3 Key Takeaways: Week 9 vs. Redblacks

1. The Red Zone Defence
Redblacks’ quarterback Trevor Harris was able to move the ball on his own side of half. His efforts were largely stifled however, once he crossed into Ticat territory. Ottawa kicker Brett Maher accounted for all 15 of the Redblacks’ points in the first half, going five for five with a long kick of 52 yards. It was also his longest field goal of the season.
The Redblacks continued to ride Maher’s hot leg into the second half. The key takeaway for the Tiger-Cats was the fact that they conceded just three points per drive and limited the number of majors the Redblacks were able to score. Maher finished the game six for six and accounted for 19 of Ottawa’s 37 points.
Of the three touchdowns scored by the Redblacks, just two were generated by the offence. The other was scored by Ellis after recovering a Ticats offensive fumble.
Numerous times in the game, Redblack drives were stifled by the Ticats defence just as Harris brought his unit within striking distance of the end zone. The Hamilton defence under new defensive coordinator Phillip Lolley exemplified a bend-but-don’t-break style of play to a tee. Harris passed for 394 yards, and his leading receiver, Ellingson, put up 155 yards through the air, but the Ticats routinely prevented the duo from connecting in the end zone
 
2. Luke Tasker’s Veteran Presence
The Tiger-Cats were unable to match the Redblacks’ offensive production, but Luke Tasker stepped up to lead the Ticats receivers with 94 yards on six receptions. A key part of his game was his reliable performance on second down, where he was a comforting presence for Collaros. The two connected on plays where Collaros was scrambling and searching downfield for a target.
On a second and long in the first quarter, Collaros found Tasker downfield for a 45 yard touchdown strike to open the scoring for the Tiger-Cats. The sure-handed Tasker came down with every ball that touched his hands.
 
3. Defensive Line Pressure
The Tiger-Cats suffered some difficult injuries on the defensive line. Ted Laurent, Mike Atkinson, and Evan Gill were all unavailable for Friday’s game. There were a number of ratio implications that resulted from those injuries, such as the decision to dress two national receivers in Mike Jones and Giovanni Aprile.
Regardless of the changes, the defensive line was able to pressure Harris and force him to make quick decisions in the pocket.
Justin Capicciotti was able to break through the offensive line and sack Harris twice.
Larry Dean also recorded a sack on the night in addition to his 10 tackles. Dean was a force for the Tiger-Cats defence and was an instrumental part of the Ticats’ run coverage.
The Tiger-Cats’ defensive line held Ottawa running back William Powell to just 33 yards rushing. The interior of the line showed up to play, anchored up the middle by Davon Coleman and brand new Ticat, Nikita Whitlock.
 
The Tiger-Cats must to continue to build on these takeaways to secure their first victory of the season in the Labour Day Classic.