Another week of CFL football is in the books, and with the regular season almost over, there’s plenty to talk about!
Edmonton has officially clinched first place in the West, Calgary took care of business but now has to wait, Saskatchewan finally snapped its losing streak, and yes, Ottawa actually won a football game!
So, how does all of this impact my latest CFL Power Rankings? Let’s get into it.
1. Montreal Alouettes (—)
Montreal stays at number one despite the 16-12 loss to Saskatchewan. The Alouettes were playing with plenty of backups and still managed to keep things close against a desperate Riders team that needed this win.
I thought Montreal’s defence played very well, and Dustin Crum, making his first start for Montreal, did what he needed to do.
For me, there wasn’t anything in this game that justified moving Montreal out of the top spot. This is still a very good football team heading into the playoffs.
2. Edmonton Elks (↑ 1)
The Edmonton Elks have officially clinched first place in the West following their 35-27 win over Winnipeg, and this team continues to impress me.
Justin Rankin looks like he’s back to his best, rushing for 133 yards, while Cody Fajardo made some great plays with his legs, finishing with 72 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
But what really stands out to me is this defence. It’s crazy how tough this group looks right now, and they’re playing some really good football at the perfect time.
For me, Edmonton is the team to beat in the West, and they’re my pick to represent the division in the Grey Cup.
3. BC Lions (↓ 1)
BC was just meh this week in their 32-13 loss to Calgary. Even when their starters were in the game, they looked fine. Nothing great, but nothing terrible either.
The offence didn’t do much after halftime, and the Lions were held scoreless in the second half.
There wasn’t enough in this performance to justify dropping them any further, but they certainly didn’t do anything to move up either.
I still think BC is a very good football team, but this wasn’t exactly the kind of performance that gets you excited heading into the playoffs.
4. Calgary Stampeders (↑ 2)
Calgary took care of business, and for me, they played some really good football. All three phases of the game looked great, and this was one of their most impressive performances of the season.
Vernon Adams Jr. played great, throwing for 324 yards, and even without Dedrick Mills, the running game had no issues getting things going. Deonta McMahon stepped up with 105 rushing yards, while the defence shut BC out in the second half.
I also want to congratulate kicker René Paredes on an amazing way to close out his final regular-season game. What a career he’s had, and what a way to finish it!
The tough part for Calgary is that despite such an impressive win, they now have to sit and wait. They did everything they needed to do, but sadly, it still might not be enough to get them into the playoffs.
5. Toronto Argonauts (↓ 1)
Well, where do I even start with this one?
Poor clock management, bad defence and some costly penalties ended up costing Toronto in their 40-39 loss to Ottawa.
The Argos had the lead with just 30 seconds remaining and somehow still found a way to lose to a team that hadn’t won a game all season.
I went into much more detail about everything that went wrong for Toronto in my recent article about Ottawa’s first win, so go ahead and give that one a read.
Ottawa REDBLACKS Finally Get Their First Win of 2026
But seriously, Toronto, learn how to manage a clock!
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (↓ 1)
Ugh. Winnipeg, what are we doing here?
You had this game under control and somehow managed to let Edmonton’s running game make you look stupid. Rankin finished with 133 rushing yards, while Fajardo added another 72 on the ground.
Add in the turnovers and some really bad football, and this was just a disappointing performance all around.
To be honest, I’m disappointed. Like a dad who finds out his kid has been stealing his beer. That’s the level of disappointment we’re talking about here.
The Bombers can still make the playoffs with a win, but I really didn’t like how they closed out this game. For a team that still has something to play for, you need to be better than that.
7. Saskatchewan Roughriders (—)
I know Saskatchewan won, and congratulations on locking up a playoff spot, but can we talk about how bad they looked for most of this game?
The Riders really didn’t play good football until the final 90 seconds. Trevor Harris looked frustrated throughout the game, almost like Max Scherzer when someone comes out to pull him off the mound.
The defence did look better this week, and there were some improvements, but they’re still missing way too many tackles. It’s a step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of work to do.
Look, a win is a win, and Saskatchewan needed this one badly. But if this team wants to make any noise in the playoffs, they need to play a whole lot better than what we saw this week.
For now, the Riders stay at number seven.
8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (—)
Hamilton didn’t play this week, so there’s really not much to say here.
No game, no movement. The Tiger-Cats stay at number eight.
8.5. Ottawa REDBLACKS (↑ 0.5)
THEY FINALLY DID IT!
After 16 straight losses, the Ottawa REDBLACKS finally picked up their first win of the 2026 season, and you know what? I’m rewarding them with a move up to 8.5 in my Power Rankings!
Bryson Barnes had a great game in his first CFL start, throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 62 yards on the ground.
For the first time in a long time, Ottawa actually looked like a team with some hope.
Now, let’s not get carried away. This season has been a disaster, and one win doesn’t change that. But could this be something Ottawa can build on heading into 2027? I think there’s reason to be optimistic.
I went into much more detail about Barnes, the win and what it means for Ottawa’s future in my recent article.
Ottawa REDBLACKS Finally Get Their First Win of 2026
For now, congratulations Ottawa! You’ve officially earned the very prestigious 8.5 spot in The Analyst Desk CFL Power Rankings!
Final Thoughts
With the playoffs almost here, Montreal and Edmonton continue to look like the teams to beat, while Calgary has done everything it can to stay alive.
Saskatchewan finally got back in the win column, but I’m still not convinced they’re ready for playoff football, and Winnipeg has plenty of questions to answer.
And Ottawa? Well, at least they won’t finish the season winless!
With one final week to go, there’s still plenty to be decided. Who do you think should be higher or lower in my rankings? Let me know in the comments!
