Ticats banking on speed to end two-game streak
The Storyline
Based on recent results, which are the only ones that matter late in the season, the Lions are hot and the Tiger-Cats are not. With that miracle 35-32 comeback win over Hamilton in Vancouver a week ago, B.C. has won three straight, and their previous two losses had been by a total of four points. They have not lost a game by more than eight points since the first week in July and have snuck up on the rest of the CFL West to challenge for a playoff spot there.
Meanwhile, the loss in B.C. was the Ticats’ second straight, right after they’d won three in a row. With B.C. a dismal 1-5 on the road this year, this is a good opportunity for the Ticats to go over .500 at Tim Hortons Field as they try to regain the significant home-field advantage that abandoned them nearly three years ago.
With Brandon Banks back in the lineup, and National receiver Mike Jones coming off two long touchdowns, the Ticats have renewed confidence in their field-stretching ability. Not having to dispatch Terrence Toliver to the injury list helps, too.
But they’ve got some key injuries on the defensive line and must contain quarterback Jonathon Jennings to the pocket. Like most running pivots, he is most dangerous outside the ends, buying time. The Ticats also have to do a better job of covering Bryan Burnham who torched them for two touchdowns and that acrobatic twopoint conversion catch that forced overtime.
On the other side of the ball, the Lions lead the league in sacks, with 18 of their 36 coming in the last three games. Their front four of former Ticat Davon Coleman, Claudell Louis (who was in training camp here last year) and ends Shawn Lemon and Ticat nemesis Odell Willis are tough to block for an entire game.
Key Hamilton roster notes
WR Brandon Banks returns after missing two games with a groin injury but is not at 100 per cent. Rookie starting OT Avery Jordan misses the game to attend to a family matter and will be replaced by former Eskimo Kelvin Palmer, signed earlier this month. National DE Jamaal Westerman is out for the season, DE Adrian Tracy is out with a thigh injury, and starting DT Jason Neill will also miss the game. Nikita Whitlock, back in the lineup, and Bobby Richardson will take more snaps in the middle. Hamilton continues to dress only two quarterbacks, Jeremiah Masoli and Dane Evans. John White starts again at RB.
Key B.C. roster notes
The Lions roster remains the same as
last week, although Travis Lulay, who has a shoulder injury, is back on the 46-man roster. Tyrell Sutton, obtained in a trade this week with Montreal for use in lateseason cold-weather games, is not on the active roster. Former Ticats with B.C. include left tackle Joel Figueroa, defensive tackle Davon Coleman, recently-signed LB Keon Lynn (on the injured list) and special teams coach Jeff Reinebold.
Numbers to crunch on
0 — the number of turnovers by the Tiger-Cats last weekend in B.C., the first time all season — and since Game 17 last year — that they’ve done that. Three times previously they’d had one turnover, and twice (at home to both Saskatchewan and Calgary) as many as four.
0 — Number of points the B.C. Lions have surrendered in the first quarters of the last three games.
2 — CFL teams that have losing records at home. Montreal is 1-5 and Toronto 3-4. Hamilton (3-3) is at .500 after two straight seasons below .500. The other six CFL teams have won more at home than they’ve lost. Calgary (6-0) has the only unblemished home record.
4 — Number of CFL quarterbacks (Mike Reilly, Jeremiah Masoli, Trevor Harris, Bo Levi Mitchell) on pace for 5,000 yards passing. The last time four CFL quarterbacks reached that mark was 2004 (Anthony Calvillo, Jason Maas, Casey Printers, Danny McManus). Each of those quarterbacks were Tiger-Cats at some point in their careers.
11 — The number of tackles by Ticats middle linebacker Larry Dean vs. B.C. last week, a career high. He made 10 against Ottawa in August 2017.
24 — As of Saturday, the number of straight games Masoli will have started. He is the first Ticat quarterback since Henry Burris in 2011-12 to have started that many in a row. His record is 12-11 in that stretch, while the Ticats had been 6-17 over the previous 23 games.
50.2 — B.C. kicker Ty Long’s CFL-leading punting average in yards, which would be third highest of all time. Jon Ryan’s 50.6 in 2005 is the league record.