Even though they finished with a tie in Week One, the Calgary Stampeders are still on top of the CFL Power Rankings, ahead of the Edmonton Eskimos, who earned a win at B.C.
Week One was a different kind of week, with a lot of close results.
Calgary and Ottawa tied, Edmonton won by three at B.C., and Montreal edged Saskatchewan by a single point. The only one to flip the script was the Toronto Argonauts stomping the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
It's worth noting, then, that where teams are ranked after one week takes more into account than a single week's results. Yes, the Argos are in better shape than they would have been going into the first game of the season, but let's see them do it again before deciding that they are now good.
Calgary Stampeders
This Week: 1 | Last Week: 1 | Record: 0-0-1
-
PF
31
-
PA
31
-
DIFF
0
-
YDS/GM
441.0
-
YDSA/GM
416.0
The Stampeders had a tie at Ottawa in Week Three last season and it didn't seem to hurt them, so no need to get too worried about the Week One tie this season. QB Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 376 yards and a couple of scores and RB Jerome Messam added 84 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. Marquay McDaniel had 10 catches for 114 yards and the receiving depth responded, with DaVaris Daniels, Kamar Jordan and Lemar Durant all contributing.
Key Injuries: C Pierre Lavertu (neck), DL Cordarro Law (leg), LB Deron Mayo (knee).
Edmonton Eskimos
This Week: 2 | Last Week: 3 | Record: 1-0
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PF
30
-
PA
27
-
DIFF
+3
-
YDS/GM
414.0
-
YDSA/GM
355.0
Even with Adarius Bowman getting shut down, held to two catches for 13 yards, the Eskimos still earned the win at B.C. thanks to Brandon Zylstra and D'haquille Williams stepping up. The defence put the pressure on Lions QB Jonathon Jennings, sacking him five times, but they also have a hole to fill, with middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt suffering a torn Achilles.
Key Injuries: LB Cory Greenwood (knee), LB J.C. Sherritt (Achilles).
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
This Week: 5 | Last Week: 5 | Record: 0-1
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PF
15
-
PA
32
-
DIFF
-17
-
YDS/GM
232.0
-
YDSA/GM
524.0
It would be difficult for the Tiger-Cats to have a worse week than they had in Week One, getting stomped 32-15 at Toronto, while giving up 292 more yards to the Argos. They also lost WR Terrence Toliver for the season to a torn ACL, so they will have to hope for better things in Week Two.
Key Injuries: DB Emmanuel Davis (groin), DB Abdul Kanneh, WR Terrence Toliver (knee).
Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca