Hamilton Tiger-Cats Game #12
Visiting Team: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-5, 1st in the East division)
Home Team: Montreal Alouettes (5-6, 2nd in the East division)
Date and Time: Saturday, September 6th at 1 pm EDT
Game Location: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal, QC
Where to Watch: In Canada, TSN and RDS In the US and International, CFL+
DraftKings Betting Line: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-3), Montreal Alouettes (+3), O/U 52.5 points
Hamilton (6-5) and Montreal (5-6) enter Week 14 at a crossroads. The Tiger-Cats began 0-2, surged with a 6-game winning streak, and now face three straight losses. Meanwhile, the Alouettes started strong but, after losing three quarterbacks to injuries, are on a four-game skid.
In Week 14, one of these teams will need to reverse its fortunes and get back on the winning side. For Hamilton, winning this game is critical because several weeks ago, Hamilton found itself leading the division and in a position to pull away from the pack. Instead, they have fallen back to the pack and only have a one-game lead in the standings over Montreal. That means even though the Alouettes have struggled mightily, they are just one win away from rejoining the Tiger-Cats at the top of the East division.
The Tiger-Cats say they plan to “take the hunt” to Montreal, but after a 35-33 Labour Day Classic loss to the Argonauts, what they’re truly seeking is stability.
Coming into this Week 14 matchup, the CFL Injury Report shows that the Tiger-Cats are desperately fighting a battle of attrition with seven players being ruled out for the game. Those injuries include four defensive linemen, including defensive leader Casey Sayles, and on special teams, kick and punt returner Lawrence Woods III remains out. Fortunately for the Tiger-Cats, American wide receiver Phillip Brooks was added to the roster in an effort to replace Woods on special teams. Montreal is coming off a bye week and is relatively healthy except for quarterback Davis Alexander.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Depth Chart
Montreal Alouettes Depth Chart
Key to Victory #1: Force Montreal to Finish Drives
When facing a team like the Montreal Alouettes, who are playing their fourth-string quarterback, the focus for the Tiger-Cats should be to force quarterback James Morgan to make plays to find success. That will require Hamilton to tighten up their pass coverage and encourage the quarterback to tuck the ball and run. If Hamilton’s defensive secondary can contain the Alouettes’ offensive weapons, then they will be forced to finish drives and limit mistakes. Typically, a fourth-string quarterback like Morgan is not the most efficient player for a team like Montreal.
Key to Victory #2: Force Montreal into Turnovers
An area that has defined the Tiger-Cats’ outcomes at different points this season has been their ability to force turnovers. During Hamilton’s six-game winning streak, the Tiger-Cats did a great job of forcing teams to turn the ball over, which enabled them to control the game’s flow. During the Tiger-Cats’ recent three-game losing streak, they have lost touch with forcing turnovers. They need to get back to that this week, and if they can find ways to get James Morgan and the Alouettes to turn the ball over, then Hamilton will find success once again.
Key to Victory #3: Lean on the Run Game Early
Another area in which the Tiger-Cats have lost traction during their recent losing streak is understanding the importance of running the ball. This season, Hamilton has averaged 72.3 rushing yards/game, but when they are willing to lean on the running game, it allows them to use play-action to take shots downfield. The Tiger-Cats’ failure against the Argonauts last week was directly related to their lack of interest in running the ball, which made it difficult for quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell to find big plays. If the Tiger-Cats can establish the threat of the run game, then Hamilton will have more success when it comes to getting wide receiver Kenny Lawler open downfield.
Key to Victory #4: Use Play-Action to Produce Big Plays
If Hamilton can get their run game going early, then the Tiger-Cats need to be proactive when it comes to producing explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball. The Tiger-Cats’ best option for producing explosive plays is allowing Bo Levi Mitchell to get the ball to wide receivers Kenny Lawler and Kiondre Smith downfield. Hamilton has struggled to finish drives that require them to grind out first downs repeatedly, but when they hit big chunk plays, they are very difficult to stop. This is a matchup of team cultures this week, and the Tiger-Cats culture is based on producing big plays with their elite receivers.
Key to Victory #5: Find Some Special Teams Magic
A huge missing piece in the Tiger-Cats’ puzzle has been the lack of production from the team’s special teams. Not having kick and punt returner Lawrence Woods III has resulted in this dip in production. This week, the Tiger-Cats made the move to bring in wide receiver Phillip Brooks in an effort to fill in the statistical hole that Woods has left behind. Brooks has a great opportunity to step in and demonstrate that he has the ability to be a special player for Hamilton for the rest of the season.
Game Prediction:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30, Montreal Alouettes 23
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