Mark Masters
CFL.ca
If somehow the Hamilton Tiger-Cats fail to make the Canadian Football League playoffs in 2009 they will look back on their two trips to Alberta and see two lost opportunities to cement their position.
Hamilton once again had a glorious opportunity to steal a win in a very difficult environment, but could not convert despite favourable field position late in their game at Calgary. A sack given up by Quinton Porter that basically snuffed out Hamilton’s final drive shows the pivot still needs to sharpen his mental game.
Hamilton, as you may recall, blew a late lead in their game at Edmonton earlier this season. The club also recently dropped a game at Toronto in overtime. The Ticats are now 6-7 and a mere one game up on the suddenly surging Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
With Edmonton and BC now sitting level with Hamilton at 6-7 there is a very real chance the boys from Steeltown may miss the playoff festivities once again. Certainly the game this week at home against Winnipeg will be a whole lot more pressure-packed than it had to be.
We will learn a lot about Hamilton on Monday.
Before we get into the playoff projections a word on Buck Pierce. As it was often repeated on Friday night the oft-injured Lions quarterback was fighting for his career. Wally Buono made it known that unless Pierce produced a good performance in a winning cause against the Saskatchewan Roughriders he would likely be benched.
Pierce, who seems to take more hits than a Vancouver hippy, completed 29-of-43 passes for 343 yards. He was not without error, but he did enough.
Pierce added four carries for 28 yards en route to outplaying Darian Durant, who according to some has entered the most outstanding player discussion. Durant passed for 240 yards on 18 completions while throwing two picks and one touchdown.
Durant’s play on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter was magical, but on the whole he was unable to generate much of anything against the Lions defence.
Also in the game, Buono became the latest coach to turn a short-yardage, backup-quarterback situation into a touchdown pass. This week it was Travis Lulay who entered the game and appeared destined to take the snap and lurch forward on a second down and short play. Instead he found Paris Jackson in the end zone for a major.
Perhaps the Lulay pass and the Durant two-point conversion are the plays that stand out from the game, but it is Pierce’s performance that is the most impressive. If he keeps it up the Lions will almost certainly make the post-season.
Speaking of playoffs …
PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
EAST
1. Montreal (11-2)
Projection: First in the East
Quick hit: This is no longer a projection, but rather a reality. Montreal has locked up the division before Thanksgiving. This weekend the Edmonton Eskimos, BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders will likely give thanks they no longer have to face Montreal this season … until perhaps the Grey Cup.
2. Hamilton (6-7)
Projection: Second in the East
Quick hit: That was a very winnable game they let get away at Calgary. If Porter is going to be the guy down the stretch and into the playoffs then he needs to make better decisions late in the game.
3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-8)
Projection: Third in the East, miss the playoffs
Quick hit: Just when you’re ready to write off the Blue Bombers they respond with back-to-back wins. The Bombers return to the scene of Spy Gate this week and if they beat Hamilton will move into a tie with the Ticats for second in the East.
4. Toronto Argonauts (3-10)
Projection: Fourth in the East, miss the playoffs
Quick hit: The whole offence needs to be retooled for next season in both scheme and personnel.
WEST
1. Calgary Stampeders (8-5)
Projection: First in West
Quick hit: It wasn’t pretty, but they got the win at home. Out West they are the only team playing with any sort of consistency.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-6)
Projection: Second in the West
Quick hit: The Riders have lost three of their last four games against teams not from Winnipeg. They never really looked to be a threat last week in BC.
3. Edmonton Eskimos (6-7)
Projection: Third in the West
Quick hit: That was an ugly loss at Winnipeg. This team still seems to be searching for an identity under rookie head coach Richie Hall.
4. BC Lions (6-7)
Projection: Fourth in the West, crossover to East as third seed
Quick hit: Slowly, but surely they are playing their way back into the season. A home playoff date is now a very real possibility.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Calgary’s Nik Lewis leads us off in another edition of the Tweets of the week.
@Nikel18 I woke up earlier then usual 2day, it’s funny on road trips I wake up around 10:45, but at home I am waking up at 8:30. Any sleep Docs out there? (Oct 3rd)
Perhaps it’s the tightening standings in the West Division that’s causing Lewis to get up so early.
Meanwhile, Eskimos receiver Kamau Peterson is not happy with some of the calls being made by CFL officials. It was a tough week for the Green and Gold.
@Gr8grab I’m not sure who in the review booth I’ve pissed off … but I apologize. Goodness gracious. (Oct. 3)
Perhaps sensing his pocketbook may get lighter if he continues, Peterson enforces a self-imposed Twitter gag order.
@Gr8grab I’m on mute for a while … they say if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. (Oct. 3)
Saskatchewan’s Jason Clermont can’t resist taking a poke at the rather uncomfortable relationship between Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens and the media.
@JasonClermont … hoping TO lights up Miami and answers all post game questions about his big game with “I am just going with the plays that are called” (Sept. 30)
Clermont didn’t get his wish as the Bills got blown out in Miami.
Finally, if you haven’t been following the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament then you’re missing out. Some really fun stuff courtesy of Ticats TV.
@Ticats Ticats TV: Rock, Paper, Scissors Showdown Part 3 – http://www.ticats.ca/video/… #CFL #Ticats
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