After four weeks of the CFL 2023 season, one team stands alone atop the league’s mountain. The defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. After the Argos dominated the previously unblemished Lions in Week 4.
Last game: 45-24 home victory over British Columbia
Next game: Week 6, At Montreal, Friday, July 14th
Any doubt surrounding the Double Blue’s validity has dissipated after Toronto’s dominating 45-24 victory over the previously unbeaten B.C. Lions on Monday night.
It was a complete effort by the Argos, which saw all three facets of their club shine brightly in Week 4. They were buoyed by their special teams, an offence that continues to show great balance, and an ultra-aggressive defence, orchestrated by Corey Mace, which produced countless pressures, four sacks, and an ungodly six interceptions. Three of which belonged to Robertson Daniel, including a late pick six.
The new-look Argonauts passed their first test of the new CFL season with flying colors. An extremely talented Toronto team led by a brilliant front office and coaching staff is off to a fantastic start in 2023.
The defending Grey Cup Champs will have some time to rest on their laurels with a bye next week. Toronto’s second of the early CFL season. But they then embark upon a unique stretch of road games, which keeps the Argos away from BMO Field until Week 10.
There’s still a long way to go in the 2023 CFL regular season. But the Boatmen have firmly cemented themselves as the team to beat in the CFL. Toronto simply looks better all-around than they were a year ago when they won nine of their last eleven games on their way to a Grey Cup upset.
#2: B.C. Lions (3-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Last game: 45-24 road loss to Toronto
Next game: Home vs. Montreal Toronto, Sunday, July 9
It was a rough night at the office for B.C. on Monday. The previously unbeaten Lions’ were outplayed on all three sides of the ball against the 18-time Grey Cup champion Argonauts. However, it was an even rougher night for quarterback Vernon Adams, who was under duress all evening and wound up throwing six interceptions against Toronto’s terrific defence.
“I gotta take care of the ball, be better for my team; it was a tough one for the good guys today.”
Vernon Adams Jr breaks down the tough loss vs the Argos & looks ahead to week 5 as the Lions host the Alouettes on July 9.#BCLionspic.twitter.com/sYiu7sojiJ
British Columbia is way too talented to not bounce back after their first loss of the season. The Leos will look to put their week four defeat to Double Blue behind them as they head home to face Montreal.
#3: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Last game: 17-3 road victory over Montreal.
Next game: Home vs. Calgary, Friday. July 7
"We just talked to each other and once we got that 20-minute warning we just locked back in and started focusing. We’ve been in this situation before. We handled it well.”
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) July 2, 2023
To no one’s surprise. Mike O’Shea’s Blue Bombers team bounced back after a rough loss to B.C. in Week 3.
Winnipeg’s 17-3 victory over Montreal wasn’t pretty, and the weather certainly wasn’t either. But the Bombers predictably took care of business.
If anything, Winnipeg’s 30-6 defeat to British Columbia might make their team even more laser-focused moving forward. The Bombers already had an unfinished business feel to them heading into the season; now that mindset has been amplified.
#4: Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Last game: 29-26 overtime road victory over Calgary
Next game: Week 5 Home vs. Edmonton, Thursday. July 6
The Riders are on solid ground coming off their bye. They have two upcoming home games against Western divisional opponents. The Elks and Stampeders in successive weeks. Saskatchewan has a chance to create separation and a stronghold on a playoff spot fairly early in the season if they can beat their West rivals again.
#5: Montreal Alouettes (2-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Last game: 17-3 home loss to Winnipeg
Next game: On the Road vs. B.C., Sunday. July 9
The Alouettes took their first loss of the season against the Blue Bombers on Canada Day.
Montreal has beaten the mighty Bombers in previous seasons. So an upset seemed like a possibility, especially with the Als playing at home. But Mother Nature and an angry Bombers team had other plans.
The combination of quarterback Cody Fajardo and head coach/offensive coordinator Jason Maas has had varying levels of success against Winnipeg’s defence in the past. However, that certainly wasn’t the case on Saturday night, as Montreal’s new duo mustered only three points against the Bombers. A slew of turnovers and sloppy conditions certainly didn’t help the Alouettes’ cause.
Montreal has another big test coming in Week 5, as they head to beautiful Vancouver to face an elite Lions’ team looking to rebound after Toronto thwarted their best efforts.
#6: Calgary Stampeders (1-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Last Game: 29-26 home overtime loss versus Saskatchewan
Next game: Week 5 at Winnipeg, Friday,July 7th
The Stamps’ are in a precarious position coming off their bye week.
Despite all their key player losses to injury. All is not lost yet for the Stampeders. However, Calgary has two important divisional road games upcoming. Firstly, in Winnipeg this Friday before heading to Saskatchewan to seek revenge against the Riders.
The top-heavy nature of the CFL in 2023 leaves openings for teams to regroup and rebound beyond presumptive favorites B.C., Winnipeg, and Toronto. The field is wide open.
The Stamps need to find a way to weather the early storms of the season to keep their young team in contention.
Coming off a bye, The Redblacks got the perfect remedy in get-right opponent Edmonton. Ottawa had two weeks to prepare for the ailing Elks and took advantage of it in Week 4.
Bob Dyce’s team needed to win; the added bonus of doing it at home is a relief for the Redblacks and their fan base. And with a wide-open situation in the East. If Ottawa can continue to get stable play at quarterback as they did from Tyrie Adams against Edmonton. They will have a chance to build some upward momentum towards playoff contention.
In week 5, Ottawa is headed to the Hammer to face a winless Ti-Cats team. They will be looking to take advantage of another reeling winless opponent.
#8: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-3)
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
Last game: 38-12 home loss to Montreal
Next game: Week 5 Home vs. Ottawa, Saturday. July 8
Just having a bye week last week was a victory for Hamilton. The banged-up and demoralized Tiger-Cats were in desperate need of a break.
Orlondo Steinhauer’s team has a chance to engineer a turnaround in their season. They have a home game against Ottawa and then a road tilt against a team that never wins in their building, Edmonton. However, one has to wonder whether one week away from the action will be enough to fix what ails Hamilton.
The Elks dropped another game in 2023, falling 26-7 to Ottawa in Week 4. A bad season continues to get worse for Edmonton.
Despite owner Victor Cui’s stance that his team is still on the right track. It’s challenging to see any light at the end of Edmonton’s tunnel right now.
One of the CFL’s most glorious franchises historically has fallen on very hard times, and the football organization led by Chris Jones seems rudderless.
The Elks tried to change their spiraling trajectory by shifting gears with a new pivot in Jarrett Doege. The results were not favorable. The one-week failed experiment is leading Edmonton back to Taylor Cornelius in Week 5.
For some crazy reason, Edmonton doesn’t want to turn over the keys to their offence to 2022 first-round pick Tre Ford. The well-decorated and highly-talented Canadian quarterback is being bypassed on the roster by street-free agents. In the same way, success has bypassed Edmonton since they became the Elks.
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