The CFL was on full display with high emotions for week 12 of the 2025 schedule. Winnipeg was looking to shake off some rust and obtained a big win on the road in Montreal. Edmonton extended its winning streak to 3 games with a huge win on the road in Ottawa. Toronto was dominant at home and made a statement against BC. In the battle of the best, Calgary defended its home turf with a convincing win over Saskatchewan.
Hello, CFL fans. Here are your CFL News Hub power rankings. The aftermath of week 11:
1 – Calgary Stampeders
Record: 7-3
Previous ranking: 2
The Stampeders squared off with the league-leading Roughriders at home in a game that had a lot of implications on the line. They did experience luck on their side with two miscues by Saskatchewan, including a missed touchdown opportunity, along with a missed field goal, all in the opening quarter. It was expected, as this was a chess match between the two football clubs. After settling in and the butterflies slowly subsiding, Calgary went to work. Vernon Adams Jr. displayed his talents as usual, moving the Stampeders with long drives during the game. His numbers were not spectacular with 14 completions on 21 attempts, 222 passing yards, 3 touchdown passes, and 2 interceptions. But what Veron Adams Jr. did that was the most important was not to cost the Stampeders an opportunity to be lost. On the defensive side, they shut Saskatchewan down to no points in the 2nd half. It was a statement for Calgary as they swept the season series 2-0. Calgary has the upper hand now, assuming both Calgary and Saskatchewan are tied with the same record when the 2025 CFL regular season comes to a close.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Monday, September 1st, 2025, vs. Edmonton.
2 – Saskatchewan Roughriders
Record: 8-2
Previous ranking: 1
Saskatchewan looked shaky in the 1st quarter with KeeSean Johnson dropping the ball in the endzone. Later in the 1st quarter, the struggles with the kicking game again, with Brett Lauther missing a field goal. The problem with Saskatchewan’s outcome in Calgary was the lack of protection from the offensive line when it came to the passing game. Trevor Harris faced a lot of pressure from the Calgary front seven. They did not make the adjustments to succeed for the duration of the game. Calgary was simply the more physical team, especially in the 2nd half, and Saskatchewan had no answers. KeeSean Johnson still had a great game with 4 receptions for 112 yards. Every team will have bad games in football. This was one of them for Saskatchewan. When looking at Calgary, two of their losses came against Ottawa. It clearly shows that anybody can beat anybody any given week.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Sunday, August 31st, 2025, vs. Winnipeg.
3 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Record: 6-4
Previous ranking: 3
Hamilton was on a bye in week 12. They will turn their undivided attention to Toronto as they square off in the Labour Day Classic. As of now, this game is officially sold out in Hamilton, with only standing room tickets available.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Monday, September 1st, 2025, vs. Toronto.
4 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Record: 6-4
Previous ranking: 5
Winnipeg entered week 12 in La Belle Province in Montreal and was looking for ways to add to its win total. Winnipeg has faced a lot of adversity this season and was looking to get some consistency down the stretch in its remaining scheduled games. Brady Oliveira was a force with 73 receiving yards with 9 completions on 9 attempts, and added an impressive 137 rushing yards on 16 carries with 1 touchdown. He was a big asset in wearing down the Montreal defence. Tony Jones once again was effective, chipping away with 9 tackles. The always reliable Evan Holm had 4 tackles and 1 interception. The Blue Bombers played their blue–collar type of game, grinding this one out. They eliminated the Montreal running game and held them to 60 total yards, along with causing 3 turnovers. More importantly, they won the time of possession battle with 35:52.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Sunday, August 31st, 2025, in Saskatchewan.
5 – Edmonton Elks
Record: 4-6
Previous ranking: 7
The Elks were looking to extend their 2-game winning streak when they landed in Ottawa for a game against the Redblacks. A lot was riding on the line for both the Elks and Redblacks to keep pace with a possible playoff spot. Edmonton did not take anything for granted in Ottawa and showed that in this game. Cody Fajardo looked good again in this game. He did not throw for any touchdown passes and had 1 interception. However, he was able to control the line of scrimmage and spread the ball for the course of the game. He would complete 22 passes on 28 attempts for 270 yards. He would also contribute to the running game with 55 yards on 5 carries and 1 touchdown. Kurleigh Gittens Jr. was a perfect 6 for 6 in receiving attempts for 71 yards. Justin Rankin was also perfect, going 5 for 5 for 58 receiving yards. On the defence, Noah Taylor was a monster with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. He played a huge role in stuffing the Ottawa line of scrimmage or creating a lot of confusion for the Ottawa offensive line.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Monday, September 1st, 2025, in Calgary.
