CFL Power Rankings

Here's how I rank the Canadian Football League teams based on their performances in Week 1:

1. Ottawa Redblacks

Record: 1-0

Next: at Montreal 

GM Marcel Desjardins, already looking like a genius for the way he built this club into a Grey Cup finalist in two seasons, knew he needed a capable backup for QB Henry Burris going into 2016. In came free agent Trevor Harris from Toronto. Super Genius. In a wide-open game that featured two excellent offences and two confused defences, the RBs came out on top because of that signing. Burris looked great (23-31, 251 yards) until he injured the pinky on his throwing hand (not funny), and the backup appeared. Harris (17-19, 292) hit Chris Williams for a 53-yard TD on his first toss, did it again on his second possession. Between the pivots, they ran up 543 yards passing. Harris found Greg Ellingson for the overtime winner. Kudos to kicker Chris Milo, whose career long 55 yarder tied the game at 0:00.

2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Record: 1-0

Next: at B.C.

So many eyes were on LB Simoni Lawrence's excellent night (seven tackles, two sacks and a pick-six), they tended to overlook the maturing of Jeremiah Masoli into a credible starting QB. Masoli came into 2016 as the true question mark — can he keep the Kitties competitive while Zach Collaros continues to heal? Leading by only 12 in the fourth, after giving up two touchdowns in 48 seconds, Cats needed something, and Masoli provided it with a classic "death by a thousand paper cuts" drive of 106 yards, 10 plays and five minutes off the clock. Coach Kent Austin pointed afterwards to that drive as evidence of his team "maturing." Especially his QB (27 of 37, 318 yards, 3 TDs). Defensive boss Orlondo Steinhauer had the Argo blockers completely confused and continues his march to an eventual head-coaching job. 

3. Edmonton Eskimos

Record: 0-1

Next: Bye

Rookie coach Jason Maas has some explaining to do about his defence's first outing in defence of the Grey Cup. While QB Mike Reilly and the attack were zipping along during the Saturday opener (433 net yards, 99 of them from a healthy RB John White), the defenders were dazed and confused. Losing safety Otha Foster (to Saskatchewan) and corner John Ojo (injury) was a big hit, but they can't go long allowing 543 passing yards a game. It's a rebuilt unit with new coaches and perhaps the old-fashioned prairie-shootout nature of the game, where neither squad could cover or tackle, acted like a virus that can be chased. Eskimos took too many penalties (12) including five 15-yarders. Still, that wasn't Winnipeg they lost to. Early bye week to watch film. 

4. B.C. Lions 

Record: 1-0

Next: at Hamilton

Wally Buono-coached teams never quit, a fact the favoured Stamps were reminded of this week when the Leos came back to win. Just seeing ol' Brillo there brought a smile to an aging follower and the still-GM seemed himself despite four years away. For the first half, the defence must have been having flashbacks to last year when they played well and the offence did nothing. Leos' first nine possessions ended with five punts, a fumble, a missed field goal and two threes. Young QB Jon Jennings had it going in the second half, putting together a long drive for a touchdown and then watching a beauty of a punt return score by Chris Rainey to put B.C. in front. Adam Bighill (nine tackles and a sack) and the big fellas took it from there. This is a huge boost for a club needing to get its mojo back. 

5. Saskatchewan Roughriders

Record: 0-0

Next: vs. Toronto 

New HC Chris Jones (and his four Grey Cup rings) will lead his Riders out for the first match of old Mosaic Stadium's last year carrying a pocket full of expectations and no idea how things will turn out. Saskatchewan won three games (still can't believe it) in 2015, so we know they'll be better. But how much? Some local chatter says even a couple-three victories more would be acceptable improvement. That's Prairie Pucks. Jones, who simply wins, should get much more than that out of this group as long as the QB position holds up. And there's the key. With one healthy backup behind Durant (B.J. Coleman), Jones brought in two with experience last week in G.J. Kinne and Bryant Moniz. Kinne has literally played everywhere, man (three seasons NFL, plus CFL, United Football League and Indoor Football League), while Moniz spent two quiet years in Calgary. 

6. Montreal Alouettes

Record: 1-0

Next: vs. Ottawa

When you have new toys for the offensive coordinator to play with, it's nice to show them off. You could see right away the difference Anthony Calvillo has wrought now that he's using his own playbook and has QB Kevin Glenn and the return (after a year) of star receiver Duron Carter as weapons. KG (30-42, 332 yards, TD and pick), wasn't perfect, but showed what an experienced pivot can do. Carter, who carried on an enthusiastic yap with the Bomber defenders all night, caught eight balls for 96 yards, and ran three times for 47. Add the 66 yards from RB Tyrell Sutton and it's a win. Defence was strong for three quarters before softening up too much in the fourth. But for self-inflicted errors by the Als, an eight-point victory should have been three touchdowns. A Week 2 match with Ottawa will be a great night in the stands.

7. Calgary Stampeders

Record: 0-1

Next: vs. Winnipeg 

Dave Dickenson's debut as a head coach after all those faithful years assisting John Hufnagel turned out to be a complete dud. They'll be just fine, it says here (better be, after your correspondent picked them to finish first), but for one night all the warts were on display. A strong first half should have produced more than a 10-3 lead over B.C., but the Stamps couldn't shoot straight. QB Bo Mitchell (16-27, 233 yards) was OK, but he couldn't finish drives and it didn't help when the coaches pulled out an unneeded fake field goal on the one that backup Drew Tate couldn't sweep in. Still, thanks to stout defending, they were still up 18-6 late in the third. A long TD drive allowed, then special teams gave up a score, then Rene Paredes missed what could have been a winning FG from 31 yards out. Play the long game, work it out, 17 to go. 

8. Toronto Argonauts

Record: 0-1

Next: at Saskatchewan

Off the field: Oooh. On the field: Ewww. New owners Bell Media and Larry Tanenbaum (two-thirds of the folks who bring you the Leafs and Raptors), moved the club from the Rogers Centre dome to the smaller BMO Field, hard by your Lake Shore on the CNE grounds. There, the ghosts of the 1970s Argos, who apparently never left the old Exhibition Stadium site, haunted the Boatmen all night. The club was awful, despite all the new free agents, the return of QB Ricky Ray to healthy (five times sacked), and a nice crowd to watch them. Ownership has brought professionalism, marketing knowledge and, above all, actual cash money, to the problem of rebuilding the reputation and popularity of the franchise. Game one did not sell out, but 24,812 is certainly a big jump. Everybody had a good time, but the team has to be competitive enough to see regular visits. 

9. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Record: 0-1

Next: at Calgary

Now the gods themselves are angry. Out of the room came a fired-up group of Bombers on Friday night, ready to compete with the Alouettes, and in the opening period the hosts were OK. Then … lightning … dark clouds … heavy rain … locusts (we made that part up) … created a 65-minute delay. A different team came out. QB Drew Willy couldn't finish drives, especially early. His first half went: punt, punt, safety, punt, punt, pick, punt, field goal. A TD toss to Darvin Adams with 2:38 to go in the fourth brought the game to within eight, but Montreal then killed most of the clock. The defence gave up 25 first downs, 431 net yards. They also stopped two Montreal drives inside the five — one on a pick, the other a forced fumble. Note to Weston Dressler: You are not a 230-pound running back. Get out of bounds.