Three-act performance propels Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win over Roughriders (& seven other thoughts)

Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 26-19 victory over the defending Grey Cup Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night. It was a strong bounce-back performance from the Ticats at home following a tough loss in Vancouver a week ago.

This game felt like it came in three acts. Much like a strong stage play (or musical), the beginning of the game grabbed you. There was a lull in the middle before an explosive climax and ending. It provided riveting twists and turns with some standout performances.

Was it perfect? Far from it. However, it rarely is. A victory is a victory, and that might be the most important part for a team that had been reeling over the past six games.

Let’s look at how the game unfolded on Saturday night in the Hammer.

THE START

After the Ticats’ offence stalled out just over midfield on the opening drive of the game, the defence took over. My three biggest issues with the Hamilton defence this season have been:

• Not getting off the field on second-and-long
• Giving up points on their opponents’ first drive of the game
• Not capitalizing on turnovers in their hands when given the opportunity

All three of those issues were answered on the Roughriders’ opening drive of the game.

On second-and-seven, Trevor Harris’ pass was deflected into the arms of Stavros Katsantonis, who brought it in and returned it to the Saskatchewan 32-yard line. Two plays later, Harrison Frost fired to Myron Mitchell for a 27-yard touchdown.

Finally, the Ticats started on the front foot and were not forced to chase the game. Every opponent presents challenges in the CFL; you cannot play from behind consistently and expect good results. The Ticats flipped the script this week and struck first.

While it did not lead to a wire-to-wire victory, it helped lay the foundation that Hamilton built off for the rest of the game.

In the early to mid-stages of the second quarter, Hamilton held a 10-3 lead.

A LULL

While the start was great, we saw the Tiger-Cats revert to their bad habits in the middle of the game. After an early seven-point lead held until the 3:34 mark of the second quarter, Hamilton found themselves trailing 13-10 at half-time.

Two drives were the catalyst for the Roughriders to get into the driver’s seat midway through the game. A field goal drive to pull them back within four took 10 plays and over five minutes while spanning just 37 yards. The other was an 84-yard drive with just 2:16 to go in the first half. Saskatchewan would score their only touchdown of the game with 23 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

On the final drive of the first half, the Roughriders picked up first downs on a second-and-six and two separate second-and-10s. Their touchdown also came on second-and-10.

The mood quickly shifted from “Hamilton looks like they belong in this game” to “It will be the same mistakes that lead to a fourth consecutive loss”.

The lull was deflating; the third quarter could have been a complete disaster. The damage was limited, but there were more than a few questionable decisions.

After taking a 13-10 lead into the half, Saskatchewan led a 10-play drive lasting 6:37 to begin the second half. They were held to a field goal, their first of two in the third quarter.

The eyebrows were raised when Hamilton took the field for the first time in the second half, and Tre Ford led the offence out. Ford had been benched in Hamilton’s loss two weeks ago at home to the Calgary Stampeders for his costly turnovers.

Harrison Frost would not re-enter the game for Hamilton, finishing 12-of-16 with 112 passing yards and a touchdown. Following the game, Scott Milanovich said “we will need to see where his health is at” regarding the Ticats playing their QEW rival Argonauts next weekend on the Ticats Audio Network post-game show.

On Ford’s first drive of the game, he went one-for-two, recording six passing yards and picked up a first down with his legs. The questionable decision came when Hamilton was facing a third-and-eight on the Saskatchewan 42-yard line, down by six.

Ford would scramble out and keep the ball himself. He gained four yards before he was taken to the ground and the Roughriders took over on downs.

The wind at Hamilton Stadium can always play a factor; however, not looking to your kicker for a 50-yard field goal in a tight game is head-scratching. Despite Marc Liegghio missing a 57-yard kick at the end of regulation last week in Vancouver to send the game to overtime, he is more than capable of a 50-yard attempt.

In the moment, we did not know why Ford was put into the game. It appears it was injury-related for Frost, and Milanovich’s hands were tied. I still cannot comprehend the decision to go for it on third-and-eight when the field goal is an option. I would have questioned this decision with Bo Levi Mitchell in the game, let alone a quarterback who has been benched twice this year.

