3DownNation CFL power rankings: Ottawa Redblacks return to relevance with fourth-quarter comeback

Week 14 of the 2025 CFL season has officially come and gone, and the playoff race is an absolute mess.

No teams have been eliminated to date, and the long taken for granted crossover spot is now up in the air. B.C. and Edmonton are now tied on points, with the Lions possessing the tie-break, while Ottawa and Toronto each sit one game back after recent victories. All while Montreal and Winnipeg look increasingly vulnerable by the day.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having 10 contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets. As always, please be sure to check back every Monday morning for our updated power rankings following each week of action in the CFL.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on social media for anything you think we got wrong.

1) Saskatchewan Roughriders (2)

The Roughriders can almost taste a home playoff game and make a triumphant return to the top spot in our rankings after becoming the first team to record double-digit victories. Four picks by the defence, including two from Canadian cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, were enough to take the Banjo Bowl on a relatively slow offensive day. Kicker Brett Lauther also got off the schneid, overcoming an early missed convert to hit all five of his field goals.

2) Calgary Stampeders (1)

We may have finally gotten an answer to just how much of Calgary’s defensive success this season can be attributed to the play of Jaylon Hutchings, as that unit looked surprisingly pedestrian with him in street clothes. Vernon Adams Jr. struggled to crack the Edmonton defence for a second straight week, and this time it proved fatal, as he was benched late in the loss. The Battle of Alberta rematch could have long-term consequences as well, as both defensive end Folarin Orimolade and right tackle Josh Coker left with concerning injuries.

3) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4)

It won’t go down as the prettiest win in team history, but the Ticats made relatively easy work of the Alouettes to keep their stranglehold on first place in the East Division. Hamilton finally discovered that you can run the football, as Greg Bell racked up 156 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in his best performance all year. Meanwhile, the defence kept their end zone untouched, led by a two-sack performance from Julian Howsare.

4) Toronto Argonauts (5)

The Argos enjoyed a bye this week, riding a two-game winning streak and back in the thick of the playoff hunt. However, they emerge with an important question to answer, as injured franchise quarterback Chad Kelly teased his possible return to the lineup with a video on Instagram. The former M.O.P. has not played since breaking his leg in the East Final last year, while his backup, Nick Arbuckle, currently leads the CFL in passing, leading some to wonder whether it’s worth rocking the boat at all.

5) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3)

The return of Ontaria Wilson from the NFL had the desired effect, as he caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. However, the Bombers’ long Banjo Bowl winning streak effectively ended when Zach Collaros was forced out of the game after taking a blow to the head in the third quarter. This marked the third time this season that the future Hall of Famer has been unable to finish a game and has raised serious questions about his future.

6) Edmonton Elks (7)

The title of the CFL’s best running back clearly belongs to Justin Rankin after this week’s stunning Battle of Alberta victory, as the second-year ball-carrier ripped off 204 yards on 16 carries. His touchdown runs of 90 and 74 yards, respectively, were the two longest runs by any player this season, and made him the first player since 2018 to have multiple runs longer than 70 yards. A little support from the defence, including two sacks by Jonathan Kongbo, was all it took to turn that into the biggest upset of the year.

7) Ottawa Redblacks (9)

If Dustin Crum could bottle up whatever magic he seems to possess in the fourth quarter and use it all game, he’d be an all-star. The Redblacks’ backup pivot staged another classic Crumback, throwing for 301 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 69 yards and two majors. Kalil Pimpleton broke the levee with a deep shot on the final drive and Eugene Lewis scored the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left to break out of the power rankings basement.

8) B.C. Lions (6)

The Lions got 148 yards receiving from Justin McInnis, a return touchdown from Seven McGee, and a superb defensive outing from Jonah Tavai, but none of it was good enough to secure a victory. B.C. squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead by committing five penalties in the final frame, four of which were majors, and collapsed defensively to allow a two-play touchdown drive after a late missed field goal from Sean Whyte. Once considered a shoo-in, the Leos are now barely clinging to the final playoff spot.

9) Montreal Alouettes (8)

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