CFL Week 5 Recap: New Kings of the West?

Amazing. We are already just over a full month into the 2024 Canadian Football League season, and we have some new intriguing storylines this year. Fittingly, let's start with the British Columbia Lions, who ended Week 5 in Hamilton against the lowly, lowly Tiger-Cats. Regarding the game, there was not much to tell. It was over when it started. The Lions were mauling Hamilton very easily, and in the end, BC won 44-28 over the TiCats.

Now, for BC, it's their chance to prove that they are the top team out West. With the Winnipeg Blue Bombers falling down a few steps, BC looks like the perfect choice to be the new best in the West. After all, they are always the team who challenges Winnipeg for that spot. The Lions have some extra motivation this year, as the 111th Grey Cup will be in Vancouver this year. It's been 13 years since the Lions won the Grey Cup. We saw America's Lions franchise begin a big rise. Will Canada's Lions do the same? The rest of the season will tell the tale.

The Lions aren't the only team trying to stake some sort of claim in the West. The Saskatchewan Roughriders kicked off Week 5 at home against the Toronto Argonauts, and it was a close game...until the Boatmen got careless with the ball. Too many turnovers, and the Riders capitalized on it, resulting in a 30-23 victory at home. The Riders are still unbeaten, and they are looking quite legit. This is a huge turnaround from their 6-12 campaign last year.

Elsewhere in Week 5, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers finally picked up their first win of the season: a 25-16 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. From the get-go, it was pretty clear that the Bombers were going to win this one; the Redblacks--while they have been playing very well so far--aren't exactly consistent. This was Winnipeg's first win since last year's Western Final--a five game losing streak (dating back to last year's Grey Cup) coming to an end. Speaking of the Grey Cup, the defending champions pulled off a massive comeback win over the Calgary Stampeders. The Alouettes were down big time at halftime, and it looked like the Stamps would deliver the upset win, but the Als reminded fans why they are the defending champions; outscoring the Stamps 18-3 in the second half, resulting in a 30-26 victory.

After five weeks, here's how things stand:

The Montréal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are still undefeated, though for the former, it was close. The Als have quite the commanding lead in the East over the Argonauts and the Redblacks. As for the Tiger-Cats, well, it's going to be another long season for them. Out West, the Roughriders and Lions are jockeying for position, while the Stampeders are hanging in there. The Bombers moved out of the cellar, where the Elks--who were off in Week 5--remain. We are just a hair away from the one-third mark of the season. A lot can happen in that much time.

Week 6 will kick off with the Toronto Argonauts and the Montréal Alouettes facing off for the second time this season, this time at the home of last year's champs. That will take place on Thursday, July 11, and on Friday, July 12, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to make it two in a row as they host the Calgary Stampeders. On Saturday, July 13, the BC Lions will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and on Sunday, July 14, the Edmonton Elks will host the Ottawa Redblacks.

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