got wrong.

1) Montreal Alouettes (3)

The Alouettes looked dead in the water with Cody Fajardo placed on the six-game injured list but everything changed when Jason Maas benched backup Caleb Evans to start the second half. Third-stringer Davis Alexander exploded onto the scene in a comeback victory, going 15-of-18 for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Expect the Portland State product to be under centre for at least the next few weeks, with a chance to establish himself as the QB of the future.

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

2) B.C. Lions (2)

The Lions were on a bye this week, leaving BC Place open and available for their most high-profile fan to live out a childhood dream. Nathan Rourke may be back on the market but B.C. is content with Vernon Adams Jr. at the helm of the CFL’s most high-powered offence, hoping his off-day against Calgary was just a blip in an M.O.P. campaign.

3) Saskatchewan Roughriders (1)

The loss of Trevor Harris finally caught up to the Riders this week, as solid defence wasn’t enough to knock off the Alouettes. Bad bounces made the difference but Shea Patterson couldn’t find the end zone while being blanked in the second half, knocking Saskatchewan out of the top spot. On the plus side, Frankie Hickson looked explosive in the backfield with 117 yards rushing in relief of A.J. Ouellette, potentially earning himself more opportunities.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

4) Ottawa Redblacks (5)

It’s official: the once-lowly Redblacks are Grey Cup contenders once again. Ottawa’s dismantling of the Stampeders featured dominant defence, including a pair of sacks from Bryce Carter, and a 325-yard showing from Dru Brown, who operated without a running back for three quarters. Kalil Pimpleton continued to show he is the CFL’s brightest young star, posting 80 yards receiving and taking a punt return 99 yards to the house.

5) Toronto Argonauts (6)

The Argos first rolled out Cameron Dukes, then Nick Arbuckle against Winnipeg but neither was any good, combining for just 124 yards passing. That didn’t matter, as a stellar defensive outing saw them steal the ball five times, including a pick-six from Tarvarus McFadden. All-star defensive tackle Jake Ceresna was the star of the show, registering two of Toronto’s five sacks and generating relentless pressure, while Lirim Hajrullahu hit a walk-off winner in overtime to put the Boatmen above .500 in life before Chad Kelly.

Photo courtesy: Calgary Stampeders

6) Calgary Stampeders (4)

Calgary’s statement win over the B.C. Lions was followed by a statement loss to the Redblacks, as Quick Six got sent to the glue factory in Ottawa. Quarterback Jake Maier mustered just 136 yards through the air and found himself benched late in favour of Logan Bonner after failing to score an offensive touchdown. With struggles in all three phases, it was hard to find a silver lining for these perplexing Stamps.

Photo courtesy: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

7) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

Scott Milanovich’s team doesn’t appear to be going anywhere after a 0-5 start, logging their second consecutive victory in dominant fashion. Dennis McKnight has fixed their troublesome special teams, getting a punt block from his unit in back-to-back games. Meanwhile, Bo Levi Mitchell quietly had a career night, throwing for 316 yards and five touchdowns — something he had somehow never done before despite his Hall of Fame resume.

Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography

8) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7)

Zach Collaros moved the ball effectively this week, throwing for 317 yards in defeat, but five sacks surrendered and five turnovers left the Bombers with just one touchdown to show for it. Brady Oliveira, Drew Wolitarsky, and Nic Demski all fumbled the ball away in plus territory, Chris Streveler got stuffed short on a potential game-winning drive, and Sergio Castillo shanked two kicks, including one in overtime. The defence wasn’t the reason Winnipeg lost this game but Adam Bighill getting trucked by Ka’Deem Carey was a perfect metaphor for the decline of a once-great empire.

9) Edmonton Elks (9)

Edmonton got embarrassed for 50 minutes against Hamilton, then shamed for the final 10 as their organizational ineptitude was put on full display. McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed less than half his passes for just 85 yards and an interception, but interim head coach Jarious Jackson refused to bench him until midway through the fourth quarter. Canadian quarterback Tre Ford came off the bench and showed why fans have been chanting his name for weeks, throwing for 121 yards and three touchdowns in garbage time. If he had been inserted sooner, a comeback may have been possible and the Elks could have escaped the bottom.

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