Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 6)
It was only a few years ago that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were the class of the eastern division and one of the best teams in the league.
In a division that continues to struggle the Ti-Cats were the only team that could really do anything on the bigger stage.
They found their way to two straight Grey Cups in 2013 and 2014 but could never quite finish things off losing both games.
Despite the issues in finishing off seasons they still looked like they could continue their dominant streak for years to come.
Other teams in the east were struggling to find their footing and with a young QB like Zach Collaros, things seemed bright for a long time.
Then players started to leave and the Ti-Cats were no longer the deepest and most feared team in the east.
They were still good but the efforts of the Ottawa REDBLACKS made them a real contender which came to a head in 2016 after they took the Grey Cup.
The Tiger-Cats were no longer the kings of the east as the new kids on the block were now the best team not only in the east but the league.
The REDBLACKS had knocked off Hamilton for two straight years but heading into 2017 there was still plenty of promise.
No other team had proven much and it was setting up to be another battle between Ottawa and Hamilton with the Ti-Cats hoping to get back to the Grey Cup and handle that unfinished business.
When the season started things began to change though as that hope to get back to the Grey Cup faded away.
They dropped their first game against the Toronto Argonauts against what is proving to be a much-improved team.
It was a week off after that loss but that extra week of preparation couldn’t help them beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3.
The losses started to pile up but nothing was as rough as what they just went through during Week 6.
That is the week they travelled to Calgary to take on a bit of a nemesis in the Calgary Stampeders who beat them in the Grey Cup in 2014.
The Stamps remain one of the best teams in the league and the Ti-Cats had their work cut out for them.
Nobody thought that their work was going to be as tough as it was though as the Ti-Cats simply looked like they were an amateur team taking on the pros.
They couldn’t stop the Stamps from doing anything as the defending Western Champs put up 60 points on the Hamilton defence.
They even used back-ups to get some of those points in the second half as Calgary dismantled the Tiger-Cats in one of the worst defeats in CFL history.
It leaves Hamilton in a weird spot that they have not been used to over the last few years as they are through the first six weeks without a win.
Collaros has been struggling all year as he just seems to be out of touch with his receivers while a young defence is finding it to be very tough to stop other offences.
Nothing seems to be working for the Tiger-Cats as a few years of being unable to keep some of their best players along with some injuries have left them with few options.
Now they are struggling and the organization will need to make a decision as things are not trending the right way.
There is still time to make a comeback as they have enough games left to make the playoffs and make a run.
With every loss, it is becoming tougher and tougher though and if they keep adding up things might look a lot different soon.
With August now here it is reasonable to say that the Ti-Cats have just about one month until things will change.
If they can put together a great August then Kent Austin might continue to be the coach through the rest of the year.
Losing every game for the next month, including their traditional Labour Day matchup against Toronto could mean the end for the longest tenured coach in the league.
Austin has been with the Ti-Cats since 2013 and despite the success, he has yet to bring the team to a Grey Cup win.
After a 60-1 loss that only continued a terrible year things are not looking good for his job security.
Things need to turn around or this season might be lost and a new staff will make their way to the Hammer looking to make changes to try to turn this team around from what is looking like the worst season they have had in years.
Fourth Down
Leading the Way
When Marc Trestman was announced as the head coach of the Argonauts he immediately named Ricky Ray as his starter. That decision is looking like it is paying off as Ray is having a career year and only adding to his hall of fame credentials. Despite the loss in Saskatchewan he continued to solidify himself as he moved into first overall on the Argonauts passing list.
An NFL Influence
Six weeks into the CFL season means one thing for scouts around the league, it’s time to go south of the border to find some hidden gems. NFL training camps are underway and not every player will make the cut for their NFL teams including some players that left the CFL to join an NFL team. Scouts are now taking a look at those players that might not make the cut in the NFL for any number of reasons as cuts mean a new crop of potential CFL players.
Another Reunion
Doug Flutie was in Toronto in Week 5 when the Argonauts celebrated the back-to-back championships that he helped them in in 1996-97. The former CFL great then travelled across the country to Calgary to be with his Stampeder team from 1992. It was a week of celebrations that brought back plenty of memories regarding one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the league.
The Sport Addiction 