Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — A week of rest couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
It’s been a tough few weeks for the Tabbies after dropping four of their last six contests and losing key components from their starting lineup. And now, with the threat of losing position in the East, Hamilton’s next few games are the most important they’ve had to play this year.
Two of Hamilton’s top receivers, Chad Owens and Luke Tasker, have been forced off the field and on to the sidelines with injuries. Owens was hurt in Week 13 during a home game against the Alouettes and has since been placed on the six-game injured list. Tasker hasn’t dressed since that same contest against Montreal and sits on the one-game injured list.
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Zach Collaros’ status is unknown after leaving last week’s game with an upper body injury (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
Running backs CJ Gable and Ross Scheuerman (who was Gable’s replacement) along with safety Courtney Stephen all have also been out of the lineup.
But perhaps the most daunting injury Hamilton has been plagued with is that of their star quarterback.
Zach Collaros left Week 15’s loss against the Calgary Stampeders with what the team is calling an upper body injury. The status and extent of Collaros’ injury is still unknown, making the team, and the Ticats’ faithful, a little nervous as they head into the most crucial part of their season.
Since missing the first seven games of 2016 recovering from knee surgery he underwent last year, Collaros has been a vital piece of the puzzle for Hamilton’s offence. In the eight games the Cincinnati native has started, he’s thrown for 2531 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Masoli stepped in for Collaros in the second half of their Week 15 game against the Stampeders, completing 16-of-28 passes for 151 yards and no touchdowns. Masoli is likely to take the reins if Collaros isn’t ready to return when the team hits the field in Week 17.
Playing the replacement role isn’t new to Masoli, after filling in at the beginning of the season while Collaros was recovering. In the seven games he started, the 28-year-old threw for 1867 yards and seven touchdowns while also setting a CFL record for the most consecutive passes completed in one game (23).
With all of the uncertainty looming around the locker room about who will be healthy enough to suit up for the Black and Gold down the stretch of the season, the Tabbies head into their Week 16 bye thankful for a few days to regroup and recuperate.
“With all of the injuries we’ve had lately, I think it’s a perfect time,” Andy Fantuz told Ticats.ca when asked about the timing of their bye week. “We’ve got guys that are starting to fatigue at the end, getting little nicks and bruises so (it’s important) to take a few days and really focus on your body and make sure you stay in shape.
“Rest is really important right now going into that final stretch so I’m happy with having the bye week right now.”
Four games – three of which are against divisional opponents – are what the Ticats are facing in that final stretch. All four can be looked at as must-wins for the Ticats, who are currently in second place in the East Division. With just five points separating first and fourth place, anyone could make the playoffs and anyone could miss them.
When they return from the bye, Hamilton first splits a home-and-home with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, who hold the top spot in the Division and are just a single point ahead of the Tabbies. Four points against their divisional rivals would catapult them into first place.
Then, they tussle with the Edmonton Eskimos – who, for now, sit in the crossover playoff spot – followed by their regular season ender against Montreal.
To grab as many points as they can out of their final four contests, the Tabbies have a few things they’ll need to improve upon.
First, they need to keep the ball in their own hands.
Hamilton is second worst in the league in giveaways with 37 – 15 of which came from fumbles while 16 of them from interceptions and six on downs. The only team with more giveaways on the season is the Toronto Argonauts with 38. The Tiger-Cats opponents have scored 109 points on those giveaways as well, the second most of any team in the CFL.
Second, they need to get the first down and keep their offence on the field.
That one may seem obvious, but the Ticats have 71 two-and-outs on the year, that’s the second most in the league (Saskatchewan has the most with 73). Hamilton is also third last in the league in time of possession (average of 29:11 per game).
And third, according to linebacker Simoni Lawrence, is simple: Make a play.
“We have to make plays, that’s all it comes down to in football,” Lawrence told Ticats.ca after the team’s loss to the Stampeders. “Individually, you have to make a play. Whether it’s picking a ball off instead of batting it down, you have to make plays.”
Hamilton returns to the turf in Week 17, in the first of their final four games, when they take on the REDBLACKS at Tim Hortons Field.
-With files from Ticats.ca
