Lefko's CFL power rankings: Week 10 - sportsnet.ca

Previous Power Rankings

TW	LW	Team	Our Take
1	1	(7-2-0)	Swaggerville received a bigtime schooling in Riderville. Perhaps the Bombers had far too much cockiness and not enough respect for a team that had the extreme opposite record of their own. This was the second game in a row the Bombers showed some cracks in their defensive armour, which is their strength. They had trouble getting by Hamilton, which turned around and whipped Montreal good. Some early mistakes in the kicking game set the stage for what would be a series of failures to execute overall by the team. Quarterback Buck Pierce never got into any kind of rhythm. Maybe the Bombers needed to be brought back down to reality. The rematch this Sunday in Winnipeg will be a test of the Bombers' ability to bounce back in front of the fans against a team that has some momentum and may be playing with the addition of key receivers Andy Fantuz and Cary Koch.
2	5	(6-3-0)	Go figure. Just when you thought this team was going to continue to plummet, they pull one out of the helmet, so to speak, and thoroughly embarrass Calgary. Goes to show you what time off can do. Eskimo general manager Eric Tillman said following the team's loss before the break that "action" and "accountability" would be the operative words. There were some interesting personnel moves, and some of their healthier players returned to the lineup, notably in the receiving corps. Let's not overlook what the defence did and why. Rookie head coach Kavis Reed is a former defensive player and co-ordinator. He knew that the defence had to step up independent of the offence, and it did creating numerous turnovers. Mainly what the victory proved is that with a fairly healthy lineup, the Eskimos really weren't as bad as their last two games indicated. When receiver Fred Stamps returns, it will make an even bigger impact. But can the Eskimos sweep Calgary now that they've revealed their hand?
3	4	(5-4-0)	If the Tiger-Cats could play Montreal at home more often they'd be tough to stop. That's twice this season they've frustrated the Als at Ivor Wynne. Goes to show what the crowd can do. The Ticats could have folded after giving up an early turnover that produced an instant touchdown for the Als, but they rebounded quickly. There is clearly some energy and leadership that is emerging on this team in all three phases of the game. For at least one game, former Als running back Avon Cobourne made a statement to his former team which opted not to re-sign him. I'm not saying it was the wrong move because there's nothing wrong with Brandon Whitaker. Let's see how the Ticats handle a crowd that isn't in their favour in the rematch on Sunday. With a win, the Ticats can set their sights on Winnipeg. If they lose, it's a completely different situation. If centre Marwan Hage is hurt and can't play, it's a huge loss. He might be the best centre in the league.
4	2	(6-3-0)	Just when it looked as if the Stamps had put it all together, they produce a stinker in Calgary against Edmonton. Did they take the Eskimos too lightly? The Stamps have had problems this year at home. Quarterback Henry Burris had a Bad Hank day and got into it with the fans, who clearly are not all on his side. And it's not an isolated incident. Unless Burris lights it up at home, criticism is directed his way. Playing on the road in Edmonton four days after the loss may be the best thing for the Stamps. On another issue, I've said it before and I'll repeat it, the Stamps have to find a way to make running back Joffrey Reynolds more involved in the game. He is a 1,000-yard rushing guy who is a good receiver, too. Ride this horse or find a way to get him and backup Jon Cornish on the field together at the same time, using a two-back set with one of them flaring out as a receiver.
5	3	(5-4-0)	Something is amiss with this team. For the first time since Marc Trestman became head coach in 2008, this team appears to be vulnerable and frustrated. Failing to punch it in from the one-yard line is indicative of some subtle cracks in the offence. Were it not for receiver Jamel Richardson finding tons of open room against Hamilton, this latest loss could have been much worse - and it was pretty bad. The fact the back end has been decimated by injuries and they have cornerback Dwight Anderson playing as a DB adds issues back there. But more than anything, quarterback Anthony Calvillo is starting to take some vicious shots. He was slow to get up after a hellacious hit against the Ticats. You wonder if the upper and lower body blows are starting to catch up because he's just now throwing and moving with the same efficiency.
6	8	(2-7-0)	Beating the league-leading Bombers is a big deal, particularly off a coaching switch. There was a sense of inspiration that returning head coach Ken Miller brought to the team that clearly wasn't there with deposed coach Greg Marshall and offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry. For one game, at least, quarterback Darian Durant looked like the quality player he was starting to become instead of the one whose production plummeted. He ran with the ball, made some timely throws and his receivers didn't botch the catches. One game does not make a season but after B.C.'s win, the Riders had to do something or sit in the basement and lose ground. If Fantuz and Koch are back for the rematch, it makes the Riders one of the teams to watch in the final nine games. The rematch in Winnipeg will be interesting.
7	6	(3-6-0)	You could make the argument that B.C. should be higher up than Saskatchewan because it has a better record and is on a two-game win streak and that both of the victories came on the road. But beating Edmonton at its mercy point and then defeating Toronto, which is a bad team, isn't quite like beating an upper-echelon squad. What it speaks to, however, is that the Lions are starting to improve because they ditched the 3-4 defence and receiver Arland Bruce has added experience to the receiving corps. I picked this team to win the Grey Cup because I thought quarterback Travis Lulay was ready to progress to the next step. I thought he's been the victim of too many dropped passes this year by his receivers and simply too much emotion himself. Maybe the benching allowed him to settle down.
8	7	(2-7-0)	You look at every team in the league and the various changes in personnel and see why Toronto is so far behind the pack. Until his release on Tuesday, the Argos have stuck with a quarterback, Cleo Lemon, who has yet to prove he can win a game singlehandedly in a year and a half, and a backup, Dalton Bell, who has yet to seize the opportunities given to him. Steven Jyles is ready to be the starter after missing the first half of the season recovering from the off-season shoulder surgery that also led to him being traded from Winnipeg. The receiving corps isn't any good. Aside from the return to respectability of returner Chad Owens, the Argos show no signs of moving forward. It says here Jim Barker, the head coach, needs to call the offensive plays, while Jim Barker, the GM, needs to seriously upgrade the personnel.

latest CFL news

headlines