The Week 5 Power Rankings are here, and the league picture is starting to take shape. Some teams have built a strong foundation, while others still have plenty to prove.
How the rankings are compiled: Shane, Coach Phil, Blake, and Cole each submit a ranking from 1 to 9. Teams receive points based on placement, with No. 1 worth 9 points, and the final order is determined by total points. Each voter’s full ballot appears at the end of the article.
Week 4 recap
- Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Montréal Alouettes
- Edmonton Elks
- Toronto Argonauts
- Calgary Stampeders
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- BC Lions
- Ottawa REDBLACKS
Week 5 power rankings
1. Montréal Alouettes (35 points)
Even at 3-1, Montréal has yet to dominate for a full 60 minutes. Their largest margin of victory is seven points, and they have already gone to overtime twice in four weeks.
Tyson Philpot is proving to be a serious problem for defences and has put himself back in the conversation not only as the league’s best Canadian receiver, but as one of the CFL’s best receivers overall, alongside Kenny Lawler.
2. Edmonton Elks (33 points)
The Edmonton Elks have improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2017, when they opened the season 7-0. This time, they stayed perfect with a close win over the Blue Bombers.
They could just as easily be 0-3, but Edmonton has found ways to win, and that is often the mark of a good team. With three upcoming games against two winless opponents — the BC Lions in Weeks 5 and 7, and the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Week 6 — this is their chance to show they can handle the lower half of the league before the schedule gets tougher.
T3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (25 points)
Coming off a bye week, Hamilton drops one spot, but the 2-1 Tiger-Cats still look like the league’s top offensive unit right now.
With the Winnipeg Blue Bombers coming to town and Montréal on a bye, this is a perfect opportunity for Hamilton to prove it is the best team in the East Division.
T3. Saskatchewan Roughriders (25 points)
Saskatchewan’s injuries were noticeable last week, they will need to find ways to stay efficient while working through a thinner lineup.
5. Toronto Argonauts (18 points)
Back-to-back wins have put Toronto in position to enter the conversation as one of the top teams in the East. The question now is whether life as road warriors will catch up to the Argonauts sooner rather than later.
6. Calgary Stampeders (15 points)
Can the Stampeders build on their recent momentum and turn their season around after an 0-2 start? It will not get any easier, with Toronto up next in Week 5 before a back-to-back against the Montréal Alouettes in Weeks 6 and 7.
7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (13 points)
Collaros or Brown?
If Winnipeg does not start winning soon, the quarterback conversation is only going to get louder.
T9. BC Lions (6 points)
Defence, health, and bad luck remain the story after another disappointing loss.
It may be time for BC to reevaluate where it has invested its money, because that spending has not translated into wins.
T9. Ottawa REDBLACKS (6 points)
Two quarters and 29 points do not erase the previous 10 quarters of football, but they do offer some optimism about what this offence can become.
Can Ottawa carry that momentum into Friday’s home game against the Roughriders and begin turning its season around?
How each voter ranked the teams
- Blake: MTL / EDM / SSK / HAM / TOR / CGY / WPG / BC / OTT
- Coach Phil: MTL / EDM / HAM / SSK / TOR / WPG / CGY / BC / OTT
- Cole: MTL / EDM / TOR / SSK / HAM / CGY / WPG / OTT / BC
- Shane: EDM / MTL / HAM / SSK / TOR / CGY / WPG / OTT / BC
Week 5 schedule
- Toronto Argonauts (2-1) vs Calgary Stampeders (1-2)
- Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-1) vs Ottawa REDBLACKS (0-3)
- Edmonton Elks (3-0) vs BC Lions (0-3)
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-2) vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-1)