The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to kickoff the 2018 season in Calgary on the first of two stops in Alberta. Since the Stampeders are coming off two Grey cup appearances, most would peg them to have the advantage in this game. But, this Tiger-Cats team is not the same one that Calgary may remember. Here are the three keys to the game for Saturday’s season opener at McMahon Stadium.
1. Build off last year
Without a doubt, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were the most exciting team to watch near the end of the 2017 regular season. With then Coach Kent Austin being replaced with June Jones, things seemed to turn immediately and progress in the right direction. In the remaining 10 games of their 2017 campaign, the struggling Tiger-Cats looked reborn winning 6 of their final 10 games.
In those final 10 games, offensive production increased by a near 100% as they improved from 148 points in the first 10 weeks to 295 points. While only giving up 235 for the rest of the year, Hamilton had a positive gap of +60 points. This monumental comeback by the Tiger-Cats was led by former backup quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. After being slotted in the starting position in replace of Zach Collaros, Masoli went right to work in Hamilton. If Masoli can continue to build off his league-leading 3,032 passing yards from September 1st to the end of the ’17 season (compared to Levi Mitchell’s 1,998), there’s no reason why Hamilton can stomp the Stamps this Saturday.
2. The defensive line must get after Bo Levi Mitchell
5th ranked CFL quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell may be in for a long night on Saturday if he is pressured by the Hamilton defence. The 7-year Stampeder closed the ’17 season with 4,700 passing yards and 13 TD’s on the season. But most notably, Levi Mitchell threw 11 inceptions and was sacked 20 times along the way.
If Hamilton wants to be successful they need to get after Levi Mitchell and not allow him to sit in the pocket. When pressured, Calgary tends to give up sacks, as in 2017 Levi Mitchell was not only brought down 20 times but was pressured an additional 68 times on the season. This handed Calgary the 4th lowest pressure percentage (15%) in the league, and consequently gave up 30 sacks because of this.
Compare that to the 48 sacks recorded by Hamilton, and all numbers point in the Tiger-Cats favor. Leading the charge was defensive end, Adrian Tracy. Tracy alone was tied for 3rd place in the CFL with 9 sacks while pressuring the quarterback an additional 13 times. If Hamilton’s front can utilize Tracy while pressuring Levi Mitchell, this game can spell trouble for the Stampeders.
3. Utilize special teams
Special teams are sometimes a hit or miss area for a team. But, they may have dawned as the Ticats edge. Some underestimate the ability for a kicker to play such a critical role in a football game but Lirim Hajrullahu‘s 2017 stats show that he is a game changer.
186 is the number of points kicker Hajrullahu recorded with the Toronto Argonauts last season. Compare that to then Ticats kicker Sergio Castillo’s 110, and that’s an additional 10.33 points per game for Hamilton. Additionally, the Ticats now receive an improvement on the probability of their opponents recording a safety from 11% to 50%. The now additional 10.33 points per game that Hajrullahu gives Hamilton is an automatic advantage against the Calgary Stampeders. Hahrullahu has one of the best kicking stat lines in the league, making 11/18 40-yard+ attempts. Giving Harajulaahu the chance to make a chip shot from the 30-yard line or drive home an extra point will certainly give Hamilton a handful of points this Saturday.
Where to catch the action:
Television: TSN 1 & 4, ESPN2
Radio: TSN Radio 1150 (Hamilton), Global News Radio 770 CHQR (Calgary), SiriusXM Canada Talks 167
For up to the minute in-game updates, follow @ticats on Twitter as well online at Ticats.ca to follow our live game tracker and box score.
