This may be a strange thing to ask, given they are alone on top the East Division and coming off a last-second win over the struggling Montreal Alouettes.
But are we sure the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are actually good?
The popular narrative surrounding the 2016 edition of the Ticats has been this: a potentially great team in a need of one big piece (the return of quarterback Zach Collaros) and a few smaller pieces (a kicker, a defensive back, some Canadian depth.)
Yet two-thirds of the way through the season, many of those questions remain – plus a few others for good measure.
Collaros has been statistically spectacular since returning from his knee injury six games ago, throwing for an average of 350 yards while posting 16 touchdown passes against six interceptions. But he hasn’t passed the eye test the last two weeks, making questionable decisions and struggling at times with his accuracy.
The team is just 3-3 since he’s been back, the same record they had under backup QB Jeremiah Masoli.
Brett Maher has exceeded expectations as a field goal kicker but blocked punts in four consecutive games is just the latest special teams adventure (serial penalty taking was the first.) The secondary, which was a question mark in training camp, is still unsettled. The offensive line was added to the mix last week.
The injuries to Canadian safety Courtney Stephen and receiver Chad Owens – the severity of which are still unknown – could further complicate things. Third-year man Mike Daly is a capable replacement but the team has precious little depth behind him, especially with Jay Langa on the six-game injury list and Craig Butler out for the year. If Stephen misses extended time, Hamilton may be forced to make a ratio change and find an American safety to fill the role.
Owens was on pace for his first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2012 and there are indications he could miss significant time.
The Ticats have Junior Collins and John Chiles in reserve and could look to repatriate Terrell Sinkfield, who was recently cut by the Minnesota Vikings.
The hard-fought win over Montreal – a team with spectacular array of issues – hardly inspired confidence. Despite their perch on top of the East Division, Hamilton has beaten exactly one team with a winning record, a 2-1 Edmonton squad that required a 25-point comeback and a record-setting performance from Masoli.
The team’s six wins have come against teams that currently have a combined .304 winning percentage.
Now, while the Ticats may not have developed into the dominant force many expected them to be – at least not yet – that doesn’t necessarily preclude them from having a successful season.
In many respects, this team feels reminiscent of the 2013 squad of Austin’s first season, one that made a raft of personnel changes, dealt with injuries and struggled with consistency – they were 6-6, too – only to win four of their last five on their way to the first of back-to-back Grey Cup appearances.
The difference, of course, is that Ticats team faced none of the expectations this one does: the championship appearance, their first since 1999, felt heaven-sent. These days, anything less than a title is seen as a disappointment.
The 2016 Ticats certainly still have the potential to be great: They have a proven commodity at quarterback, a solid core of veterans, several quality Canadian starters. They’ve shown flashes of it. And you certainly can’t question their resilience.
But, at least for now, it might be better to take a more tempered wait-and-see approach instead of simply expecting that greatness will inevitably emerge.
