In front of an optimistic crowd at Tim Hortons Field, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats again were embarrassing to watch. The fans clearly deserved better. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers upset Hamilton in a second straight home loss for the Ticats, simply by being the better team.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers Upset Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-24
Offence
Jeremiah Masoli looked atrocious throughout the game. Multiple turnovers by Masoli and the offence were the main culprit in the defeat. The running game wasn’t impressive either: CJ Gable performed terribly all game; other than one 21-yard scramble in the game, he had nine yards on six carries.
The receiving corps, consisting of Luke Tasker, Chad Owens, Andy Fantuz, and Tiquan Underwood, did their job well. In addition to the horrible performance by the quarterback, the offensive line had an another bad game this week. The unit didn’t protect Masoli well, and the Bombers defense did a great job with penetration all game long. But coach Kent Austin will ultimately retain Masoli as the starter going to Montreal next week.
Defence/Special Teams
The most noteworthy positive performance in this contest were the Hamilton defence and special teams. Larry Dean played his best game as a Ticat, with six tackles and two critical pass deflections in the second half. The unit contained Andrew Harris for most of the game. Furthermore, the unit also did a great job containing Drew Willy and the receiving corps of Winnipeg. Travis Lee and Quinton Pointer did their roles well. Brandon Banks played well at the beginning with a solid run for a touchdown after Bombers kicker Justin Medlock botched his field goal attempt.
Coaching
Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea’s job was getting to the end of its rope. He outsmarted Kent Austin and made critical adjustments down the stretch to preserve the victory. One would certainly expect Austin wasn’t happy with the overall team performance as of late.
This Hamilton Tiger-Cats team needs to adjust ASAP before heading to Montreal. This four game road trip is now the most critical stretch of the season as they cannot go 0-4, or even lose three out of the four.
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