We are now just beyond the midway point of the CFL season and things are really starting to heat up. Some of the teams towards the bottom of the list look like they may be starting to turn things around and getting back into the playoff hunt. Things keep changing week to week, so you don’t want to miss any of our power rankings action. Let’s get right into it!

9. Edmonton Elks (2-5)

If you lose twice to the team considered to be the worst team in the league, it is in fact you who is the worst team in the league. The Elks have some big issues, and their coaching staff is among them. We mentioned many times before the season that Jaime Elizondo wasn’t the guy for the Elks, and so far, he hasn’t proven us wrong. Taylor Cornelious isn’t going to cut it either. Frankly, they were embarrassed by Caleb Evans and the Redblacks, and for a team that had an advantage in every single category on paper outside of the special teams, there is simply no excuse for it. The Elks season has been a complete failure so far. Plenty of talent, no production for too many of them.

8. Ottawa Redblacks (2-5)

It’s a little premature to plan the parade for the Redblacks, but things are certainly much better now than they were just a week ago. Caleb Evans looked very good in his first professional game and gave the Redblacks something to build on going forward. Week 10, where for some reason the Redblacks play two games against divisional rivals will go a long way to deciding if they are in the hunt for a playoff spot or if they will be forced to toil in the basement of the CFL East for the rest of the season. Game on.

Read More: Caleb Evans Offers the Redblacks a Glimmer of Hope

7. Calgary Stampeders (3-5)

In a week where things were about as close to a must-win game as they could get with the Elks falling in Ottawa, the Stampeders took their opportunity and ran with it. No one expected the Stamps to win this game, but they did just that downing the Roughriders 23-17. There were some issues, but they should be very encouraged with what Bo Levi Mitchell was able to accomplish. His health, however, is once again in question after missing the final couple of offensive plays for the Stampeders. They looked much more like the Stampeders of old in week nine.

6. Montreal Alouettes (3-4)

The on-again-off-again Montreal Alouettes showed off both sides of their season in their week nine game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Through the ups and downs, the Alouettes kept themselves in the game despite never looking terribly good. Down to the wire, Vernon Adams Jr. fired a ball into the clutches of Eugene Lewis on third down and 20 for a touchdown. They would give up a long field goal to force overtime, but they would manage a big win in tiger town. A win they needed, but not one that moves them up the rankings.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-4)

Saturday night wasn’t too kind to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but it is becoming pretty clear that this team isn’t going too far without Dane Evans, the quarterback of their future. Nothing against David Watford or Jeremiah Masoli, but the Cats are at their best with Evans leading them. Losing to the Alouettes is bad news for the Cats and things are getting really close in the East now. They move on to a critical matchup with the Argonauts next week. A win would be huge, but a loss is just as critical.

4. Toronto Argonauts (4-3)

Here’s the thing with the Argos, Depending on how week 10 goes, they could find themselves down at the bottom of this list. Montreal, Hamilton, and Toronto are all so close together that it’s difficult to separate them, but we are giving them the benefit of the doubt and expecting them to get things on the right track. Their scheduling for week 10 is terrible, but it is a pivotal week in their season that could decide their fate in terms of their playoff positioning.

3. BC Lions (4-4)

After stringing some wins together and inserting themselves into the conversation of the best teams in the West Division, the Lions have fallen in back-to-back games against the Roughriders and the Blue Bombers. Their bid to move up in the standings now takes a back seat to keeping the third spot after the Stampeders took care of the Roughriders. Their week 11 game is hugely important for their playoff seeding, and they will need Michael Reilly at his best, especially if the Stampeders play the way they did in week nine.

2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3)

Riders fans might be upset with me here, but despite the high ranking, things aren’t all gumdrops and rainbows for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. A close call against the Lions (although they won the game, they showed some cracks we haven’t seen previously) and dropping a game they should have won against the Stampeders have the Riders battling to keep their place in the standings. Cody Fajardo has had some good moments, but he had some balls that he missed that normally he makes. The Roughriders are not playing their best football right now, and with two more meetings coming against the Stampeders, winning is important unless they hope to open the door for other teams.

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-1)

While everyone else in the league spent week nine getting a little closer in the standings, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers spent the week getting further ahead in the league’s top spot. Right now, it’s hard to imagine someone being able to stop this force, but stranger things have happened in the past. For now, the Bombers enjoy a comfortable lead at the front of both the CFL standings and our power rankings.

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