Week one, the week for overreaction, both good and bad has come to an end. We saw some great games, two of them decided by final-minute field goals, and a game where the BC Lions flashed their potential. We also saw our first indication of where teams stack up relative to one another, so for the first time in the regular season, here are our power rankings.

Here’s how the order is decided. After the week one games, our CFL writers were asked to rank the teams with one being the best, and nine being the worst. Points are given based on the ranking, so for example, first place is worth one point, and ninth place is worth nine points. After all of the votes have been cast, the points are added together, and the teams are sorted top to bottom, with the least amount of points being the league’s best team in our power rankings.

9. Edmonton Elks (0-1)

How can you possibly describe the performance the Edmonton Elks turned in against the BC Lions on Saturday night? They were completely dominated, and frankly, the Lions embarrassed them. The biggest problem for the Elks was their defence, allowing 59 points against a green-thumbed starting quarterback in Nathan Rourke. They allowed four touchdowns by James Butler, and they got their behinds handed to them on a silver platter defensively. The offence wasn’t much better. Nick Arbuckle threw three interceptions, and Tre Ford, who shouldn’t be playing yet anyway, added another. Luckily, it’s only week one, but BC was ranked low in our preseason rankings, so this performance is absolutely a cause for concern. Let’s see if they can improve in week two in Regina.

8. Montreal Alouettes (0-1)

The Montreal Alouettes lost to the Calgary Stampeders on a late field goal, but that was far from the most important loss of the night. Although we don’t yet know the severity of the injury, William Stanback went down hard in this game. It seems likely that he will miss at least a handful of games, if not more, and that is going to hurt the Alouettes, without a doubt. Jeshrun Antwi stepped in and did an admirable job, but when you lose the league’s best running back, it’s going to hurt. In the game, Vernon Adams Jr. was neither great nor bad, but just couldn’t get the job done in the critical moments. The Alouettes looked alright in this game, but they will need more going forward in virtually every aspect. That being said, they have the talent to do that, especially if Adams elevates his game going forward.

7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1)

After a game that can be described as a massive disappointment, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats caused our writers some headaches. The biggest fallers in our rankings didn’t make the most of the open door the Riders left them in the first half of the game, but there’s not just one person to blame. Their offensive line folded, and caused Dane Evans issues trying to throw the ball downfield. There just wasn’t much offence to speak of, even though the defence held their own, particularly early in the game. This is not what we expected to see from Hamilton, and with a trip to Calgary next week, a repeat performance would likely see them beat badly. We’ll see where they go from here.

6. BC Lions (1-0)

Holy hell did the BC Lions ever lay a beatdown on the Edmonton Elks? Coming into the season, most of our writers had serious concerns about this team, not because of their young quarterback Nathan Rourke, but because of their offensive line. If their week one performance is any indication, those concerns may have been over-exaggerated. James Butler, of course, was the star of the show, picking up four touchdowns on the night. It’s still only the first week of the season, and we’ll have to wait and see if this is what we can expect from the Lions each week. They now have a week to rest before they get a good test with the Toronto Argonauts in week three.

5. Toronto Argonauts (0-0)

Every season in the CFL, there’s one group of fans who don’t get to watch their team in the first week of the season. This year, it was the Toronto Argonauts sitting at home watching the first week’s slate of games, and as such, they are the biggest wildcard on this list. We can only speculate on what should be expected from the boatmen this season, but we do know that this team will go as far as McLeod Bethel-Thompson can take them. They have Grey Cup aspirations after bringing in players like Brandon Banks and Andrew Harris in the offseason, but after week one, it’s certain their road through the East won’t be an easy one.

4. Ottawa Redblacks (0-1)

Let’s start with the negatives for the Ottawa Redblacks from their week one loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They shot themselves in the foot, and they did it a handful of times. Jaelon Acklin dropped a deep ball that could have been a touchdown, they failed to score points deep into Winnipeg territory at the end of the first half, and they couldn’t punch in some of their chances to score touchdowns. They could have won the game, but they didn’t take advantage. The good news is that you can clearly see the potential in this team. Now it’s a matter of making it happen, and their week two contest against those same Bombers won’t make for an easy testing ground.

3. Calgary Stampeders (1-0)

The Calgary Stampeders have an interesting situation on their hands after a week one win over the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell had his moments, but as a whole, his performance was still far from what we have come to expect from him. Jake Maier stepped in and played well, leading the Stampeders to a win. With Mitchell in a walking boot to start the week, could it be Maier’s time in Calgary already? This quarterback controversy isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but hey, the Stamps are starting the season with a win.

2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0)

It wasn’t exactly pretty for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their week one win over the Hamilton Tiger-Ctas, but in the second half of the game, they overcame their issues and took over, securing their first win of the season. Cody Fajardo looked pretty good, and so did their defence, but their running game struggled to get anything going. That’s something we knew would be possible before the season, but it would help them a bunch if they could find a way to make it work. Still, the Riders are off on the right foot this season.

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers showed the nation exactly why they are back-to-back Grey Cup champions. Yes, the Redblacks outplayed them for the majority of the game, but they kept themselves within striking distance right until the end. With Zach Collaros taken out of the game by the concussion spotter (yes, that was the right call, by the way), Dru Brown stepped up and showed exactly why he won the backup job. Going three-for-three for 51 yards. Marc Liegghio split the uprights, and the Bombers stole a win from under the noses of the Redblacks. On their quest for a three-peat, the Bombers got off to a good start, although it could have been a lot worse for them. Still, champions know how to win games.

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