Week 8 came to an end last night to cap off a great week of football. It was a seesaw battle between Edmonton and Saskatchewan, with Edmonton sealing off a 36-34 win. Calgary won big in Winnipeg, with the Calgary offence taking the stage with a 52-30 victory. Toronto got back into the win column with a 26-12 win in BC. To end off the week, Montreal pulled off a 4th-quarter comeback, beating Hamilton 31-18.
Hello CFL Fans! Here are your CFL News Hub Power Rankings after Week 8.
1 – Edmonton Elks
Record: 6-1
Previous ranking: 2
This had all the makings of being an instant classic for both teams. Edmonton entered Regina, Saskatchewan, in one of the most hostile environments in the CFL. On record, it was an advantage for Saskatchewan. However, Edmonton did match the execution in a game that came down to the wire.
Justin Rankin had difficulties once again, as the Saskatchewan defence kept him in check. He did contribute to the offence at key moments during an Edmonton drive, both on the ground and in aerial attack. Offensively, the Elks had their best overall performance this season. As good as the offence has been this season, the spreading of the ball was more prevalent in this game. With the running game becoming a non-factor, Cody Fajardo put the passing game on his back and exposed the Roughriders’ defence. Cody was able to spread the ball to his usual go-to target, Austin Mack, for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns. TJ Luther contributed with 157 receiving yards, followed by Kaion Julien-Grant for 68 yards, along with Brendon O’Leary-Orange with 59 yards and 1 touchdown. Cody Fajardo finished off with an impressive 25-for-32 pass completions, 510 passing yards, 4 touchdown passes, with 0 interceptions.
The game would end with Vincent Blanchard sealing the Edmonton victory with a 57-yard boot to give Edmonton the win with 00:04 left in the game.
Next game: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, vs. Saskatchewan.
Record: 6-1
Previous ranking: 1
Montreal was looking to extend their win total when they hosted Hamilton. It was also a big advantage in their favour, as Tre Ford would be the starting quarterback for Hamilton. Montreal approached this game not to take anything for granted, as Tre Ford could break out and make it a big problem for the Alouettes defence.
Although Hamilton experienced issues with the offence, their defence made it difficult for the Montreal offence to counter. With that said, Montreal was forced to play a chippy game.
Entering the 4th quarter, Montreal looked to shift the tone of the game when down 18-17. With the offence struggling, it was the Montreal defence that bailed out the Montreal offence and set them up for success. Montreal owned the 4th quarter to shut down the Hamilton offence and put the ball in the hands of Davis Alexander. Davis Alexander did what he does best in not taking anything for granted and orchestrating the offence. Montreal would score a much-needed 14 points with special teams, along with a lone touchdown. It was not pretty. Good teams find ways to win.
Next game: Friday, July 31st, 2026, in Ottawa.
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 3
After laying a thumping to Hamilton 38-7 in Week 6, followed by a bye in Week 7, the Riders were scheduled with the most improved team in the CFL, Edmonton.
With both teams with only 1 loss to their credit thus far, this had the makings of some great Western-style football.
Saskatchewan played their brand of football. However, especially in the first half, Edmonton matched Saskatchewan's output. It was like a heavyweight boxing match going jab-for-jab and punch-for-punch.
Edmonton would win the 12th-round bout by using the clock to their advantage to seal the game with a walk-on field goal.
It was a winnable game for both teams. Sometimes it’s the team with the last possession that wins the game. Sometimes it’s the team that makes a big stop when it matters most to close out the game. The only negative for Saskatchewan was no points scored in the 3rd quarter.
The fun will continue, as Saskatchewan now heads to Edmonton for a back-to-back game in week 9.
Next game: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, in Edmonton.
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 5
If Calgary’s defence can come to full form and match the offence, it would be an ugly affair for the opposition. With Vernon Adams Jr. steering the herd, the offence would come to play.
The Calgary defence was the prancing horse in this game, where they forced Dru Brown to put the ball in harm's way. Dru Brown was pressured in this game, resulting in Calgary obtaining 4 interceptions. Three of these picks came from Ben Labrosse.
One of the most impressive milestones occurred in this game involving Tyreik McAllister. He became the only player in league history to score a touchdown in three different ways. In the rarest performance in CFL history, Tyreik McAllister recorded a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown, and a special teams return touchdown off a missed Winnipeg field goal.