6 – BC Lions
Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 4
BC was looking to keep pace with Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Calgary. Unfortunately for BC, they were exposed defensively in this game. There was also an extra set of spirit in Toronto, as the annual Canadian National Exhibition was in progress outside BMO Field. For the extra fans that showed up, it was a louder game in Toronto. Keon Hatcher had a big day with 7 receptions and 131 receiving yards. Mathieu Betts had a big game with 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble, along with Deontai Williams with 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection. The BC defence had a difficult time covering the Argos receivers for a good part of the game. They had no answer for slowing down Nick Arbuckle as he was able to pick the BC secondary apart. In return, BC gave up a big opportunity with a 52-34 loss.
Next game: BC will be on a bye for week 13. Their next scheduled game will be on Friday, September 5th, 2025, in Ottawa.
7 – Montreal Alouettes
Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 6
Montreal is a team that has been dropping like a rock for all the wrong reasons. If you’re a Montreal fan, the panic mode has officially begun. This is completely understandable. Without Davis Alexander as the signal caller, the Alouettes are simply a different team. With quarterback injuries to Davis Alexander, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Caleb Evans, Montreal elected to start James Morgan against Winnipeg with recently signed Cameron Dukes and Shea Patterson as depth quarterbacks. Unfortunately for James Morgan, he was thrown into the lion’s den in a much-needed win scenario against a more experienced squad. For what it’s worth, he still made some big plays connecting with Alexander Hollins, who had 132 receiving yards. The Montreal defence was on the field way too long, and had a difficult task to slow down the best overall running back in the game, Brady Oliveira.
Next game: Montreal will be on a bye for week 13. Their next scheduled game will be on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, vs. Hamilton.
8 – Toronto Argonauts
Record: 3-8
Previous ranking: 9
Toronto vs. BC. The question for Toronto was whether they would show up. The Double Blue has a list of struggles this season of an inconsistent running game, giving up too many touchdowns on defence, along the same on special teams. It had all the makings of a BC win. With that said, the Boatmen played a game with a high tempo, and it paid off in the end. If 2 quarterbacks in the CFL never receive any credit, it is Cody Fajardo in Edmonton and Nick Arbuckle in Toronto. Nick Arbuckle dissected the BC Lions’ defence with a career-high 443 passing yards. He would go 27 for 34 in pass completions and 3 touchdown passes. An unsung hero for the last 3 weeks was Jake Herslow, with 5 receptions for 149 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Dejon Brissett also obtained triple digits with 118 receiving yards on 4 completions. Kevin Mital chipped in on important drives during the game with 8 receptions for 76 yards and 1 touchdown. Spencer Brown looked good in the running attack with 85 yards and 1 touchdown. Benjie Franlkin set the tone for the Argos defence with a 57-yard interception return to the house in the 2nd quarter. It was a game that the Argos needed. The defence still needs a bit more work on the run defence, as the hard-to-stop James Butler had 83 rushing yards on 11 carries with a 7.5 yards per carry.
Next game: The Labour Day Classic on Monday, September 1st, 2025, in Hamilton.
9 – Ottawa Redblacks
Record: 3-8
Previous ranking: 8
It’s hard being an Ottawa fan in 2025. The effort is there, but stalling on the offensive production has been a nightmare for Ottawa. Being down 20-7 at halftime was a difficult journey for Ottawa. They also came out swinging with a counter punch on their first drive to open the 3rd quarter, starting at the Edmonton 42-yard line. They would have a 10-play 93-yard drive that put them back into the game. Unfortunately, being forced to punt 6 times resulted in valuable points left off the scoreboard. It was not like this was not a winnable game for Ottawa. They kept the pace of the game close or better than Edmonton on first downs, time of possession, and total yards. This was one game that Ottawa would love to have back for a potential victory.
Next game: Ottawa will be on a bye for week 13. Their next scheduled game will be on Friday, September 5th, 2025, vs. BC.
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