Hamilton Tiger-Cats Week 9 Matchup

Location: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ontario

Game Date: Friday, August 2nd, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM EDT

Where to Watch: TSN in Canada, CFL+ for US and International Viewers

DraftKings Odds: Montreal Alouettes (-5), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+5), O/U 51 points

In Week 9, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-5) return home from Edmonton, riding a two-game win streak and positive momentum after losing their first five games. Last week, the Tiger-Cats had an explosive performance on the offensive side of the ball, led by quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell throwing a career-high five touchdown passes in a 44-28 win on the road against the winless Elks. This week, the Tiger-Cats will put their recent improvements on the field to a big test against the Montreal Alouettes (6-1), a game that holds significant importance for the Tiger-Cats’ resurgence effort, as the Alouettes are currently in first place in the East Division.

The Montreal Alouettes travel to Hamilton after scoring a critical 20 -16 victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the top team in the West Division before losing to the Alouettes. Montreal secured the victory against the Roughriders despite missing starting quarterback Cody Fajardo due to a hamstring injury suffered against the Toronto Argonauts. Alouettes backup quarterbacks Caleb Evans and Davis Alexander stepped in for Fajardo and managed the talented Alouettes offence well enough to win the game.

Montreal moved Fajardo to the 6-game injured list, but only after one week on the long-term injured list did the Alouettes reactivate Fajardo, but Montreal has moved Farjado back to the 1-week Injured List. For Hamilton, the success of the Alouette’s offence without Fajardo means they must be ready to play their best game of the season defensively. Montreal has an impressive group of wide receivers led by Reggie White Jr., Tyson Philpot, and Charleston Rambo. During the Tiger-Cat’s first seven games, the Hamilton defense has struggled to stop their opponent’s offensive attacks.

If Hamilton cannot successfully stop the Montreal offence, the best-case scenario for the Tiger-Cats is to turn the game into a high-scoring shootout. So far this season, Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has played exceptionally well in the 2024 season. Still, the Tiger-Cats receivers had a bad habit of dropping passes, which limited Mitchell’s effectiveness. In Edmonton, the Tiger-Cats’ offense found another gear; receivers started catching the ball consistently and running back James Butler rushed for nearly 100 yards against the Elks.

The focal point of this game will be whether or not the Tiger-Cat’s recent success is part of a resurgence that could lead to them climbing up the East Division standings or simply a case of Hamilton getting a fluke win against the Argonauts and beating an Elks team that is facing its struggles. Outside of Montreal losing to Toronto during the game where Fajardo sustained his hamstring injury, the Alouettes have played excellent football. So the question the Tiger-Cats will need to answer this week is, can they carry over their recent success and beat a legitimate championship-caliber team?

Let’s look at what the Tiger-Cats must do to take the next step in their resurgence effort and get a massive win against the division-leading Montreal Alouettes.

Montreal Alouettes Depth Chart

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Depth Chart

Keys to Victory

Key to Victory #1: Pressure the Montreal Quarterback and Make them Uncomfortable

During the Tiger-Cat’s first seven games this season, they have consistently struggled to get stops against their opponents every week. Even last week, the Tiger-Cats jumped out to a big lead against Edmonton and appeared to be on their way to blowing out the Elks. Unfortunately, Elks quarterback Tre Ford stepped in and ran through the Tiger-Cats defense, reminding Hamilton fans that the Tiger-Cats are still struggling to stop opposing offenses.

This week, the Tiger-Cats’ defensive front seven, led by the formidable Casey Sayles and David Menard, are poised to exert significant pressure on the Alouettes quarterbacks Davis Alexander and Caleb Evans. The Alouettes boast a solid offensive lineup, but the Tiger-Cats can disrupt their passing game. We’ve seen the Tiger-Cats achieve this against Toronto and Edmonton, leading to critical turnovers and setting up the Tiger-Cats’ offence.

Key to Victory #2: Stay on Schedule on Offence and Sustain Drives

Offensively, the Tiger-Cats must execute at a high level, especially on first downs, and avoid situations that can force them to become predictable with their offensive attack. Staying on schedule and sustaining drives are crucial to our game plan. Running the ball with James Butler would be an excellent solution to staying ahead of the chains on second down and allowing Mitchell to manage the game and find his receivers without forcing the ball down the field unless the deep ball is open. Since mid-season in 2023, the Alouettes have played outstanding on defence. If the Tiger-Cats make self-inflicted errors, like dropped passes and turnovers, Montreal will effectively make Hamilton pay for those mistakes on the scoreboard.

Key to Victory #3: Win the Field Position Battle with Special Teams Execution

Another area that the Tiger-Cats struggled in early was with their special teams units. Early in the season, the Tiger-Cats had personnel issues on special teams, and that confusion led to significant errors that sabotaged the Tiger-Cat’s opportunities to pick up more wins earlier this season. After changing to the special teams coordinator position, the Tiger-Cats solved their personnel issues and elevated their play in the kicking game. Against Montreal, it’s crucial for the Tiger-Cats to avoid errors that will give the Alouettes short-field scoring opportunities. We need to focus on winning the field position battle with special teams execution. Hamilton would benefit from some significant returns and find a way to put some points on the board with the kicking game outside of the field goals, extra points, and rouge opportunities.

Injury Report

Montreal Alouettes Injury Report

Out: LB Tyrell Richards (calf), WR Tyler Snead (foot)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Injury Report

Doubtful: DB Stavros Katsantonis (leg), WR Brendan O’Leary-Orange

Game Analysis

For the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to have a chance to secure their most important win of the 2024 season so far and stretch their winning streak to three games, the Tiger-Cats will need to strive for consistency. They must also resist their tendency to make self-destructive mistakes through unforced errors. Montreal is currently the best team in the CFL because they are consistent and make their opponents pay a consequence of their mistakes. If the Tiger-Cats can play their most complete game so far this season, they have enough firepower on offence to pull off an upset against Montreal this week.

Game Prediction: Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27, Montreal Alouettes 26

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