Following a victory in a 25-22 nail-biter against the Argonauts, the Ticats head to Ottawa where they’ll clash with the Redblacks for the third time in four weeks.
In the final two weeks of the regular season, the teams squared off in what was essentially a two-game total points series to decide first place in the East Division standings. The Redblacks won both contests by a total score of 56-34, clinching first in the East as well as a first-round playoff bye.
The first of the two games was a low-scoring affair, with the two teams combining for just six field goals in a 12-6 final. Both offences struggled to muster any yardage all day long, with the two starting quarterbacks combining for just 347 passing yards, zero touchdown passes and three interceptions. The Ticats defence hunkered down when it mattered in the first quarter of the game, making three red zone stops to force Chris Milo field goals. After going down 9-0 in the first quarter, the Black and Gold defence stymied Ottawa’s high-octane offence for just three more points; however, the offence was unable to manufacture any points of their own.
Jeff Mathews was intercepted twice on goal-line situations in the second half, narrowly missing two significant scores on offence. The defence quite nearly won the game still, as Brandon Stewart intercepted a sideline-bound Burris pass in the fourth quarter, picking off the veteran and taking the ball all the way to the end zone for a touchdown with just over five minutes to go. The touchdown was reversed on two penalties– both of which were later deemed inappropriately-flagged offences by the CFL’s VP of officiating– preventing Hamilton from sliding into a 12-12 tie with the PAT pending. The Ticats marched the ball 77 yards down to the Redblacks’ 23-yard line on the final drive of the game, but were unable to reach the end zone before the clock ran out.
The second game between the Ticats and Redblacks was much different, with the two teams combining for 72 points in a 44-28 home win for Ottawa. Henry Burris passed for two first-quarter touchdowns, giving the Redblacks a 17-0 lead in the game and a 23-point advantage in the overall series. The Ticats stormed back in the second quarter, exploding for 20 straight points following Jeremiah Masoli’s insertion into the quarterback position, combined with some big plays on defence and special teams by Eric Norwood and Terrell Sinkfield Jr. The Ticats exited the first half with a 20-17 lead, but they struggled from that point on, allowing Burris to throw for four more touchdown strikes while managing just eight more points. The lone remaining score for the Tiger-Cats came on a successful onside punt, recovered and returned to the end zone by defensive back Rico Murray. The touchdown, which brought Hamilton back to a 31-26 deficit, would be the final points mustered by the Black and Gold (outside of a two-point safety) while the Redblacks piled on 13 more.
This afternoon’s East Final game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET at TD Place in Ottawa. To catch all the action tune into TSN 1, 3 and 5 on TV or listen to the play-by-play on TSN 1150 with Andy McNamara and Coach Sal. To further enhance your game-watching experience sign-up or sign into Ticats All Access and play the special Playoff Edition of the Gameday Predictor Challenge!
NOTABLE NOTES
Takeaways from this week’s Game Notes, provided by the CFL stats crew.
- Since Hamilton and Ottawa played their first playoff game in 1908, the two teams have played in 31 post-season games, with Hamilton notching 16 wins and Ottawa winning the other 15.
- Of the teams’ 31 post-season meetings, there have been 11 East Finals played between Hamilton and Ottawa. Hamilton has won seven of the 11 meetings, of which nine were best-of-two series.
- This weekend’s East Final is the first Ottawa-hosted Final since 1981, when the Ticats and Roughriders faced off in a 17-13 Ottawa win.
- This week’s quarterback matchup features a veteran with 233 regular season and playoff starts (Henry Burris) and a young quarterback with 2 career CFL starts.
- The last time Hamilton won three consecutive East Division playoff titles was 1984 to 1986. They’ll have an opportunity to replicat2e that success with a win in Ottawa on Sunday.
TIGER-CATS PLAYOFF HISTORY AGAINST OTTAWA
Playoff History vs. Ottawa: 16-15-0
Road Playoff Record vs. Ottawa: 6-11-0
Last Road Playoff Game at Ottawa: The last time the Ticats traveled to Ottawa for a playoff game was in the 1983 East Semi-Final. Hamilton won the game 33-31, advancing to the East Final in Toronto where they’d eventually lose 41-36 to the Argos.
