Lefko's CFL Power Rankings: Week 5 - sportsnet.ca

Previous Power Rankings

TW	LW	Team	Our Take
1	1	(5-0-0)	Lucky to be good and good to be lucky. Beat Toronto by one point and Eskimos weren’t jumping for joy. The timekeeper gave them three cracks from the one-yard line with five seconds to go in the first half and they made good use of the opportunity. Bottom line is when you have quarterback Ricky Ray and receiver Fred Stamps and you win the battle of the turnovers against a struggling team, you’re going to prevail. Best record since 1980.
2	3	(4-1-0)	A great win by the Bombers while playing with heavy hearts following the sudden death of assistant head coach/defensive line coach Richard Harris. Just might be a game that the team can collectively use a motivating force all season. Bombers got some unexpected production from backup quarterback Alex Brink following the latest injury by starter Buck Pierce, and another stellar effort by the defence. Four wins in the first five games is not bad considering Bombers won only four games in 18 last year. If Edmonton is the surprise of the West – and they are – Winnipeg is the surprise of the East.
3	4	(3-2-0)	Ticats are on a nice roll with three consecutive wins. An emphatic win over Montreal showcased big plays by their playmakers, including two touchdowns by ex-Als receiver Dave Stala, and continued quality passing by Kevin Glenn. Remember when there were some rabid Ticats fans wanting him to be replaced by Quinton Porter? He has seven touchdowns and no picks in last three games. Running back Avon Cobourne backed up his Twitter talk by running and catching the ball. The defence gave up a ton of passing yards, but confused Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo. Crowd of 24,000-plus deserves credit for making noise and throwing off the Als’ attack.
4	5	(3-2-0)	Undefeated on the road, and that’s impressive. Quarterback Henry Burris is slowly starting to find his rhythm. Stamps don’t win by many, but a win is a win. Robert McCune, converted from defensive lineman to middle linebacker, is becoming a force. The ground game may have had its best game of the year with both Joffrey Reynolds and Jon Cornish making some tough yards. And kicker Rene Paredes bounced back from two sub-par games and made the difference on the scoreboard.
5	2	(3-2-0)	The champs have come crashing down to earth. Two losses in a row is a rarity for Montreal. Even with quarterback Anthony Calvillo in the lineup, the Als looked rattled against the Ticats. What’s happened to the running game the last two games? And what about the defence, notably against the run? Since the impressive win over Toronto two games ago, the Als have started to show some chinks in their armour. Injuries to key Canadian players are becoming an issue.
6	6	(1-4-0)	The hoopla over the one-game winning streak ended with a loss to Calgary. The Roughriders are winless at home this year, and it harkens back to the bad-old days in Riderville when opponents came to town and rolled over the home team. Latest loss showcased some earlier problems this year, notably dropped balls by receivers, in particular a sure touchdown catch dropped by Jason Clermont. Not quite sure why the Riders aren’t giving quarterback Darian Durant more opportunities to run. He plays his best when moving around and had a grand total of two for 10 – the longest a nine-yard run for a touchdown – after seven for 71 against Montreal the week before.
7	7	(1-4-0)	Quite simply, the Argos have to wonder what else can go wrong? They are not getting any help from the officials, and on top of that they continue to turn over the ball far too much. Backup quarterback Dalton Bell didn’t answer the bell, so to speak, when given the chance to start. The one positive this season is that the Argos have developed a ground game with backup Chad Kackert, who is proving to be a good fill-in for Cory Boyd. As long as he can secure the ball – and it’s been an issue – he provides the Argos with a way to develop a ground game to offset their aerial attack issues. The defence is still working hard, so overall the Argos just need a break or two.
8	8	(0-5-0)	Is this becoming Groundhog Day or what? Dropped balls, missed passes and another curious decision by head coach Wally Buono. It’s no wonder owner David Braley decided to make an emergency visit to the Lions’ headquarters. The season is slowly sliding away for B.C., and there are so many areas that need to be addressed. The question is where? The back end and the receiving corps are both a mess. Tad Kornegay has been signed; it’s just a matter of where he plays on the defence because he’s versatile enough to play various positions. Tim Brown is becoming a multi-purpose playmaker as a running back/receiver and a returner.

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