The Hamilton Tiger-Cats don’t need to win Saturday’s regular season finale against the Montreal Alouettes; but it would be nice, if only to prove to themselves — and maybe to their fans — that they still can.
A perusal of the usual social media spaces finds an unusual amount of pessimism among the faithful, even by Internet standards. With a 7-10 record and having lost three straight at Tim Hortons Field — they haven’t botched four in a row at home since the Dark Ages of 2006 — Hamilton will make the playoffs. But, quite frankly, it doesn’t seem like anybody expects them to go far.
So even just one win by a largely backup crew could do wonders for psyche and the soul.
Quarterback Zach Collaros will get the start — his recent stats indicate he could use some fine tuning — but he won’t be in the game long. Linebacker Simoni Lawrence isn’t starting, nor is receiver Terrence Toliver. Defensive end Adrian Tracy isn’t suiting up at all.
That said, the secondary will feature five of the likely six post-season starters, including veteran strong-side linebacker Keon Raymond. That unit desperately needs to develop some cohesion and chemistry in time for the post-season, especially if the high-flying Edmonton Eskimos are coming to town.
This game is big for some of the lesser-knowns as well. Rookie Canadian linebacker Terrell Davis gets a chance to start and demonstrate he can be a factor in the defensive rotation next season. Quarterback Jeff Mathews will get some playing time, a potential showcase for his pending free agency.
There are jobs on the line, to be sure.
That’s true in Montreal, as well. Rookie quarterback Vernon Adams is expected to make his second start and try to convince the doubters he should the front-runner for the No. 1 job next season (not to mention worth the first round pick the Alouettes dealt to get him.) Former Ticat Jacques Chapdelaine is looking to get the “interim” tag removed from his head coach door plate.
And the Alouettes’ veteran-laden defence will play its heart out regardless of standings. Many of them have been around long enough to remember the pitched playoff battles from 2013 and 2014 and there are plenty of long-running scores to settle.
“Their defence is going to bring it,” said Collaros. “If you watched the Calgary game last week, they were smashing guys. That’s just who they are.”
The Ticats, meanwhile, have no such identity. They aren’t an offensive juggernaut (though they’ve shown flashes) and don’t have the opportunistic defence of the past few seasons. Their kicking game, while solid, isn’t automatic and Brandon Banks — who returns this week after a two-game drug suspension — hasn’t been a consistent sparkplug.
Instead, this team has been defined by injury and replay controversy and maddening inconsistency. Saturday’s game can’t single-handedly change that narrative, though it can certainly add another ignominious chapter: the loss of another marquee player would almost be too much to bear.
The best case scenario: an uneventful, healthy win. Not because 8-10 is all that much better than 7-11; but because maybe, just maybe, it lays the foundation for the games that really matter.
“Hopefully, we’ll come out with a good feeling about how we played,” said head coach Kent Austin. “And our preparation will lead into next week.”