Last Playoff Game vs. Ottawa: The last overall playoff game against a team from Ottawa was the 1993 East Semi-Final, in which the Ticats triumphed over the Roughriders by a score of 21-10. The win was the second of back-to-back East Semi-Final wins at home against Ottawa, following up the previous season’s 29-28 win.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Win on special teams: The Ticats took care of business on special teams last weekend, winning in all aspects. The kickoff and punt teams were aggressive and assignment-sound, limiting the Argos return yardage, while Brandon Banks consistently set the offence up with great field position in the Ticats return game. Justin Medlock was money in the kicking game, hitting on both extra point attempts and all three field goal attempts including the game-winning walk off kick. To win on the road in Ottawa the Ticats must yet again own the special teams battle.
Win the turnover game: It’s been the recipe all season long for the Ticats: they’ve been even or positive in the turnover department in all 10 of their 2015 wins, while they’ve lost the turnover battle in seven of their eight regular season losses. It would be huge if the Black and Gold can create turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, but more importantly the offence must be safe and responsible with the ball and limit mistakes.
TICATS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- CJ Gable, RB – Gable has been improving in every week since his return to the Ticats lineup, putting together his best performance of 2015 in last week’s East Semi-Final. The third-year back rushed for 89 yards in the game, averaging 5.9 yards per carry while adding another 19 yards on two receptions. Gable’s offensive performances are only made more impressive by his efficiency in pass protection. Offensive line coach Allen Rudolph was full of praise for the back’s abilities in protection this week, giving his starting running back credit for making both the offensive line and quarterback comfortable when he’s in the backfield. If the Ticats hope to advance to the Grey Cup, they’ll need yet another strong performance from their veteran running back.
- Marc Dile, OT – Coach Austin called out Dile’s performance after last week’s game, praising the offensive tackle for his efforts in replacing the injured Jeremy Lewis. Dile played well against the Argos and he’ll need an even better game against the Ottawa pass rush that punished the Ticats in two previous meetings. While pass protection and run blocking is a team effort, Dile will draw the unfavourable job of blocking defensive end Shawn Lemon on most plays. The veteran offensive lineman must find a way to slow down Lemon and prevent him from causing problems in the Ticats backfield.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Craig Butler, DB – Butler struggled through a couple of early-season injuries, but outside of the few missed games he has remained one of the best safeties in the game. The standout Canadian defensive back came up with a big sack in the first Ottawa-Hamilton meeting of 2015, bringing down Burris hard on a blitz. His pass-rushing talents came up large again last weekend, forcing Ricky Ray into a rushed and incomplete pass late in the game to force the Argos into a field goal and allow the Ticats time for the game-winning drive. Butler is an impact player on defence for the Ticats and he’ll have to have another strong game against a high-powered Redblacks offence.
- Ted Laurent, DL – Laurent was a monster in the East Semi-Final, bringing down Ricky Ray for two sacks while creating pressure all game. The Canadian defensive tackle was an absolute force in the game, generating gut pressure and collapsing the Argos pocket despite facing double-teams on most snaps. Laurent’s ability to create pressure up the middle and in the quarterback’s face will be integral in making Henry Burris uncomfortable and making life difficult on the Ottawa quarterback.
REDBLACKS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Henry Burris, QB – The entire Ottawa offence rides on the shoulders of veteran quarterback Henry Burris and his ability to distribute the ball to his receivers. The Redblacks possess a strong running attack behind Jeremiah Johnson and William Powell, but it is their passing game and specifically Burris that their attack relies on most heavily. If Burris is on, the Redblacks are one of the league’s most dangerous teams, but if he’s off, Ottawa will have to wait longer for their first Grey Cup trip since 1981.
- Greg Ellingson, WR – Ellingson out-gained all other receivers in the season series, bringing in 10 catches for 167 yards and three touchdowns against his former club. The Florida International product had a career season in 2015, racking up 1,061 yards and nine touchdown receptions (second in the CFL). The Redblacks possess a number of talented wideouts, so it’s hard to single one player out, but it was Ellingson who gashed the Ticats in their first two match-ups of the season and he’ll have to be handled in this weekend’s game.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Shawn Lemon, DE – Lemon ate up the Ticats in this season’s previous clashes, recording two sacks and three forced fumbles in two games. The veteran defensive end played just nine games in 2015 but managed to wrap up opposing quarterbacks on five occasions and his impact goes beyond the sack totals. Lemon’s ability to make life tough on opposing quarterbacks is better than most, and he’ll be a force that the Ticats must contain to win this weekend.
- Justin Capiciotti, DE – Lining up opposite of Lemon is one of the most talented Canadian defensive players in the league. Capiciotti set a career-high with 12 sacks in 2015 while nearly cracking 50 tackles for the second straight season (47). The Black and Gold offensive line will have their work cut out for them against the Redblacks’ two relentless pass rushers.
