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CFL Week 4 power rankings

Jonathan Hamelin • July 28, 2010 • Comments (0)

1) Montreal Alouettes (3-1-0; LW: 2; Defeated Hamilton 37-14 in Week 4)

Montreal cemented themselves atop the East Division with an easy victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week. It wasn’t a flawless effort, as Montreal was forced to attempt eight field goals in the game and, but defeating one of their eastern rivals by that much is never a bad thing. The Alouettes will look to end the fairytale run of the Toronto Argonauts this week as the two teams square off in Montreal.

2) Calgary Stampeders (3-1-0; LW: 4; Defeated Saskatchewan 40-20 in Week 4)

After playing average football through the first three weeks of the season, posting a record of 2-1-0, the Stampeders showed they are capable of exploding. Calgary used a complete effort to stun the Riders. The defence put constant pressure on Durant and forced three interceptions, Henry Burris and the offence finally utilized the long ball and the Stampeders dominated the field position battle. The only question for Calgary is: Was their performance against Saskatchewan a fluke, or a sign of things to come?

3) Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-1-0; LW: 1; Lost 40-20 to Calgary in Week 4)

Talk about a wakeup call. In their loss to Calgary, Durant reverted to his ways from last season as he threw three interceptions. Furthermore, the defence failed to generate pressure on Burris and just didn’t have the same flare as usual. The Riders had been a fairly dominate team up to this point, but had some weaknesses exposed last week. Will these weaknesses be exploited by other teams, or was it merely a bad game for the Green and White?

4) Toronto Argonauts (3-1-0; LW: 3; Defeated British Columbia 24-20 in Week 4)

The Argonauts are 3-1-0, tied for first in the East with Montreal. No, don’t pinch yourself, this it not a dream. After another ugly victory, the Argonauts have a chance to jump into sole possession of first place with a win over the Alouettes. On offence, Cory Boyd has been the saviour for the Argonauts. He leads the league in rushing with 431 rushing yards. The defence and special teams have been making some key plays at big moments for Toronto this season.

5) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-2-0; LW: 8; Defeated Edmonton 47-21 in Week 4)

With Winnipeg’s saviour Buck Pierce injured heading into their game against Edmonton, fans expected the worse. To make matters worse, Edmonton, the “best 3-0 team ever”, was hungry for a win. However, it was the Bombers who picked up the much needed victory. Jyles performed admirably, going 14/22 with 267 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Winnipeg’s defence really shined, forcing three turnovers. The Bombers scored 21 points off said turnovers.

6) British Columbia Lions (1-3-0; LW: 7; Lost 24-20 to Toronto in Week 4)

BC is playing uninspired football. Travis Lulay, who replaced the injured Casey Printer for the Lions, was decent but threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. One of these was brought back 41 yards for a touchdown by Byron Parker, giving Toronto the lead for good. Running back Jamal Robertson’s productivity isn’t improving and BC’s run defence is still struggling.

7) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-3-0; LW: 5; Lost 37-14 to Montreal in Week 4)

After posting an impressive 28-7 victory over the Bombers in Week 4, Hamilton showed that they are still not ready to contend for first in the East. There are so many areas of concern for the Tiger-Cats. DeAndra’ Cobb is not aggressive when carrying the ball anymore, quarterback Kevin Glenn has been inconsistent and Arland Bruce III isn’t the same big-play receiver this season. The defence needs to improve.

8) Edmonton Eskimos (0-4-0; LW: 6; Lost 47-21 to Winnipeg in Week 4)

Well, the Eskimos may be the “best 4-0 team ever”, but this is of little comfort to their fans. Edmonton’s latest debacle, a 47-21 trouncing at the hands the Bombers, was ugly. Ricky Ray struggled throwing to interceptions and the Eskimos allowed 21 points off of turnovers. If the Eskimos couldn’t beat a team with an inexperienced quarterback starting, who can they beat?

Biggest Rise: Winnipeg, +3

Biggest Drop: Saskatchewan, -2; Hamilton, -2; Edmonton, -2

About the Author

An aspiring journalist who has a freelance contract with the Regina Leader-Post and is a veteran online CFL columnist. Hamelin currently attends the University of Regina and is enrolled in the pre-journalism program. After this year, he will apply for the school of journalism. Hamelin has had work published in his highschool paper, university paper, Regina's paper and a number of online sites. For a look at all of his work, visit http://jonathansjournalismportfolio.webs.com/

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