MATCHUPS: RAY COULD BE THE KEY
Hamilton has dominated the Argos of late, but the loss of Collaros has hurt
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats haven’t lost to the Toronto Argonauts at Tim Hortons Field, and they seem to have the edge in the matchups heading into Sunday’s East Division semifinal (1 p.m., TSN). But with the Ticats missing Zach Collaros, the early favourite for the CFL’s outstanding player award before a season-ending knee injury in September, the Argos appear to have a significant edge at quarterback. Here is a look at the matchups:
QUARTERBACKS
Ricky Ray gets his first playoff start since the 2013 East Division final, when the Argos lost to the Ticats. This will be only his third start of the season. His arm strength is back and that will be crucial in the outdoor conditions. If he falters, the Argos can plug in the best backup in the CFL in Trevor Harris. Ticats starter Jeremiah Masoli, who will start only his second game in his three years in Hamilton, has a strong arm and is a threat to run. He energized the Ticats last week after an inconsistent Jacory Harris was pulled early in a loss to Ottawa.
Advantage: Argos
RECEIVERS
Kevin Elliott won’t play and Vidal Hazelton, the East nominee for the outstanding rookie award, is unlikely available due to injury. Diontae Spencer and newcomer Phil Bates are big-play receivers, and Chad Owens is coming off a one-game layoff. Owens and Ray complement each other well and Owens usually saves his best for the Ticats. The Argos will reinstate Tori Gurley after he was benched for two games for discipline issues. Gurley, who had 10 touchdown receptions this season, had a season-high seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton on Sept. 11. Inexperience is the only knock against these receivers. The Tiger-Cats are even stronger at receiver, led by Luke Tasker and Terrell Sinkfield Jr., who each collected more than 1,000 yards through the air this season. Tasker and Sinkfield were Argo killers this season. In their three wins against Toronto, Tasker caught a total of 22 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown. That’s a pretty good season for some receiv- ers. Sinkfield, in two games against Toronto, caught 12 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
Advantage: Ticats
RUNNING BACKS
East all-star Brandon Whitaker, 2012 Grey Cup MVP Chad Kackert and tailback Curtis Steele give the Argos depth but, due to ratios, one will sit out. The Argos had the worst running game in the league, averaging only 76.9 yards on the ground, while Hamilton was only slightly better averaging 81.8 yards, seventh in the CFL. Hamilton’s C.J. Gable missed most of the season and only returned in October from injury. In five games, he finished with 293 yards with an impressive average of 6.2 yards per carry. With inexperience at the quarterback position, Gable will be depended on in first-and-10 and second-and-short.
Advantage: Argos
DEFENCE
The rookie-laden Argos defence was seventh in the league in points and passing yards (282.8 per game) allowed and last in the most rushing touchdowns (16) given up. The defence is also nicked up with safety Jermaine Gabriel missing the last game. Devin Smith is out for the season with a knee injury. Argos have two all-stars on defence with defensive lineman Cleyon Laing and linebacker Greg Jones. The Ticats had the third-best defence in the league and were far and away the league’s best by scoring 184 points off turnovers (Toronto was last with 71). Emanuel Davis picked off five passes this season, just one off the league lead, and returned three for touchdowns. All-star linebacker Simoni Lawrence, who is the East’s nominee as the outstanding defensive player in the league, makes big plays at the right time.
Advantage: Ticats
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Argos have the 2014 outstanding special teams player in Swayze Waters, but he’s been dealing with a recurring injury. He was held back last week when he experienced tightness in his groin area. In case Waters gets reinjured, Justin Palardy is a capable replacement. Punting is not his specialty, although he averaged an impressive 48 yards a punt last week inside the dome. The Argos are second in punt coverage and third in kickoff coverage. In the first meeting of the season, Hamilton scored on an onside kick. In the following two games, the Ticats had back-to-back blocked punts. Brandon Banks, who is the East’s nominee as the outstanding special teams, registered a league-high four touchdown returns this season. All-star kicker Justin Medlock was second in the league with an 87.5 per cent field-goal percentage.
Advantage: Ticats