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Perry Lefko's Power Rankings: July 27, 2009

TW LW Team Our Take
1 1 This team is just too good. Yes, the Als didn’t cover the spread of 13½ points, winning by only 13, but let’s not quibble. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo, now second all time in the CFL in touchdown passes, had another stellar outing, throwing for 404 yards and completing better than 75 percent of his passes, and utilizing seven different receivers. The offensive line didn’t yield one sack. Defensively, the Als recorded four sacks, including two by rush end Anwar Stewart, one of Jim Lang’s favourite players. While the Als surrended 353 yards in the air, they neutralized the Ticats’ ground game.
2 4 The Grey Cup champions are starting to put it together. For the second consecutive week, they demolished the opposition. Okay, they beat Toronto and then B.C., who are not among the elite teams, but it’s the manner in which they are dominating the opposition, with production from all three phases of the game. The ground game with feature running back Joffrey Reynolds is starting to come together, and quarterback Henry Burris is getting it going with his receivers. Newcomer Jermaine Jackson looked good in his debut, and he’ll become more important with Ken-Yon Rambo likely sidelined indefinitely. Jeremaine Copeland is playing like a veteran on a mission. To use a Jim Lang expression, he’s stoked. The defence is unveiling some new stars, notably Odell Willis, to complement Mike Labinjo. Cornerback Brandon Browner is absolutely punishing the opposition. He is the best corner in the league and possibly the best defensive player overall.
3 3 There is absolutely no shame in losing 21-8 to Montreal, particularly on the road. The Ticats showed some moxy in defeat. They are still developing as a team, particularly at quarterback. Quinton Porter is having a hard time scoring touchdowns, but having veteran Kevin Glenn in relief is a good thing. I think the Ticats should start Glenn next time out, if only to prevent rushing and ruining Porter. The Ticats are not losing because of Porter, but he needs to be more productive. The Ticats’ defence is still among the better units in the league. Despite giving up more than 500 yards, it really didn’t get blown apart. For the Ticats to be 2-2 at this stage is a credit to their evolution as a team with new personnel.
4 7 The Eskimos had every reason to fold after falling behind 22-0 to Saskatchewan on the road, particularly after turning the ball over repeatedly. It was gut-check time for quarterback Ricky Ray, who had been guilty of making some bad reads, but he showed his mental toughness. The decision to stick with the ground game paid dividends, and the combination of running backs Calvin McCarty and Arkee Whitlock, both of whom have also battled through some tough times early in the season, will benefit tremendously from the win over the Roughriders. Credit the defence for buckling down in the second half.
5 2 Blowing a 22-0 lead at home, particularly with all the emotion of the ’89 Grey Cup reunion, is something that will surely stick in the craw of the Roughriders. What is becoming an issue now is the amount of points surrendered by the defence, which was unstoppable in the first two games. Have the league’s offensive co-ordinators caught up to the quirky schemes of Riders’ co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry? Possibly. Of more significance is the loss of two key players, rush end John Chick and linebacker Carlos Armour. If there is one consolation, both players are imports and it is easier to replace them than Canadians. Now the Riders go on the road for two games, beginning with Calgary, and it will be interesting to see how they fare.
6 8 Beating Winnipeg 19-5 is nothing great, but the Argos were playing with a makeshift receiving corps and head coach Bart Andrus had to deal with the whole Arland Bruce situation. One of the more interesting stories on the team is the emergence of the kicking game which was terrible last season. Rookie Justin Medlock, who took over from fellow rookie Eddie Johnson after the first game, has not missed a field goal, which is important when touchdowns are at a premium. The defence is getting some great production from leaders such as Kevin Eiben, Adriano Belli and rookie Lin-J Shell.
7 6 Completely overwhelmed by Calgary, the Lions now have an issue at quarterback. Buck Pierce faltered as the starter, and unlike the last game Jarious Jackson flopped in relief. Personally, I think Jackson should have started, which was a mistake by head coach Wally Buono, who has always stuck by his decisions on the starting quarterbacks. It should be noted that the Stamps are ferocious on defence, much more so than the Eskimos, whom the Lions beat the week before, so the loss showed some flaws on offence. There is an issue with the offensive line, and clearly the team misses Rob Murphy, who moved on to Toronto as a free agent. For the Lions to be successful they need to get the ball in the hands of receivers Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson, but they are going through a transition with Jackson played in a new position and the other members showing little at this point. Buono needed only five wins coming into the season to become the all-time winning head coach in CFL history, but this could be a long season for him reaching that mark.
8 5 This is the worst football team I’ve seen in years – offensively, that is. I thought the Argos with John Huard in 2000 were brutal, but Mike Kelly is following a similar pattern of stubbornness. He is the head coach/offensive co-ordinator and he’s failing on both fronts. He has done an abysmal as an evaluator of his quarterbacks and has created a system that is a laughable. Imagine, thinking a shotgun formation is for flag football! If he was the offensive co-ordinator, he might have been fired by now. Clearly the receiving corps is frustrated. Because it’s an eight-team league and six make the playoffs, Kelly still has a shot to turn this thing around. If the team doesn’t show marked improvement in the return game in Toronto, you have to wonder how long Bombers’ president Lyle Bauer, who is Kelly’s buddy, will allow this to continue. The sad part is the defence is playing its heart out and deserves better.
 

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