CFL Power Rankings: Stampeders take top spot as playoffs set to begin

A Battle of Alberta in the Grey Cup would have the potential to give the CFL the most entertainment value.

With the way quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders rolled through the regular season, going 16 games without a defeat, Calgary against anyone at BMO Field on Nov. 27 might seem more like a coronation. Should Mike Reilly and the Edmonton Eskimos become the first crossover team to make the championship game, completing a two-game gauntlet, then it introduces something novel that taps into the age-old rivalry between Alberta's two hub cities.

The Stamps and Esks have played in the West Division final 11 times, with Calgary holding a 6-5 edge, but a Grey Cup matchup would be unprecedented.

The only nagging concern for Calgary is whether the 27-day interval between serious games - when Mitchell and rushing leader Jerome Messam played, and the West Division final - will sap their intensity. The other three West playoff teams are fairly interchangeable heading into the playoffs. The Ottawa RedBlacks, the other team with a bye, are also better than their record.

Here's a look at how everyone stacks up ahead of Sunday's division semifinals:

1. Calgary Stampeders (15-2-1)

Lines win championships. The Stampeders had by far the lowest sack rate, even though their best front five - left tackle Derek Dennis, left guard Shane Bergman, centre Pierre Lavertu, right guard Spencer Wilson, and right tackle Dan Federkeil - were seldom all healthy. The three-week layoff should allow them to be in reasonable health.

Deep threat DaVaris Daniels scored nine touchdowns in the nine games played with Mitchell. Possession receiver Marquay McDaniel should be well-rested for the playoffs.

On the other side of the ball, defensive end Charleston Hughes won the sack title with 16 and Calgary tied for the league lead. The secondary, bolstered by Tommie Campbell, Ciante Evans, and Jamar Wall, has had few letdowns all season. Evans and Wall were injured in Calgary's last game on Oct. 30, but are expected back for the West final.

2. BC Lions (12-6)

Befitting the playoff team with the youngest quarterback, 24-year-old Jonathon Jennings, the Lions resemble an NCAA spread team more than any other team, hitting all points of the defence. Jennings can be rash with forcing passes into coverages, but the Lions have many ways to get a touchdown threat - the likes of Emmanuel Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham, Jeremiah Johnson, Anthony Allen, and Chris Rainey - into space. They were the only team to tally more than 2,000 rushing yards.

Led by linebacker Solomon Elimimian, the Lions defence quietly finished second to Calgary in fewest yards allowed. Sack leader Alex Bazzie, though, recorded only one in the final seven games.

Rainey furnishes BC with the league's best return game and punter Richie Leone was first with a 49.3-yard average. Leone's erratic placekicking led to the Lions resurrecting 46-year-old Paul McCallum for field goals.

3. Edmonton Eskimos (10-8)

Went 5-1 down the stretch while newcomer Brandon Zylstra became a third go-to receiver to complement the record-setting tandem of Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker. The resident good-hands Canadian, Cory Watson, is also healthy. Reilly and leading rusher John White work behind a mammoth offensive line.

Edmonton has nearly everyone of consequence healthy in time for the postseason, including shutdown corner Patrick Watkins, who played with an ailing knee throughout the year. Both defensive tackles Eddie Steele and Almondo Sewell create the luxury of being able to pressure the passer with only three or four rushers. The secondary needs all the help it can get, since Edmonton has never really recovered from losing John Ojo in the preseason.

As far as the special teams are concerned, Edmonton's return game is non-threatening, but kicker Sean Whyte is very consistent.

4. Ottawa RedBlacks (8-9-1)

The RedBlacks are the CFL's first sub-.500 first-place team, but Ottawa has the firepower to hang with anybody. Finishing drives and making second-half adjustments have been season-long bugaboos. Henry Burris (90-of-129 for 1,287 yards, six touchdowns since Oct. 7) has been on point since being reinstated as the starter and it's tough to shut down Greg Ellingson, Ernest Jackson, and Brad Sinopoli simultaneously. The extra week should aid Ottawa in settling on its offensive line; it's probably less than 50-50 that All-Star left tackle SirVincent Rogers (ankle) can return just eight weeks after going down.

The RedBlacks' depth chart on defence has been a moving target all season, but defensive tackle Zach Evans, linebacker Damaso Munoz, and defensive back Abdul Kanneh anchor each level superbly. They are capable of giving their offensive brethren a chance to win the East final.

Ottawa didn't lose in regulation time against either Hamilton or Edmonton.

5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-7)

Winnipeg might have overachieved, defying probability by leading the CFL with 59 turnovers forced (including 30 interceptions) and a plus-29 ratio. Coach Michael O'Shea's team is 0-6 when it doesn't win the turnover battle.

The glass-half-full take is that quarterback Matt Nichols stays within himself and typically doesn't press too hard. Andrew Harris, as the postseason's best two-way running back (rushing and receiving), is also critical to converting second downs. Harris wriggled free for 266 combined yards in two games versus the Lions.

Winnipeg is also getting reinforcements in the back eight with linebackers Khalil Bass and Ian Wild coming back to join the likes of Maurice Leggett and cornerback Kevin Fogg. Maintaining the turnover magic not once, not twice, but thrice in the playoffs will be difficult, though.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-11)

Unseasonably warm temperatures in Southern Ontario will make the East semifinal more of a passing game than the typical playoff contest. That would seem to work in favour of Edmonton, since Reilly has a full complement of regular targets, while Ticats quarterback Zach Collaros has only Terrence Toliver remaining among his top four receivers. Hamilton, which was sixth in pass defence in spite of a Montreal- and Toronto-heavy schedule, is also depleted in the defensive secondary.

Whether the Tiger-Cats' pass protection will hold up against Edmonton's defensive line is an open question; they'll likely have to keep an eligible receiver in to block. When Collaros gets clean pockets, he's more than good enough to keep his team in games. Defensive end John Chick and linebacker Simoni Lawrence are also going to have to come up with disruptive plays against Edmonton.