It did not impact the result in this game, but easily could have. On Saskatchewan’s next drive, they kicked their fourth field goal of the night, extending their lead to 19-10.

Hamilton would have a response.

THE FINALE

Hamilton’s fourth quarters this season have been less than ideal on all sides of the ball. Close games that have slipped away with a mixture of bad defence and a lack of offensive production. In the last three games for the Ticats before this one, they had been outscored 40-8.

That was another script that they flipped in Week 11 of the season. They outscored Saskatchewan 16-0 in the fourth quarter on Saturday night.

Ford led a field goal drive to pull the Tiger-Cats back within six to begin the fourth quarter. After the defence forced a two-and-out, the fireworks started.

Hamilton started the following drive at their own 12-yard line; the Ticats were able to get the ball to the Roughriders 41-yard line.

After the pocket collapsed on first-and-10, Ford scrambled away. From the bird’s-eye view, Ford still seemed poised to make a play downfield, while drawing defenders in. He uncorked a throw to Keric Wheatfall in the back of the Roughriders ‘ end zone. Wheatfall laid out with a full extension and hauled in the pass, igniting the roar at Hamilton Stadium.

Somehow, despite the same flaws that had shown up week after week, the Ticats were leading against the Roughriders with just under nine minutes to play.

After two more field goals from the Ticats, Reggie Stubblefield sealed the game with an interception with under a minute to play.

It was a tall task for Hamilton to win going into the game, yet they found a way to get it done.

QUARTERBACKS STILL IN THE LIMELIGHT

The quarterback position has been in turmoil since the injury to Bo Levi Mitchell in Week 5. In Week 11, Harrison Frost had some moments of good. He did not make a serious mistake and, for the most part, looked comfortable. While the offence was not able to put a lot of points on the board, it has been the most consistent under Frost.

Just as things seem to go right for Hamilton, they go wrong. An unexpected injury to Frost put Tre Ford back into action on Saturday.

Ford arguably had his best game this season, too. Ford finished 13-for-17 with 151 passing yards and a touchdown. He also added four carries for 38-yards, while most importantly not turning over the ball.

Based on the tone of voice following the game, I doubt that there is any question within the Ticats that Frost is the top choice. His health will be the biggest factor moving forward. From what we saw on the sidelines, he did not seem to be labouring.

What makes the situation interesting is that while Frost has shown flashes of being the best option, the only wins since the Bo Levi Mitchell injury have been credited to Tre Ford. It was four weeks ago when Ford beat Toronto, and he gets credit for the victory over Saskatchewan.

This is what we know about Ford: when he is at his best, he can propel a team to victory against any opponent. He is a box of chocolates, though; you simply do not know what you are going to get. That is where the reliability of what we have seen from Frost puts more ease into his game.

What concerned me with Ford was how he was going to respond to being benched again. It is one thing to struggle and have the job given to someone else. When it happened a second time, it felt like the Ticats might lose him. After what he went through in Edmonton, it would make sense for him to have a negative attitude.

Instead, Ford put the work in and delivered when his number was called. Ultimately, that is all someone in his position can do.

Hamilton has every reason to feel strongly about their quarterbacks heading into the Toronto game next week — an opponent they have already beaten post-Mitchell injury and two options that played well this week. It is now a waiting game on the availability of Harrison Frost.

MORE OPTIONS

Obviously, the rotating cast under centre for Hamilton has taken its toll. The rhythm with the receivers can seem off, and each quarterback who has come in finds a guy that they like. In this game, it was Harrison Frost looking at Kurleigh Gittens Jr. as much as possible. Tre Ford found a liking for Keric Wheatfall against the Roughriders.

That leaves Kenny Lawler and Kiondre Smith recording three combined catches in the game on seven combined targets, five of those to Lawler. As I have said before, the receiving corps for Hamilton is one of their biggest strengths; it oozes skill. But there are a lot of mouths to feed.

