Hamilton Tiger-Cats close 2026 with a home win over Ottawa Redblacks (& six other thoughts)

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

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ season ended with a 35-22 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday afternoon. Hamilton finished the season with a 6-12 record, finishing the year 4-11 after winning two of their first three games.

While the playoffs seemed to be a sure thing coming out of training camp, Hamilton could not find their rhythm after an injury to their starting quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell.

So, what shook out in the season finale? And what does it mean heading into the 2027 CFL season?

TRE DAY

Outside of four starts (and three complete games) from Bo Levi Mitchell at the start of the season, the quarterback spot has been a well-documented carousel.

Tre Ford getting his team-leading seventh start of the year in the finale felt fitting. Ford has been his usual self this season. Big explosive plays, but struggling to find consistency from the pocket. Hamilton was quick to bench him and then start him repeatedly.

With Mitchell signing a two-year extension, Ford is fighting to return to Hamilton as the second option at quarterback.

While he was able to lead drives early in the game that resulted in field goals, you worried about his inability to finish in the end zone. It felt like the full Tre Ford experience with a near-turnover on a scramble trying to create something out of nothing.

Then came the Tre Ford highlight we are accustomed to. With 4:11 to go in the opening half and Hamilton up 9-6, Tre Ford scrambled free, and the running lanes quickly closed. He reversed field and realized there was nowhere to go. He set his feet and fired to Jaelen Gill in the endzone for Hamilton’s first touchdown of the game.

I loved the heads-up play to end the first half that led to a field goal attempt. Ford stepped up in the pocket and elected to run. He quickly looked at the clock and slid down with two seconds remaining on the clock. Marc Liegghio would connect on a 53-yard field goal to give Hamilton a 22-9 halftime lead.

Those moments are why we hope Tre Ford can find a role as a starter in this league. He has not been able to solidify it, but he continues to prove he is a threat. Ford finished the game 18-for-25 with 170 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He carried the ball eight times for 52 yards.

DEFENCE SHOWS UP, AGAIN

I have not hidden my displeasure with the defence throughout the season. The lack of sound tackling and inability to take the ball away was an issue. It was magnified by the team’s lack of offensive production.

For a fourth straight game, I walk away feeling as though they continued to get better. After allowing a second-and-10 conversion by the Ottawa offence, Wynton McMannis took the ball away to give the offence a short field. The defence played downhill, keeping plays in front of them.

Reggie Stubblefield led the way with seven total tackles. He is the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defender this season.

While it was too little, too late for Hamilton to find their groove on defence, this was a perfect look at what they needed to do to find success this season. Limit the opponents’ scoring, take away the ball when it is available until you can take a lead.

CHANGES COMING

With Hamilton watching the 2026 playoffs from home, you can’t help but think of the changes coming in 2027.

With a solidified strong receiving group and a number one quarterback set to return, the big change needs to come from the ground attack. Whether it is deemed that Rountree is a capable back and needs better players up front, or the team needs a new running back, that is the focus.

Clearly, the approach with Mitchell at the helm is that the short passing game is an effective rushing attack. However, Mitchell is an aging quarterback and needs help. If you can alleviate his workload and make your offence a more balanced threat, it opens more explosive plays down the field.

This area has been lacking for the past two seasons for Hamilton, and it needs to change. Personally, I see this as more of an offensive line issue rather than a Rountree issue.

While the Tiger-Cats need to get aggressive in finding some new members of the offensive line, they also need to find a pass-rushing weapon. The clear need on defence is a true number one defensive end who can create organic pressure. A major part of the issues for the Ticats came from not getting on the field on second-and-long.

When opposing quarterbacks have too much time, plays can develop, and the windows to throw can get larger. Getting home with four pass rushers can change the game in a positive way for Hamilton. The front lines need to be the area of improvement in the offseason.

BIG LEG DAY

Marc Liegghio has been fantastic this season. He went seven-for-seven on field goals on Saturday afternoon with a long of 53 yards and added two extra points.

Throughout his career, he has been the target of many disgruntled fans across the CFL. It comes with the territory of being a kicker in football. When you make them all, you are a hero. When you miss one, everyone calls for you to lose your job. There were few and far between moments where Liegghio missed a kick you expected him to make this season.

The calm he brought when trotting on the field this year was a relief from the dysfunction of the other units this season. Of the issues Hamilton had this year, the kicking game was not one of them.

FINISHING STRONG

As poorly as the season has gone for Hamilton, getting a win at home to close the season ends a disaster year on a high note. That is credit to the players and coaches for not giving up on the year.

Facing Ottawa twice in the final three weeks of the regular season had the opportunity to be a nightmare. Hamilton made sure to finish with two wins and leave the Redblacks with one victory in 2026.

While 6-12 is a less-than-ideal record, going 4-6 at home softens the blow – a little.

THANK YOU

Finally, thank you for following along with these posts throughout the course of the year. It has been a labour of love, and while the season has not gone the way Hamilton was hoping for, I enjoyed myself. I hope you did too. I am looking forward to continuing this into the future, hopefully with better results.

Whether you agreed, disagreed, or did not even know what world I was speaking in, your engagement throughout the season was truly appreciated.

Make sure to stay tuned to our great team at 3DownNation for all your CFL coverage through the playoffs and the offseason.

My 2026 Grey Cup Champion prediction: the B.C. Lions defeat the Montreal Alouettes 31-28.