The Tiger-Cats have experienced a disappointing start to the CFL season every year since 2019. 2025 is no different than those previous years. Hamilton has started the 2025 season 0-2. They have excelled in the passing game on the offensive side of the ball, but they have failed to address the aspects of the team that need improvement to start winning games.

During Week 3, the Tiger-Cats had their first bye week of the season, and this was an opportunity for head coach Scott Milanovich to make adjustments. The most significant areas of improvement that need adjustment involve finding ways to enhance the Tiger-Cats’ run game on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, Hamilton needs to be able to stop the run of their opponents if the Tiger-Cats are going to be able to turn things around during the first half of the season.

Unfortunately for Tiger-Cats fans, the Tiger-Cats coaching staff did not see a need for widespread change after the first two games of the season. The talk coming out of the Tiger-Cats leadership is that they will continue working and that their passing game is successful, especially with new addition Kenny Lawler. There is no doubt that the Tiger-Cats offensive passing game, especially the connection between quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and Lawler, is as good as expected.

In Week 4, the Tiger-Cats will face another significant challenge as they take on a 3-0 Montreal Alouettes team that has dominated the line of scrimmage in their first three games. Additionally, the Alouettes’ defensive unit is one of the best in the CFL at forcing turnovers. Along with forcing turnovers, the Alouettes do a great job of scoring defensive touchdowns, making up for some of their offensive production limitations.

This week, Hamilton will have to show that they have found ways to improve their efficiency and avoid setting up the Alouettes for their fourth win of the season. That will involve running the ball well on the offensive side of the ball and protecting the ball while putting together successful offensive drives. Being able to run the ball will also be critical in the red zone, where the Tiger-Cats have settled for field goals but need to emphasize scoring touchdowns.

Tiger-Cats Add LB Ozzie Nicholas to Practice Roster

In addition to making game plan adjustments during the bye week, the Tiger-Cats have also added another linebacker. According to the CFL Transactions list, Hamilton started the week by signing American linebacker Ozzie Nicholas to their practice squad. The linebacker position group is still underperforming for the Tiger-Cats on the defensive side of the ball, and Nicholas could be a possible solution to their linebacker issues.

Nicholas is a 6’2″, 225-pound linebacker from Encinitas, California. In 2024, Nicholas played 13 games at Duke University during his senior season, recording 40 solo tackles, 60 assists, 0.5 quarterback sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. In addition, Nicholas also intercepted two passes while playing for the Blue Devils defensive unit.

Before transferring to Duke, Nicholas was a team captain in 2023 at Princeton University, where he played three seasons from 2021 until 2023. While playing for the Tigers, Nicholas played in 26 games and excelled as a linebacker in the Ivy League. During his career at Princeton, Nicholas registered 82 solo tackles, 97 assists, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 quarterback sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

For more football content check out Football Scientific

Follow me on X: @AaronSauter7