In The Huddle

By: Ed Tait Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2009

Power rankings

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/07/2009 (6221 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Power rankings

ONE man’s totally subjective rankings of the eight CFL teams after Week 4

(last week’s rank in parenthesis):

1. (1) MONTREAL ALOUETTES (4-0) — The best team in the land right now, hands down.

2. (3) CALGARY STAMPEDERS (2-2) — Starting to resemble the champs again… and still room for improvement.

3. (2) SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (2-2) — Reeling after dropping two straight and blowing a big lead vs. the Esks.

4. (4) HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (2-2) — Nobody looks good in Montreal, but that defence is opening eyes.

5. (7) EDMONTON ESKIMOS (2-2) — That second half in Regina looked more like it for Esk faithful.

6. (8) TORONTO ARGONAUTS (2-2) — Wasn’t pretty, but their win over the Bombers on the road was very workmanlike.

7. (5) B.C. LIONS (1-3) — Talent here, but some real problems, too.

8. (6) WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (1-3) — Do we really need to explain why they’re down here?

Juicy number — 1

THE number of pass completions longer than 20 yards for the Bombers this season. To put that number in perspective, consider this: The Montreal Alouettes have 11 completions longer than 20 yards this season, three of them for touchdowns.

FYI

IT hasn’t taken teams long to discover how to beat Gary Etcheverry’s unorthodox defence in Saskatchewan: by pounding the football along the ground. The Riders had 11 sacks over the first two games, but have just one QB kill in the last two games. As well, Montreal’s Avon Cobourne racked up 145 yards along the ground two weeks ago while Calvin McCarty and Arkee Whitlock combined for 139 yards in last weekend’s Edmonton victory. And when the Esks are racking up rushing yards it may be time to rethink your schemes… The Eskimos have been outscored 32-3 in first quarters this season… Odd to see two teammates trading blows on the field, as did Stamps’ defensive backs Dwight Anderson and Davanzo Tate last Friday in Vancouver. Apparently, it’s all good now. "It was two players with hot heads that bumped heads," Anderson told the Calgary Herald. "We got to the sidelines and it was cool. It’s something that never should’ve happened on the field, though. We should’ve took that to the sidelines and talked about it." Added head coach John Hufnagel: "They had their 15-, 20-second little marital spat and then they started playing football again."

Say what?!

"They went home quiet and we’re going home loud."

— Eskimos linebacker Maurice Lloyd, who heard his share of boos from fans in Regina — where he spent the last three years — after Edmonton posted a win last Saturday.