In the end, the Calgary offence was too much for Winnipeg, resulting in a 52-30 win. Vernon Adams Jr. is playing lights-out football when it comes to the quarterback position. He now has 20 touchdown passes, to 0 interceptions.
Next game: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, in Hamilton.
Record: 4-3
Previous ranking: 4
The Blue Bombers were seeking some consistency as a football team. They had a big test against Vernon Adams Jr., as he has been interception-free this season.
Brady Oliveira had to shoulder a big load with 14 carries, 128 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns, with a 9.1 average yards per carry. Dru Brown had a rough day with the pressure from the Calgary front seven. The Blue Bomber defence was tested heavily by the Calgary offence, giving up 407 yards.
The problems were too common, as Winnipeg created a total of 6 turnovers.
On a positive note, with a 4-3 record and a lot of football left to play, the Bombers need to learn from this game and make the necessary adjustments.
On that note, they need to play at their best and not take BC lightly, regardless of their record. The West Division is still wide open, and it's still out for the taking.
Next game: Thursday, July 30th, 2026, vs. BC.
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 7
The Boatmen entered their Week 8 schedule on the road in Vancouver. Riding on a current three-game losing streak, the Double Blue wanted to keep within pace of the East Division.
Things appeared to work in Toronto’s favour as they were able to stretch the Leo’s secondary. Chad Kelly took some big shots towards his targets, and it paid off.
Unfortunately for Chad Kelly, he would suffer a neck injury with 02:24 left in the 2nd quarter when sliding at the end of a play. Darnell Sankey would be hit with the penalty. He would not continue the remainder of the game. The positive in this was Nick Arbuckle came into relief. Toronto does have probably the best quarterback room when it comes to a 1-2 punch. With that said, the last thing the Argos wanted was another body down.
Injuries are never escapable in pro football. Kelly now joins Bo Levi Mitchell, Zack Collaors, and Nathan Rourke as starting quarterbacks who are currently on an injury list.
Nick Arbuckle did a lot of good things protecting the football. The Toronto defence played their best game of the season. The only offence from BC was from Sean Whyte with 4 field goals.
Next game: Toronto will be on a bye in Week 9. Their next home game will be on Thursday, August 6th, 2026, vs. Calgary. This will be their official home opener. Just as BC was displaced for the 2026 World Cup, the Argos finally return home to continue their 2026 season.
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 6
Hamilton went into Montreal looking to see if Trey Ford could play as he did in Week 7 with their 24-23 win over Toronto. He had a breakout game in Week 7. It was not the flashy numbers for Trey Ford. For Trey Ford, it was the way he was able to put his dual-threat talents to work against a defence. Add in that Hamilton does have a stingy defence; the possibility of an upset was a reality for Hamilton.
Hamilton faced a wall on both sides of the ball in Montreal. The offence struggled to take advantage of opportunities when it was a close game. Hamilton had to punt the ball seven times for the duration of the game as the offence sputtered on too many occasions. The Hamilton defence did what they could do vs. one of the most potent offences in the CFL.
Issah Wooden had a big game with 4 punt returns, 148 yards, and 1 touchdown, with his longest return of 100 yards. Jordan Crook was a monster on the field with a 10-tackle night.
Next game: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, vs. Calgary.
8 – BC Lions
Record: 1-5
Previous ranking: 8
The one thing going for BC this season is that they have been good at shutting down a running game since Week 5. This was evident in both games vs. Edmonton. They did a good job doing it again vs. the Argos. More importantly, this was their official home opener after being displaced in Kelowna, BC during the 2026 World Cup.
It is no secret that without a proven quarterback, it is hard to get an offence to click simultaneously. Chase Brice was unable to get the engine started for the Lions’ offence.
Kaidon Salter would enter the game with only 05:57 left in the game to possibly give the BC offence some life and play for pride. He did a good job moving the ball and extending plays. Salter would go 9-for-15 in passing, for 121 passing yards.
It is too early to tell who will be QB1 vs. their next game in Winnipeg. Until Nathan Rourke is back, the current backup will have to play his best game to obtain that spot.
Next game: Thursday, July 30th, 2026, in Winnipeg.
9 - Ottawa Redblacks
Record: 0-6
Previous ranking: 9
Ottawa was on a bye for Week 8. Somehow and someway, they will have to play their best football of the season as they will be playing against Montreal. It’s already a big hill to climb for the Redblacks so far with a 0-6 record. The only focus for Ottawa at the moment is to snap the losing streak.
Next game: Friday, July 31st, 2026, vs. Montreal.