3DownNation CFL power rankings: B.C. Lions’ misery mounts as Nathan Rourke goes down

Photo courtesy: Dustin Bowdige/B.C. Lions

Week 7 of the CFL season is officially in the books, and a third of the way into the season, we’ve already identified the legitimate contenders.

Montreal, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton appear to be a cut above their competitors and have all figured out how to win close games. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is mud-wrestling in the middle of the pack, rising and falling with every bloody nose. That is, except for one franchise, which is off in the corner, drowning in a puddle.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having our contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. Each team’s most recent ranking is listed in brackets.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on social media for anything you think we got wrong.

Photo courtesy: Leah Hennel/CFL.

1) Montreal Alouettes (1)

Montreal flew out to a commanding lead in Calgary, then raised some concerns by making things way too close for comfort at the end. Undrafted Canadian receiver Kaseem Ferdinand played hero with his first CFL touchdown in the dying minutes, before rookie cornerback Faion Hicks secured the win with a forced fumble in their own red zone. Despite the scare, quarterback Davis Alexander put on a show with 402 yards and three touchdowns through the air, setting a new CFL record for the most consecutive completions thrown without an interception.

Photo: Tanner Piper/Piper Sports Photography/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

2) Saskatchewan Roughriders (2)

Football is a distant secondary concern in Saskatchewan after their bye week, as the team was informed on Sunday that veteran linebacker and special teams captain Jayden Dalke had been killed in a car accident. The 30-year-old from Leduc, Alta., was in his fifth CFL season and had just recently returned from injury. The news was met with an outpouring of support from across the CFL community. The Riders are scheduled to return to practice on Monday in preparation for Thursday Night Football, though it is unclear whether the schedule will be further affected by this tragedy.

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks

3) Edmonton Elks (3)

The Elks offence had an ugly outing against B.C., as league-leading rusher Justin Rankin was held to nine yards on the ground. However, the defence bailed them out with a smothering performance, generating four sacks and four interceptions to hold their opponent to just 213 net yards. The best sign came in the stands, where over 20,000 fans returned to Commonwealth Stadium to celebrate their new winning football team.

Photo courtesy: CFL.ca/Patrick Doyle

4) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5)

It was an unsightly performance from the Bombers in Ottawa, as the offence was stagnant for three quarters and got away with a handful of turnover-worthy plays. Everything flipped in the fourth quarter, as Winnipeg scored 17 unanswered points to force overtime and ultimately prevailed in the CFL’s first-ever two-point shootout. Dru Brown played much worse than his 317-yard, two-touchdown stat line might suggest, but emerged as the victor in his revenge game against Ryan Dinwiddie and the Redblacks.

Photo courtesy: Leah Hennel/CFL.ca

5) Calgary Stampeders (4)

Vernon Adams Jr. still hasn’t thrown a pick this year, tying Ricky Ray for the most touchdown passes without an interception to start a season with 17. However, Calgary fell short on their comeback attempt for a second consecutive week, as Erik Brooks followed up a game-tying touchdown with a game-losing fumble on the final drive. Dedrick Mills and Jalen Philpot ensured there will be plenty of positives to take from the disappointing result, though that didn’t ease Dave Dickenson’s frustration with the officials after the game.

Photo courtesy: CFL.ca

6) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

Either reports of the Ticats’ demise have been greatly exaggerated or Tre Ford has the power to bring back the dead. Either way, a hard-fought victory this week proved the Tabbies aren’t entirely down and out without Bo Levi Mitchell. The Canadian quarterback looked comfortable in his first start, amassing 218 yards passing and 109 yards rushing, keeping Hamilton competitive despite a rash of offensive line injuries that forced 267-pound Global tight end Maximilian Mang to play right guard.

Photo courtesy: CFL.ca

7) Toronto Argonauts (7)

The Double Blue came tantalizingly close to making Hamilton Stadium feel like home, but came up short by a single point. Veteran kicker Lirim Hajrullahu sent a 31-yard game-winner wide left on the final play, adding salt to a wounded performance that included another missed field goal and a shanked extra point. The defence’s struggles continued against a mobile quarterback, and Chad Kelly added another interception to his already hefty tally. Thankfully, there is just one week remaining in their life on the road.

Photo courtesy: Dustin Bowdige/B.C. Lions

8) B.C. Lions (6)

Life has suddenly become much more difficult for the Lions, as superstar quarterback Nathan Rourke was knocked out of Friday’s loss to Edmonton on the second play from scrimmage. The left shoulder injury is not believed to be season-ending, but backup Chase Brice struggled mightily in relief and threw four interceptions. That will put a significant damper on their much-anticipated return to BC Place next week, despite another dramatically improved defensive effort and renewed fire on special teams following the hiring of old-school coordinator Dennis McKnight.

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

9) Ottawa Redblacks (9)

The Redblacks have never met a football game they couldn’t lose. The latest embarrassment on Sunday night involved them being stonewalled three times at the goal line, throwing a pick in the end zone, dropping four interceptions, and allowing a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime, before they went with soft zone coverage to allow consecutive two-point converts in the shootout. At 0-6, their odds of making the playoffs are next to nil, as only one team in CFL history has ever overcome such a putrid start.