I'm sure there are differing opinions on spots five-through-eight in particular this week. Still early in the year, so still plenty of changes on a week-to-week basis. Here's my take heading into Week 4. Best of luck this weekend.
Last week's ranking in parentheses
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1) Regina is bursting at the seams with Rider pride thanks to the team's perfect 3-0 start. Not only have the Riders reeled off three straight wins to open the year, they've also covered the spread in all three contests. Sunday's game against Hamilton looks like a gimme, but the Riders will have to be careful as they've had an extended layoff and could be missing QB Darian Durant.
2. B.C. Lions (2) Perhaps the Lions 'are who we thought they were'. Back-to-back dominating defensive efforts have B.C. back on track after that hiccup in Calgary to open the season. It's tough to guage offensive progress after watching the Lions slosh past the Eskimos in a washout at Commonwealth Stadium last weekend. It will be interesting to see which Lions offense shows up in a rematch with Edmonton at B.C. Place on Saturday.
3. Calgary Stampeders (4) You could make a strong case for the Stamps being in second spot ahead of the Lions, after all they did crush B.C. 44-32 back in Week 1. I still have some questions when it comes to the Calgary defense - last week's strong performance against the Als didn't say much given how bad the Montreal offense has been out of the gate. With back-to-back games against the Als and Bombers on deck, the Stamps should have a full head of steam before facing the Riders again on August 9th.
4. Toronto Argonauts (3) The Argos are finding life as the hunted rather than the hunters awfully tough. They're getting every team's best shot each week and currently find themselves with just one win through three games. A winnable matchup awaits with the Bombers on Thursday, but there's no question the Boatmen will need to tighten up their pass defense after giving up a pair of long scores over the top against the Riders last week.
5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5) Winnipeg couldn't build off of its big road win in Montreal a week earlier, falling in a narrow decision against the Ti-Cats last Saturday. With all four teams in the East Division stuck at 1-2, there's no need for the Bombers to panic, but they could certainly use a division win in front of the home faithful at brand new Investors Group Field.
6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8) I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the Ti-Cats as they do their best to tread water in the absence of Andy Fantuz. He means everything to this offense, especially with Chris Williams a holdout and Dave Stala sidelined. Kent Austin has called Fantuz doubtful to suit up this week against the Riders, meaning Hamilton will need to lean heavily on its inconsistent defense to keep it in the game for four quarters.
7. Montreal Alouettes (6) Last week I said it's important not to put too much stock in one bad result. Well, make it two stinkers in a row for the Alouettes. While it's far too early to panic, there are major reasons for concern in Montreal. With so much talent on hand, particularly on the offensive side of the football, there's reason to believe the Als can turn it around but they'll be in tough in Calgary this week. Losing veteran Scott Flory on an already struggling offensive line won't help matters.
8. Edmonton Eskimos (7) Perhaps dropping the Eskimos to last spot is a little harsh given the fact they've been involved in a pair of monsoon games. But when management says the team is rebuilding, I tend to put stock in that. The offense will continue to struggle but the defense can more than hold its own, as we've seen in the last couple of games. Consider this Saturday's tilt with B.C. in Vancouver as a true 'measuring stick' game.
Hot Forum Topics
