In recent seasons, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been among the worst teams in the CFL in June. To help put into perspective just how bad the Tiger-Cats have been early in the season, Hamilton has been 1-13 while playing games in June, and that one win came last season. However, in 2026, the Tiger-Cats have bucked that trend, riding a 2-1 record into their first bye week of the season in Week 4, and they were two turnovers away from being undefeated at this point in the 2026 season.
Along the way, the Tiger-Cats have settled into a groove that includes explosive plays in their passing game, a consistent running game, and a group of players that are building chemistry on the defensive side of the ball. Those factors have helped the Tiger-Cats achieve a level of success that matches their expectations of being a Grey Cup contender this season. On the other hand, for a team that is used to retooling during their first bye week of the season, this Tiger-Cats team needs to make sure that they do not lose the momentum that they have been building heading into July.
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Bo Levi Mitchell's Is Ageless to Start the 2026 Season
During Bo Levi Mitchell's first season with the Tiger-Cats in 2023, it looked like the future CFL hall-of-fame quarterback might be close to the end of his career, while only playing in six games due to multiple injuries. However, that assessment was incorrect because during the last two seasons and the first six games of this season, Mitchell has been playing some of the best football of his CFL career. So far this season, Mitchell has thrown for 879 yards with 8 touchdown passes and only one interception. Those 8 touchdown passes have allowed the Tiger-Cats to defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions the last two weeks.
As long as Mitchell can stay healthy, he should have another big season. A part of his ability to produce even at an older age is that the Tiger-Cats' pass protection has been the best since he came to Hamilton, and he is surrounded by a star-studded group of receivers. Coming out of the bye week, the Tiger-Cats need to continue to focus on establishing their running game with Larry Rountree III, which helps with the pass protection, and they need to keep improving as a unit on the defensive side of the ball.
An Explosive, Multi-Dimensional Passing Game
The success of the Tiger-Cats passing game on the offensive side of the ball this season is not only due to Mitchell's accuracy and decision-making as a passer, but also because he has a loaded group of receivers. So far this season, the workload of the Hamilton passing attack has been spread over the shoulders of four wide receivers, including Kiondre Smith, Kenny Lawler, Keric Wheatfall, and Myron Mitchell. By being able to target several receivers at a regular rate in the passing game, opposing defensive secondaries cannot simply focus on keeping the ball out of Kenny Lawler's hands.
This offseason, Lawler became the highest-paid CFL receiver in history that was not named "Rocket" Ismail, and in the Tiger-Cats first game of the season against the Alouettes, that made Lawler a marked man. However, Smith is currently Hamilton's leading receiver, and the success of the other receivers shows that if a team focuses on Lawler, the rest of the receivers are capable of making up the difference. In addition to the success of the Hamilton receivers, Global tight end Maximilian Mang has emerged as an outstanding red-zone target, with 3 touchdown receptions during the 'Tiger-Cats' last two games.
A Calculated, Ground Game
Along with an explosive passing attack, the Tiger-Cats have also found success with a timely running game. So far this season, running back Larry Rountree III has the most carries in the CFL with 49 rushing attempts, and he is ranked 3rd in the CFL with 209 rushing yards. Rountree's production has allowed the Tiger-Cats' offensive line to thrive by physically establishing control on the line of scrimmage, and that physicality has helped the Hamilton offensive line grow into a stronger unit in pass protection.
During the bye week, Hamilton should be looking to add another running back to help create depth at the position. Currently, Johnny Augustine is also on the Tiger-Cats depth chart, but he is much more of a situational running back. That means that Hamilton could be susceptible to a drop in offensive production if Rountree gets beaten up during the long CFL season. Adding another back that is unique compared to Rountree and Augustine could insulate the Tiger-Cats in case any injuries occur to their backfield during the season.
Dominant Second-Half Execution
Another factor in the Tiger-Cats' success this season is their tendency to come out strong after halftime. That is with the exception of their Week 1 game against Montreal, where two turnovers allowed the Alouettes to steal a win in Hamilton Stadium. Since that game, the Tiger-Cats have excelled in the second half, enabling them to close out strong first halves in back-to-back weeks.
Playing with increased urgency and execution in the second half has been a winning formula for Hamilton so far this season. If Hamilton wants to put together another winning stretch in July, they need to continue playing well in the second halves of games. Additionally, the Tiger-Cats need to take a big step forward defensively after the bye week, which will make it easier for Hamilton to close out games the rest of the season.
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