1) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 1)

The Blue Bombers are coming off their 3rd win against Edmonton this year, ending the game with a final score of 26-16, sweeping the season series, and securing a spot in the playoffs.

The Bombers remain the team to beat heading into the final stretch of the season. Quarterback Zach Collaros is still the league’s passing leader (2,565 yards & 15 touchdowns), and Sean McGuire still leads the league in rushing touchdowns (7). Additionally, wide receiver Kenny Lawler leads the league in receiving yards (785), and running back Andrew Harris is ranked 3rd in the league in rushing (623 yards & 3 touchdowns). Sadly, Harris left their most recent game with an apparent knee injury after securing a 5-yard touchdown reception, and Brady Oliveira will take his place until he can return.

Winnipeg will host the BC Lions in Week 12.

2) Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 2)

The Argonauts are coming off a Week 11 Bye and remain in the number 2 spot in the rankings.

The Argo’s have played well this season and currently sit atop the East Division with a record of 6-3. Additionally, McLeod Bethel-Thompson is 4-1 as the team’s starting quarterback, and despite only starting in 5 games so far this season, he is now 4th in the league in passing touchdowns (9).

Toronto will travel to Montreal in Week 12 to face the Alouettes.

3) Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 3)

The Stampeders are coming off a big win against the BC Lions and stay in the number 3 spot in the rankings.

The Stamps seemed to have figured things out, as they are looking like what people initially expected them to be coming into the season. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell ended the day having completed 22/32 passes (68.8% comp) for 270 yards and 1 touchdown, also rushing 2 times for 3 yards. Running back Ka’Deem Carey would take 12 rushes for 67 yards, and wide receiver Luther Hakunavanhu would haul in 3 receptions for 56 yards and 1 touchdown. Ultimately the win would be a complete team effort, with points scored on all 3 phases. Running back Roc Thomas returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown to start the 2nd half, and defensive back Jonathan Moxey would intercept Lions quarterback Michael Reilly late in the 4th quarter, returning it for a touchdown.

Calgary will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 12.

4) Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 4)

Saskatchewan is coming off a Week 11 Bye and remains in the number 4 spot.

Before the Bye, the Riders lost back-to-back close games against the Calgary Stampeders. Despite the losses, quarterback Cody Fajardo is 3rd in the league in passing yards (2,104), 5th in passing touchdowns (8), and is tied for 2nd in rushing touchdowns (4). The most significant issue for the Riders at the moment seems to be the number of penalties the team has accumulated this year, as they currently lead the league with 104.

They’ll have a chance to get revenge in Week 12 when they travel to Calgary for their last of 3 games against the Stampeders this season. However, 1 more loss would move Calgary ahead of them in the West Division Standings.

5) Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 5)

The Alouettes stay in the number 5 spot following back-to-back wins against the Ottawa Redblacks.

Montreal is currently 2nd place in the East Division with a record of 5-4, and a spot in the playoffs is theirs to lose at this point. The team has been playing well as of late, but starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr went down with a knee injury in their last game, causing the team to add more depth to the quarterback room and trade for Elks quarterback Trevor Harris. Matthew Shiltz remains the starter in place of Adams for now, but it is very possible Harris could earn a starting role down the stretch.

The Alouettes will host the Toronto Argonauts in Week 12. A Montreal win would move them into 1st place in the East Divison.

6) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 7)

The Tiger-Cats are another team coming off a Week 11 Bye. They move up a spot in the rankings due to the fashion in which Calgary beat the BC Lions and how close the middle of the pack teams seem to be.

An area of concern for this team is the lack of total offense as they’re 2nd to last in the league in points scored and last in total yards this year. With Hamilton sitting at a 4-5 record, the playoffs are still very possible if they can secure a few more wins on the year, but the team will definitely need to work on some things if they want to close out the season on a positive note.

They’ll host the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 12 in what should be a very winnable game.

7) BC Lions (Last Week: 6)

The Lions took a tough loss to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 11 with a final score of 39-10, and fall to the 7th spot in the rankings.

Quarterback Michael Reilly completed 13/25 passes (52% comp) for 145 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions before getting taken out of the game for Nathan Rourke late in the 3rd quarter. The loss to Calgary makes this BC’s 3rd straight loss against division rivals. They now sit in 4th place of the West Division with a 4-5 record. The Lions still have a chance to push for a playoff spot, but it will not be easy as they have what should be difficult games coming up against Winnipeg twice, Toronto, and Calgary.

The Lions travel to Winnipeg in Week 12 to face the Blue Bombers.

8) Ottawa Redblacks (Last Week: 8)

The Redblacks took their second consecutive loss to the Alouettes in Week 11, and they hold onto the 8th spot in the rankings.

Quarterback Caleb Evans ended their last game having completed 12/23 passes (52.2% comp) for 145 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions before getting pulled out of the game for Taryn Christion, who would suffer what is likely a season-ending injury. The team sits firmly at the bottom of the East Division with a record of 2-8, and at this point, they should be assessing things to build on for next season.

The Redblacks travel to Hamilton in Week 12 for a matchup against the Tiger-Cats.

9) Edmonton Elks (Last Week: 9)

Edmonton took their 3rd loss of the season to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, getting swept in the season series and holding onto the bottom spot in the rankings.

The team has fully committed to moving on from quarterback Trevor Harris, trading him to the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday. For now, the team will continue rolling with former XFL Viper’s quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who started the last few games for the Elks beginning when Harris missed time due to a neck injury. Edmonton currently sits with a 2-7 record at the bottom of the West Division with little hope of making a playoff run. However, in a press conference, GM Brock Sunderland stated that the organization is still trying to win games now while also looking ahead to the future. If the team is serious about winning now, they will likely have to win all of their last 5 games, the last 3 of which will take place over 7 days.

The Elks have a bye In Week 12, followed by a Week 13 game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Edmonton.