Matt Smith/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa REDBLACKS meet on Saturday in a clash of different offensive approaches.
Or is it?
On paper, the Ticats and the REDBLACKS seem to have different degrees of success when it comes to passing the ball. While the Ticats lead the league in passing yards per game (307.5), the REDBLACKS (257.0) rank sixth, over 50 yards behind the Tabbies.
The thing is that sometimes numbers don’t tell the full story.
That’s where we come in, with three reasons why Ticats and REDBLACKS could offer one of the most intriguing quarterback duels of 2025.
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1. 400 YARDS FOR DRU BROWN
Ottawa has been without Brown for three out of five games this season with the quarterback missing time with an injury in Weeks 2-4. With Brown, the REDBLACKS have been one of the most explosive passing units in the league, right up there with the ‘Cats.
In two games with Brown under centre this season Ottawa has thrown for 413 (Week 1 vs. Saskatchewan) and 316 (Week 5 vs. Edmonton) yards respectively, good for an average of 364.5 yards per game.
If you look at the past five games that Brown has started dating back to last year, the REDBLACKS have thrown for 487 (Eastern Final vs. Toronto), 445 (Week 21 vs. Hamilton) and 400 (Week 20 vs. Toronto). That puts Ottawa’s average at 412.2 over the past five games with Brown as the starting quarterback.
That sets Saturday’s matchup to be an explosive back-and-forth affair between two of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league.
2. 40,000 YARDS FOR BO LEVI MITCHELL
Bo Levi Mitchell is once again doing his thing with the Tiger-Cats.
After throwing for 5,451 yards in 2024 (including 425 in Week 21 against Ottawa), Mitchell has already amassed 1,219 yards and nine majors in 2025. That includes last week’s 332-yard, five-touchdown performance that helped the Ticats clinch a 51-38 win over the Argonauts. In four games this season, Mitchell threw for 300 or more yards in three of them.
Those numbers have pushed him north of 40,000 career yards, only the 11th CFL player to ever do so. Mitchell also leads the league in passing majors, with nine, two more than second place Nick Arbuckle. That’s all while ranking third in passer rating (113.0), behind only Montreal’s Davis Alexander (116.1) and Brown (118.6).
3. VETERAN REINFORCEMENTS
An already dynamic aerial offence in Hamilton became even more dynamic with the addition of Kenny Lawler in the off-season, who leads the league in receiving yards with 483. That’s not to mention Tim White, Shemar Bridges and Kiondré Smith, who all have contributed at times and were part of Hamilton’s last year’s league-leading passing offence.
The REDBLACKS meanwhile also have a plethora of talent at receiver, including a stellar off-season addition of their own in veteran Eugene Lewis, who has already amassed 294 yards and two touchdowns in the nation’s capital. Then there’s Justin Hardy, who caught 20 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown in 2025. With Bralon Addison out with a shoulder injury, rookie Keelan White is stepping up as yet another weapon for Brown to throw to, catching 13 passes for 143 yards.
Are you a fan of high-scoring games with superb quarterback play? Tune in on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET to TSN/RDS/CTV to catch REDBLACKS at Ticats. U.S. and Canadian audiences can watch on CFL+.
