3 Key Takeaways: Week 15 vs. Argos

The O-Line and the Ticats’ Streaking Run Game
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Head Coach June Jones wasn’t overstating when he said in media availability that he had two running backs good enough to start in any league.
In week 15 in BC, the Tiger-Cats started Alex Green in place of a banged up CJ Gable. Green proceeded to post 140 yards rushing on 11 carries with a long carry on the night of 23 yards. He complimented the play of the offensive line, waiting for the holes to form and hitting them hard when they did. His excellent road performance confirmed the Ticats’ running back depth.
Gable returned from injury this week and earned the start despite Green’s dominant play in Vancouver. For anyone who questioned the decision of sitting a 140-yard back, their questions were soon answered. Not to be outdone, Gable popped off for an even better performance than his counterpart.
Gable rushed for 157 yards on 18 carries in Saturday’s game vs. the Argos. What really set his game apart was the two times he put the ball in the end zone. Gables first touchdown was a clinic on short yardage running, as he bowled over a group of Argos and carried them with him across the goal line.
His second touchdown was a similar venture, as he punched it in from the three-yard-line through a wall of Argos.
So what does this all mean?
For one, it means that the Ticats have a couple of feature backs at their disposal. But what may be lost in the excitement around the running backs, is the work of the big boys that pave the way. Regardless which running back suits up in the Hamilton backfield, the Ticats’ line appears capable of plowing a path for him to follow.
Since the addition of negotiation list acquisition Ryker Mathews, and the signing of former Eskimo Tony Washington, the Ticats’ O-line has been strong and stable. Coming into the game the Ticats O-Line allowed the least sacks of any team in the CFL’s East Division.
 
The D-Line and Pressure on Ricky Ray
The Ticats’ defensive front made Toronto QB Ricky Ray’s job tough all night long. Four different Ticats had sacks on the loss to the Argos.
Ticats’ defensive tackle Davon Coleman pressured Ray regularly, flushing him out of the pocket on multiple occasions. When he dragged Ray to the turf in the fourth quarter, it was his second sack of the season.
Ticats’ defensive end Nikita Whitlock has been a force since he joined the team in early August. Whitlock rotated in with starter Adrian Tracy on Saturday and their one-two punch was a formidable duo coming off the edge.
Speaking of Tracy, the Ticat veteran pitched in with a sack of his own.
Demond Washington contributed as well, blitzing from the secondary to drop Ray.
Defensive Coordinator Phillip Lolley brought the house on the Ray and the Argos with good success. True to Lolley’s mentality, he let his men go out and make plays.
Production from a Full Complement of Receivers
When Head Coach June Jones was appointed as Head Coach of the Ticats in early August, fans were right to expect a learning curve on offence. Although wins were quick to accumulate, major strides in point-scoring took more time to appear.
Coming into Saturday’s game against the Argos, there had been just two 100-yard games from Ticat receivers, both from Jalen Saunders. In just one game, the Ticats had two receivers break that mark. One was Saunders, posting 121 yards on five receptions, and the other was Banks, hitting the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. Banks added a touchdown to his stat sheet and made a number of circus catches to get there. Banks didn’t look like a returner on the night: he looked like a bona-fide receiver.
Another big boost to the Ticats’ receiving corps was the return of Andy Fantuz. The Canadian veteran didn’t have the largest influence on the stat sheet with just 23 yards receiving, but he looked full-speed in his return to the lineup. He also snagged a one-handed catch that was a thing of beauty.
 
 
The Ticats came close to the win on Saturday. It will be important for them to build on these takeaways next week in Winnipeg.