What leaves me wondering is the one catch on a single target to Isaiah Wooden Sr. on Saturday. It came early in the second quarter as the Ticats drove for a field goal.

Wooden is an electric returner. What makes a good returner? Good vision, incredible athletic ability, and well-schemed (and executed) blocking. With all those assets, a player can break a return to flip the field or score.

Why can that not be applied to the Tiger-Cats offence more effectively? Wooden made just his third catch of the season on Saturday, and it went for 15 yards. I am not saying he needs six to eight catches per game, but more volume could help an offence that has struggled at points.

The issue comes from the blocking aspect. The Tiger-Cats receivers can block in open space; it is the offensive line that concerns me. There have been more than a few screen passes this season where the offensive lineman tasked with getting upfield does not get a hand on a defender.

If Hamilton can clean that up, while getting Wooden the ball once or twice a game in open space, it could create more explosive plays. It is at least worth trying for the Tiger-Cats moving forward.

GROUND GAME

To no surprise, the ground game opened for Hamilton when Tre Ford entered the game. That is a combination of Saskatchewan not scheming for him, while it also being executed well by Hamilton.

Going into the second-to-last drive of the game, Larry Rountree III had seven carries for 25 yards. He had five carries for 22 yards on that drive. It led to a field goal, putting the Ticats up by seven points with under a minute to play.

There seemed to be an emphasis on getting Rountree more involved in the game. He caught three passes for 17 yards in the contest as well. With him as a threat to get the ball and Ford having the ability to burn a defence with his legs, it creates more space. Rountree took advantage and was instrumental in killing the clock, while also moving the sticks.

While it was not an impressive box score for Rountree by the numbers, he was effective. That is what Hamilton needs in the back half of the season to continue to have success on offence. This cannot be a one-and-done game where he gets five touches next week.

I would also like to see Hamilton use the draw game more, especially in unsuspecting situations. They had success in the preseason (which you take with a grain of salt) and in the regular season. The Ticats are so pass-heavy, there is not an expectation that they keep the ball on the ground more.

If they can keep the defence on their toes, it will open more in the passing game. It does not need to be held for second-and-very-long situations. Rountree can break plays; let him show what he can do just a little bit more to help the quarterbacks.

STUBBLEFIELD’S IMPACT

I thought Reggie Stubblefield played one of his best games this season. It felt like every time there was a rally to the football, number one was there. While he might not have finished every play, he was around the ball a lot.

Stubblefield had the interception to seal the game, while also nearly having one on the drive before. He finished the game with three tackles, two of them being for a loss. If he can continue to be a playmaker defensively, Hamilton’s defence can continue getting stronger.

While it was an impressive game for the defence, I mentioned old habits creeping up during the middle of the game. Getting off the field was an issue in quarters two and three, but far from the biggest issue.

There are too many missed tackles for Hamilton. The amount of body checks and diving at legs takes too many players out of the play and allows for potential big plays. In the grand scheme of the game for the Ticats, it did not play a factor into the result, but it could have. The first player in needs to wrap the legs; the second player in needs to finish the tackle.

If the offensive player is still up but not progressing away from the first two defenders, the third defender in needs to punch out the ball. It is a simple concept taught at the earliest stages of tackle football. Hamilton needs to get some fundamentals back in their game to make sure they are not giving up explosive plays.

UP NEXT

Hamilton makes a quick trip to Toronto, taking on the Argonauts on Saturday, August 22, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts had an unfriendly trip to Edmonton on Saturday, falling to the Elks 42-12.

It will be just the second game at BMO Field this season for Toronto, following their displacement due to the World Cup. The Argonauts will have revenge on their mind after their 24-23 loss in Hamilton on July 18. This will be the first of two matchups between Hamilton and Toronto in the next three weeks, leading up to the Labour Day clash on September 7.

Both teams are sitting at four wins on the season, with Hamilton having an extra loss with more games played. With the Ticats having already won the first matchup of the year, this game can go a long way in the standings in the East Division come the end of the season.