National Post (National Edition)
Tasker’s return welcomed by Ticats
Wideout back to running crisp routes following two-game injury layoff
In the immediate aftermath of the Ticats loss on Saturday, Jeremiah Masoli made reference to guys straying from their scripted roles when asked why the team struggled so much in the red zone against Ottawa.
Two days later and reams of game tape consumed since backed that up according to head coach June Jones.
“Everybody is trying to do too much,” Jones said Monday. “Take what they give you, do your job, read your part of the coverage and don’t make it harder than it is.
“I think there was a little bit of that,” Jones said. “It’s everybody. Jeremiah has to read his keys too and the receivers have to do what they are supposed to do.”
Fortunately the Ticats have a built in answer for this type of issue and he’s expected back in the lineup Friday when the Ticats travel to Montreal.
Luke Tasker, who missed the past two games as he let a lower body tear heal, was back at practice running the precise routes that he has always run and exactly what the Ticats have been missing of late.
Tasker did not have surgery during the bye week but rather needed time — three weeks and two games as it turned out — to heal.
“It started small very early on in the season,” Tasker said. “I’ve played with these things before and every injury is different. Sometimes you can kind of work one back to health in the middle of the season, but this one was certainly not that way. It was getting worse and worse and our game in Saskatchewan before the bye week, I knew we would have to do something about this.”
That something turned into two missed games, and while Rashad Lawrence did well in his absence, there is no way a first-time starter could replicate the trust and chemistry Masoli and Tasker have built over the years.
“Masoli and I have played together through a lot — multiple offences, against all kinds of defences, tough games, great wins and great losses — so we are on the same page often,” Tasker said.
Jones has only been around for about one full season over last year and is well aware of the receiver/quarterback relationship these two enjoy.
“I know Jeremiah looks for him,” Jones said. “Task does the right things. You don’t have those errors. But when you put new guys in who haven’t played, you are basically putting in rookies.”
An integral part of the Hamilton offence, Tasker clearly did not enjoy watching his teammates, particularly struggling as they did over the past few games without him.
But from his viewpoint, the issues aren’t the kind that should be lasting.
“It is such a slight difference between winning and losing and it’s so hard to see the tiniest things that we could have done different that nobody else watching the game would know — the kind of mistake that no one would even know was a mistake unless they understood our offence,” Tasker said. “Just a few things here or there and we could have had both of those last two games. I’m just excited to be back and try to make it a little better.”
It wont be Tasker alone returning to the field. The Ticats will also welcome Terrence Toliver back onto the field after a one game absence.
On the negative side there was the absence of Brandon “Speedy” Banks working out Monday.
Banks had his knee swell up on him after Saturday’s clash with Ottawa and is questionable for Friday’s game in Montreal.
JEREMIAH LOOKS FOR HIM. TASK DOES THE RIGHT THINGS.