The Hamilton Tiger-Cats set aside their own self-interest during post-game press conferences on Friday night and delivered a dire warning to all future opponents: play man coverage against Kenny Lawler at your own risk.
“If you leave our guys one-on-one, it’s going to be a tough night,” quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell said in the aftermath of a 51-38 victory over the Toronto Argonauts. “What I saw was 89 one-on-one multiple times. That’s not a good decision, so I’m going to give that guy a chance. Kenny had a special night, but that’s who he is.”
Lawler put on a show at BMO Field in Week 5, setting a new career-high with six catches for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Each major seemed to be more spectacular than the last, as he leapt over top of defenders or pulled away from contact with jaw-dropping ease.
The 31-year-old receiver was well over the century mark before the end of the first quarter, beating the home side for deep touchdowns on each of Hamilton’s first two throws of the game. He seemed underwhelmed by Toronto’s strategy for covering him, indicating that the Argos offered nothing unique in terms of challenges.
“I just see the usual, just typical CFL defence. I see a corner in my face and a safety over the top. I see sometimes I got man,” Lawler shrugged. “They’re trying to do their best to be able to stop me, but if they think one person is going to be enough, they’re wrong. That’s when we make them pay. Bo is always going to find it. When he puts that ball up, it’s just in order for me to make the play.”
Fueled by Lawler’s dominance, the Tiger-Cats amassed 415 yards of net offence in their most complete performance of the year. Mitchell added another two touchdowns to finish with five total and secured a perfect passer rating, completing 19-of-24 passes for 332 yards.
It was exactly the type of aerial bombardment that Hamilton was banking on when they gave Lawler $303,000 in free agency, stealing him away from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While critics suggested that it was overpaying at a position of strength, the Ticats felt that adding the All-CFL target to a receiving corps that already included Tim White, Kiondre Smith, and Shemar Bridges would help get the most out of Mitchell.
That theory was sound on Friday, contributing to a performance from the future Hall of Famer that head coach Scott Milanovich dubbed “as good as I’ve ever seen him play.”
“That’s why he’s the highest-paid receiver in the league, right? We’re glad to have him,” he said of Lawler’s impact.
“Games like tonight don’t come around every week. These are good defences. Toronto has a good defence, but every now and then, you’re clicking.”
Despite his obligatory praise for the Argonauts, Milanovich acknowledged that there were things on film that indicated those big plays would be possible. It was a matter of getting the right looks at the right time and then having his two best players execute the play call, which they did at a level above even his expectations.
“You never know for sure. If you get the right coverages, you think you have a shot. We guessed right a couple times; Kenny made a play,” he explained. “The last ball Bo threw him down the sidelines, I think in the fourth quarter, that was the coverage we expected, but that was such a great throw. He threw that so early; those guys were just on their game tonight.”
Mitchell’s perfect ball placement ensured that only Lawler could make a play with the defender’s back turned, and the California product delivered every time. Just four games into their partnership, Lawler has already caught 24 passes for 483 yards and five TDs, putting him on an early pace to break the CFL single-season receiving record.
While that may not be realistic, Mitchell has found instant chemistry with his top target that he has only experienced twice before. The first was with All-American Brandon Kaufman during his time at Eastern Washington University, while the second was with all-star Eric Rogers during his early years in Calgary.
“There is something about the tall, skinny guys that can go up there and make plays that I agree with,” Mitchell grinned, remarking at the similarities between the three.
“(Lawler) is special at tracking the ball. The moment it comes out of my hand, he understands if it’s going to be short, it’s going to be long, it’s going to be high. I think that’s one thing that’s very underrated about receivers.”
It’s safe to assume that future opponents won’t be caught underestimating that ability when they face the Ticats, but Lawler warns there is no cookie-cutter solution for his erasure. Roll to his side and you might regret it just as much as leaving him solo.
“We’ve got playmakers all across the board,” he insisted. “They can’t double just one of us because the other guys are going to eat, and we’ve got a Hall of Fame quarterback.”
The Tiger-Cats (2-2) will return to action on Saturday, July 12, when they host the Ottawa Redblacks.
J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league's Global initiative.
