Teams reverse roles in rematch
Tiger-Cats lost in ’19 with best record. Is it Bombers’ turn?
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will have home-field advantage Sunday when they face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a rematch of the 2019 Grey Cup, won by the Bombers.
And Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer and Winnipeg counterpart Mike O’Shea will again be on opposite sidelines, this time with their roles reversed.
Steinauer guided Hamilton to a CFL-best 15-3 record in 2019, tying the record for most wins by a firstyear coach. He also got the better of O’Shea that year as the Ticats swept the two-game series with Winnipeg, which posted an 11-7 record before advancing to its first Grey Cup appearance under O’Shea.
This season, Winnipeg, 11-3, was the class of the league with two of its three losses coming after it had clinched first in the West Division. Hamilton, 8-6, finished second in the East behind Toronto.
Steinauer and O’Shea have a long history together. They were teammates in Toronto (2001-08), O’Shea a hard-nosed middle linebacker and Steinauer a versatile performer in the secondary. They often spent time together evaluating game film as part of their preparations. They won a Grey Cup as players in 2004 before adding another as Argos assistant coaches in 2012.
O’Shea, 51, from North Bay, Ont., is in his seventh season as Winnipeg’s head coach. He’s a finalist for the CFL’s coach of the year honour for the first time, up against Toronto’s Ryan Dinwiddie. Steinauer, a 48year-old from Seattle, was the CFL’s top coach two years ago.
Hamilton and Winnipeg met just once this season. The Bombers began their title defence with a 19-6 home win over the Ticats to kick off the CFL’s resumption of play.
Hamilton comes into the Grey Cup having won six of its last seven games. The Ticats defence has been solid in the playoffs, anchoring wins over Montreal (23-12) and Toronto (27-19). Hamilton registered six sacks and five turnovers versus the Alouettes while holding CFL rushing leader William Stanback to 29 yards on 12 carries. On Sunday, the Ticats didn’t allow a touchdown as Toronto’s scoring consisted of six field goals and a single.
Ticats quarterback Dane Evans was instrumental in Hamilton’s win over Toronto. He relieved starter Jeremiah Masoli in the second quarter and finished 16-of-16 for 249 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Ticats became the first team to secure a home Grey Cup berth since the 2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders. Steinauer hasn’t said who will start Sunday.
Hamilton will attempt to earn its first Grey Cup crown at home since 1972. That year, standout Ticats defensive lineman Angelo Mosca capped his illustrious CFL career by hoisting the hallowed trophy with teammate Garney Henley before a partisan Ivor Wynne Stadium gathering.
The legendary Mosca, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987, died Nov. 6 at age 84 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.
Two years ago, Winnipeg native Andrew Harris put an exclamation mark on the Bombers’ championship season. He was named Grey Cup MVP and top Canadian after rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries while adding five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton.
On Sunday, Harris ran for 136 yards and a TD as Winnipeg dispatched the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-17 in the West Division final despite committing six turnovers. The game was Harris’s first since Oct. 15 due to a knee injury.