The CFL playoffs kick-off with the 2015 East Semi-Final match-up between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday at Tim Hortons Field. Hamilton swept the season series and outscored their provincial foes 111-57. Two of those games were played in Hamilton but the quarterback match-up in all three is different than what it will be on Sunday. Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros battled it out in the regular but due to injuries and return from injuries, Ricky Ray will play rookie Jeremiah Masoli. This is far from the ideal situation for Hamilton and leaves Toronto as a dark horse in this game. Matthew Bin (@LastWordOnCFL) and Lance Keiser (@LWOSLance) preview each team’s strengths and weaknesses going into the 2015 East Semi-Final.
LWOS Staff Predictions
Kelly Bale: Toronto 28-23 Hamilton
Gina Schiltz: Toronto 29-32 Hamilton
Nicholas Di Giovanni : Toronto 31-30 Hamilton
Lance Keiser: Toronto 24-16 Hamilton
Matthew Bin: Toronto 20-22 Hamilton
2015 East Semi-Final
Toronto Argonauts
Lance’s Thoughts: The 2015 CFL East Semi Final has a familiar feel to it doesn’t it? The double blue found themselves essentially homeless for most of the regular season, playing home games in Fort McMurray Alberta, Ottawa and yes even at Tim Hortons Field. All the uncertainty and distractions off the field reminds us of the ultimate road warriors that were the 2013 Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who were also homeless.
Like the 2013 Ti-Cats, the Argos are led by a veteran quarterback with Grey Cup experience. Ricky Ray will get the nod and start for the Argos who are in search of their first win ever at Tim Hortons Field.
Hamilton has looked rather average since starting QB Zach Collaros went down with a season ending injury, which bodes well for Toronto. The Argos finished with a 10-8 record despite all the nonsense they went through this season. Pressure will be on Hamilton as we get a sense that the window is closing on this team, after back-to-back trips to the Grey Cup ending with nothing.
Toronto’s keys to the upset win will be to keep Ray clean, a heavy dose of Whitaker both on the ground and screens to the open field and as always in Hamilton, take the crowd out of it early.
Look for the Argos to take this one in Hamilton, there really is a sense that Hamilton is too beat up and tired to make yet another run at the Grey Cup.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The dominant predator that started the season is not the mangy tomcat that limped painfully through the last pair of games against Ottawa. No, the Tiger-Cats are not the team they were. And while there’s one problem at the core–the loss of rising start quarterback Zach Collaros after 12 games–the malaise has spread throughout the team.
Offensive Woes
First, at quarterback, the Cats are on their third replacement. Jeff Mathews is down with an injury; Jacory Harris lacks his coaches’ confidence. They’re on fourth-stringer Jeremiah Masoli, who has played backup in Hamilton for three years. He’s got the start in the Eastern Semi-final, and that’s not a bad thing; he knows the team and the staff well, and has more confidence than your average rookie.
But the Hamilton offence has suffered elsewhere too. Their receivers were depleted severely by injury in the first two thirds of the season (though freshman Tiquan Underwood and sophomore Terrell Sinkfield stepped up admirably). C.J. Gable missed most of the season to injury, and has had little impact after his late return.
But the real problem is on the o-line; Ottawa exploited the mounting injuries on the left side of the line again and again, giving the backup pivots even less time to get rid of the ball. A stronger running game, a more experienced quarterback, or better pass protection would make a difference; lacking all three, the team cannot get its offensive engine started.
Defensive Strengths
On defence, the team remains a force, but Ottawa’s two performances showed how an experienced quarterback like Hank Burris can pick them apart. The Ticats have had a competent secondary for three years – something Hamilton fans are not always used to – but the real problem isn’t the effectiveness of the defence, but the number of reps they’re forced to play.
The defence’s real strength are their mobile tacklers. CFL defensive player of the year candidate Simoni Lawrence is having a banner season, and Eric Norwood is playing as well as he’s ever played in Hamilton. Taylor Reed and Justin Hickman round out a fearsome pass rush. The defence might prove to be the difference against Toronto, but against serious opposition, they are too easily outmatched.
Hamilton Bound for the Eastern Final
Despite their weaknesses, the Hamilton strengths will be too much for a haphazard Toronto offence. Trevor Harris is not the second coming of Ricky Ray; even Ricky Ray hasn’t lived up to Ricky Ray’s standards this year. If Hamilton can put pressure on the Toronto quarterback, they will give their own Masoli-led offence a good chance of sinking the Boatmen.
Do they have enough to beat Ottawa after two big losses at the end of the season? Maybe not. But with Hamilton’s rash of injuries and hot-and-cold play in the last few games, the team is taking it one game at a time. Ottawa isn’t even on the radar; they’re going to be pulling out all the stops for their hometown Eastern Semi-final showdown. And the Tiger-Cats will take it, probably by less than a touchdown.
Summary
There you have it, two contradicting predictions by our department head and our media director. Parity is not a theme that bodes well in our staff. However, this game is hard to predict with the quarterback situation on both sides. At least Ray has two Grey Cup rings while Masoli is making just his second career start. Regardless of the defences, experience might just win out in this match-up. This will be a closely contested game and it will be a lot closer of a score than the 50-17 spanking the Alouettes handed the Lions last year. We shall see it all unfold on Sunday afternoon.
Main Photo.
