Ferguson: Ticats need to find offensive production elsewhere

Marshall Ferguson

CFL.ca

@TSN_Marsh

How do you possibly replace the production of a possible Most Outstanding Player nominee?

The simple answer is you don’t, and you certainly don’t do it with just one player.

For the 2018 Hamilton Tiger-Cats, receiver Brandon Banks was the heart, the soul, the mouthpiece and any other body part of worth you can imagine of the team.

Banks has grown from a return man who was always looking for the big play, even if it meant running backwards at the worst possible time, into a team leader and one of the CFL’s best receivers, especially when combined with the dynamic development of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli since being named Hamilton’s starting quarterback on Labour Day of 2017.

For the Ticats, Banks’ injury occurred at the worst possible time. At the back end of the season as they were fighting with Ottawa for the chance to have a bye week and claim the East Division title.

Due to the impending timeline of playoff arrival, there was no time to figure out chemistry or a succession plan to the throne of the Batman to Luke Tasker’s Robin role this year.

Instead, the Ticats forged forward well versed in the concept of trying to replace injured receivers and hoping they could find an answer on the fly. Rashad Lawrence came and went and Terrell Sinkfield was brought in to much fan fare with little production as of yet.

The players who did answer the bell since Jalen Saunders went down followed weeks later by Banks was Mike Jones who – despite battling the drops occasionally – has stepped forward to be a legitimate downfield threat.

But the reality is that the odd shot down the field can’t replace what Banks did, which was lead the CFL in second down conversion catches despite missing a couple games due to a groin strain.

That can only be replaced by someone with an understanding of both June Jones offensive system and Jeremiah Masoli’s mindset at the line of scrimmage.

The obvious answer is Luke Tasker but no offence can revolve around one receiver alone, despite what you might think of Tasker’s ability to create offence he just can’t do it by himself.

For Hamilton the unlikeliest of answers might have appeared in Week 21. A meaningless game on the final Saturday of the regular season, with starters mostly resting as Hamilton prepared for the already assigned playoff matchup with the BC Lions.

Bralon Addison.

Addison is a first year CFL player who, somehow, looks just like Banks in pads, give or take a couple inches and some extra weight. He possesses the same quickness and route running sensibility that Banks brought to the table so spectacularly this season and even shares an alma mater with his quarterback in Masoli.

The one downside of this equation is that Addison has had essentially only practice reps with Masoli as Jeremiah took Week 21 to get his body and mind right before the playoff push.

There was one play though where the two created some foreshadowing to what could be the CFL’s latest episode of sporadic playoff magic.

Second down and long in the first overtime against – who else – the BC Lions in Vancouver in Week 15.

Addison caught a pass from Masoli about two yards down the field and fought for seven yards to barely scratch and claw a first down for Hamilton.

It’s the type of effort in combination with his recent skill development that has Hamilton fans hoping against all odds they just might have found their late season emergency plan.

Oh, and in that game Brandon Banks didn’t play. The Ticats lost in the dining second of regulation and overtime in a way that leaves a taste you remember for a long time. The only antidote to that taste would be the crisp refreshing mouthwash of a playoff victory.

The Ticats need to find an answer for their injured superstar Brandon Banks, and it just might be some kid you’ve never heard of before in Bralon Addison.

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