Pre-Game Breakdown: Week 9 at Eskimos

After three straight games at Tim Hortons Field, the Tiger-Cats (5-2) head out on the road to take on the Edmonton Eskimos (5-2), as the two division leaders and top two defences in the league square off at Commonwealth Stadium.
Last week, the Ticats toppled the BC Lions in their third straight home win, opening up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter for the second straight week. Now on a four-game win streak, the Ticats have really come into their own, firing on all cylinders. Over the four-game winning stretch, the team has solidified itself as the best rushing defence in the league for the second straight campaign, while proving their pass defence is just as good, ranking first in the CFL in interceptions (11) and second in sacks (22). Zach Collaros came out slinging yet again in the win, completing over 80% of his passes for just under 300 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions. The defence and special teams each got in on the scoring in the game as well, as the Ticats won 52-22 in a game that never once looked out of their grasp.
The Eskimos come into Week 9 after edging out the Alouettes in Montreal, topping the Ticats East Division rival 15-12 with a last-minute field goal from Grant Shaw. The Eskimos defence was absolutely stifling in the game, holding the Als to just eight first downs in the entire game, and forcing double-digit punts (11) for the third time in the season. The Edmonton’s defence brought down Rakeem Cato for eight sacks in the game, increasing their league-lead to 27, while also improving their points allowed per game to 14.4. Quarterback Matt Nichols (15-for-24, 130 yds., 2 INT) exited the game early with a head injury, as rookie James Franklin (9-for-13, 144 yds.) came in to secure the victory for the Eskimos, setting up the game-winning field goal. A third quarterback got into the action as well, as Jordan Lynch completed his first career passing touchdown on a four-yard strike.
Tonight’s road game against the Eskimos will kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET. To catch all the action from home, tune into TSN or 1150 CKOC and be sure to sign up for Ticats All Access to play the GameDay Predictor Challenge!

TIGER-CATS HISTORY AGAINST EDMONTON

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Generate pressure on Esks QBs: Matt Nichols was pressured all game long against the Alouettes, and that resulted in the Esks quarterback turning the ball over twice on interceptions. Nichols has been an adequate replacement for Mike Reilly since his injury, but pressure–especially the kind that the Ticats have been creating–causes mistakes from even the best quarterbacks. Forcing Nichols to make rushed decisions with the ball should give the Ticats more opportunities to create points off of turnovers.
Put points on the board early: The Eskimos have trailed opponents for just 5:19 of their entire game time at home this season, when they trailed 3-1 to the Bombers early in the two teams’ early-season meeting. In order to hand Edmonton their first home loss of the season, the Ticats will need to put points on the board early and avoid going into a hole against the league’s top defence.
Make it count on 2nd down: The Tiger-Cats and Eskimos are the top two teams at shutting down opponents’ 2nd-down attempts this season. The Ticats have excelled at converting on these opportunities in 2015, connecting on nearly 60% of their second down chances. If they’re able to continue this success and stretch out drives against Edmonton, it will help win the field position battle and go a long way in ultimately winning the game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Terrence Toliver: Through seven games, Toliver is the team’s top receiver, totalling 400 yards (57 per game) on 26 receptions. Toliver has quickly developed a chemistry with his quarterback in Hamilton, and he’s been a consistent producer in the receiving game. Toliver’s ability to create separation from his defenders and finish plays with authority will be important in propelling this passing offence forward against a tough defence.

Luke Tasker: Tasker didn’t take long to turn heads upon his return to the Ticats lineup, racking up 208 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games of 2015. In what looks poised to be a hard-fought defensive matchup, Tasker’s ability and fearlessness across the middle of the field could be a large factor. The Eskimos have consistently shut down opponents in second down situations, and Tasker’s ability to get the tough yards will be called upon on Friday night.

Ted Laurent: Returning to play on the road in Edmonton for just the second time since leaving the Eskimos, Laurent will play a big part in the game’s outcome on Friday night. Laurent’s ability to produce pressure on opposing quarterbacks down the middle is a rare ability, and it presents a unique challenge to those quarterbacks. The sack numbers may not represent it, but Laurent has played no small part in the outburst of Ticats sacks over the course of the last three games.

Emanuel Davis: Davis has been on a tear during the team’s home stretch, amassing two interception touchdowns, four pass knockdowns and 11 tackles. The defensive back has completely shut down his opposing receivers and shown a ball-hawking ability. In a game against one of the best receiving cores in the CFL, Davis and the rest of the Ticats secondary will be called upon to continue their affinity for shutdown defence as of late.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME:

Ticats offensive line vs. Eskimos defensive line
It’s another battle in the trenches this week, as the Ticats offensive line will be hard-pressed against a tough Eskimos defensive front.
Zach Collaros is one of, if not the best quarterback in the league at avoiding pressure and creating on broken plays. That being said, he’ll be up against Edmonton’s veracious defensive front, who showed an ability to contain a mobile quarterback in Rakeem Cato last week.
The Eskimos have averaged nearly four sacks per game this season, including eight last week, as they lead the league with 27.
The Ticats front five of Jake Olson, Ryan Bomben, Mike Filer, Peter Dyakowski and Jeremy Lewis have now played three straight games as a unit, which should increase communication and cohesiveness throughout the unit.
The group of linemen must provide adequate time for the receivers’ routes to develop and for Collaros to work through his progressions. In order to bring home a win from Edmonton, the Ticats line will need to have their best game of the season thus far.

TEAM CONNECTIONS:

Ted Laurent played 48 games for the Eskimos during his first three seasons in the league, while linebacker Simoni Lawrence (15 games) also spent some time in the green and gold. Lawrence was traded to Ticats along with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who spent one season on Edmonton’s roster.

A number of players on Edmonton’s current roster spent significant time in Hamilton, including Simeon Rottier (54 games), Ryan Hinds (37 games), Eddie Steele (31 games), Marcell Young (23 games) and Greg Wojt (19 games). Wojt was part of the Lawrence and Masoli trade, dealt to the Tiger-Cats before resigning with the Eskimos last off-season.