AMSOIL Energy Rankings: Making strikes

TORONTO — Week 15 created the right storm for some motion within the CFL.ca Energy Rankings offered by AMSOIL.

The Montreal Alouettes at the moment are 0-1-1 of their final two, together with Saturday’s tie with (nonetheless) ninth-ranked Calgary. The Ottawa REDBLACKS missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot and dropped a sport in Hamilton to a Tiger-Cats workforce that’s enjoying higher however continues to be ranked under them. With three groups — Winnipeg, Edmonton and Saskatchewan — all on byes this week, it was tough to stay to our almost-always adopted follow of not transferring groups whereas inactive.

We are saying that acknowledging that this follow was fully deserted this week. Montreal and Ottawa’s losses didn’t make them top-of-the-list contenders, with each needing to drop. That opened the door for a pair of groups coming off of bye weeks — Winnipeg and Edmonton — to maneuver into spots No. 1 and a couple of, respectively.

The Bombers transfer to the highest spot for the primary time this yr and for the primary time since Week 9 of the 2023 season.

Lastly, let’s give some like to this week’s No. 2 workforce. That is the best the Elks have sat in these rankings since Week 12 of the 2019 season, greater than 5 years in the past.

Let’s get into this week’s rankings, the place just one workforce stayed within the spot it held per week in the past.

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1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-6)

Final Week: 3
Final Sport: 26-21 win over Saskatchewan (Week 14)
Subsequent sport: At Edmonton, Sat. Sept. 21

Price noting: The Bombers have been susceptible in Week 15, sitting idle whereas the Lions had an opportunity to push them out of the highest spot within the West Division. To their nice delight, they head right into a pivotal pair of video games with the Elks nonetheless atop the West (and sure decrease on their priorities listing, atop these rankings). The Bombers’ upcoming home-and-home collection with the Elks provides them an opportunity to say one more season collection over a divisional rival. They’ve already taken the collection’ over Calgary, BC and Saskatchewan. Regardless of gradual begins from every workforce this yr, we ought to be in for a deal with from these golf equipment this week and subsequent.

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2. Edmonton Elks (5-8)

Final Week: 4
Final Sport: 37-16 win over Calgary (Week 14)
Subsequent sport: Vs. Winnipeg, Sat. Sept. 21

Price noting: The Elks head into this set of video games with the Bombers figuring out that their playoff hopes are tightly linked to them getting a minimum of a win — and ideally two — in opposition to the West’s high workforce. On the sphere, we’ll get to see a really fascinating brothers’ matchup unfold, as Tre Ford will get the beginning for the Elks in opposition to his brother Tyrell and his league-leading six interceptions for the Bombers. Now 5-1 after their 0-7 begin, the Elks are hoping to comply with the identical kind of path that the Bombers have, working their manner out the West’s cellar. The Elks have pushed the Stamps down into final place, however must hold climbing to earn their first playoff look since 2019.

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3. Montreal Alouettes (10-2-1)

Final Week: 1
Final Sport: 19-19 tie with Calgary
Subsequent Sport: At Ottawa, Sat. Sept. 21

Price noting: The Als drop from the highest spot after their 19-19 tie with the Stamps. With simply 292 yards of internet offence in opposition to the Stamps, the Als have simply 562 yards mixed of their final two video games. With a playoff spot locked up and the highest spot within the East probably theirs, may the Als have hit a rut, 13 video games into what’s been a powerful run for them? They’ll must get again into kind this week, as they head to TD Place, the place the REDBLACKS are hungry to clinch a playoff berth of their very own and would like to do it on the Als’ expense. An Ottawa win on Saturday would go away them simply two factors behind the Als for the East Division lead.

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4. Ottawa REDBLACKS (8-4-1)

Final Week: 2
Final Sport: 37-21 loss to Hamilton
Subsequent sport: Vs. Montreal, Sat. Sept. 21

Price noting: The REDBLACKS had a shot at ending their six-year/five-season playoff drought final week and laid an egg in opposition to the Ticats. The REDBLACKS can transfer previous this disappointing loss, nevertheless it gained’t be simple. Adarius Pickett is a type of heart-of-the-defence kind gamers, so if his harm is critical, defensive coordinator Barron Miles will miss him and the workforce will really feel his absence. Simply because the Als might want to get again on observe for Saturday’s sport, the Dru Brown and the REDBLACKS will must be in strike-first mode as they appear so as to add to their excellent (or just about excellent, at 6-0-1) file at TD Place. A win on Saturday will get them into the playoffs and could be a psychological increase in opposition to an Als workforce that dealt with them simply earlier this yr.

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5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-9)

Final Week: 6
Final sport: 37-21 win over Ottawa
Subsequent sport: At Toronto, Fri. Sept. 20

Price noting: As Pat Steinberg detailed in his MMQB column this week, the Ticats are on one thing of a tightrope as they attempt to piece collectively a last-gasp playoff run. To date, of their modest two-game win streak, they’re controlling what they will management: they’re getting a excessive stage of play from Bo Levi Mitchell and their offence, whereas the arrival of Chris Jones has introduced a defensive awakening, to the tune of a five-turnover sport this previous week of their win over the REDBLACKS. Add within the return risk of Lawrence Woods III and the Ticats have a myriad of how they will harm you and provides themselves an opportunity to win video games. Friday evening’s journey to BMO Area in Toronto is a giant one for them.

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6. Toronto Argonauts (7-6)

Final Week: 8
Final Sport: 33-17 win over BC
Subsequent sport: Vs. Hamilton, Fri. Sept. 20

Price noting: The Argos bounced again exceedingly properly from their tough Week 14 loss to the REDBLACKS with a dominant displaying in opposition to the Lions. Whereas the Lions’ offence had problems with its personal final week, don’t take something away from an Argos’ defence that held a combo of Nathan Rourke and Vernon Adams Jr. to only a mixed 185 passing yards, whereas their offence seemed to take a step ahead with Chad Kelly enjoying his fourth sport again with the workforce. A win over the Tiger-Cats on Friday would add some useful distance between the 2 groups within the standings and would dim the Ticats’ playoff hopes, however not extinguish them.

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7. BC Lions (7-7)

Final Week: 5
Final Sport: 33-17 loss to Toronto
Subsequent sport: Vs. Hamilton, Fri. Sept. 27

Price noting: The Lions had a shot at first within the West and as an alternative go right into a bye week shrouded in uncertainty. Their 7-7 file is a far cry from their 5-1 begin and once they get again on the sphere subsequent week, all eyes will likely be on whether or not it’s Nathan Rourke or Vernon Adams Jr. getting first-team reps. This isn’t the place anybody thought this workforce could be with simply 4 video games left on the common season schedule. The expertise is there on all sides of the ball to determine issues out and make a powerful push into the playoffs. That’ll have to start out in Week 17, when a Tiger-Cats workforce that will likely be powerful to tame makes its approach to city.

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8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-7-1)

Final Week: 7
Final Sport: 26-21 loss to Winnipeg (Week 14)
Subsequent sport: At Calgary, Fri. Sept. 20

Price noting: For all of their troubles, winless now of their final seven video games and clinging to the West’s third and last playoff spot, there’s nonetheless time for this membership to show issues round and assert itself over its last 5 video games. The Riders are nearing a vital level, although. The Elks are only a level behind them within the standings and the Stamps — a workforce with no scarcity of woes itself this yr — will attempt to soar again into the race on the Riders’ expense on Friday. The Riders have been inside a hair in so many of those current losses. They’ll must discover a approach to break by way of in the event that they wish to flip issues round.