Maybe it’s the pessimist in me, or that I’m just getting old and cranky, or a combination of both, but I think the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have to answer a lot of questions before they can be considered a serious Grey Cup contender in 2018.
As Hamilton enter its season opener in Calgary on Saturday night, I hope the Ticats to prove me wrong.
Question No. 1 — Can QB Jeremiah Masoli deliver the goods?
This is the question most Cats fans are asking themselves. Will we see the Masoli who finished off the 2017 CFL season on a hot streak or the unpredictable QB that replaced an injured Zach Collaros in 2016?
That brings us to query No. 2 — If Masoli falters, will the mega-hyped Johnny Manziel be able to excel in the Canadian game?
We’ve seen the former Heisman Trophy-winning pivot do some good things in the pre-season, but let’s be real here: it was the pre-season, and he hasn’t exactly set the league on fire — at least on the field.
This segues nicely into question No. 3 — Is head coach June Jones going to feel the pressure to start Manziel before he is ready?
Hamilton’s schedule out of the gate is extremely tough. At Calgary, at Edmonton, home to Winnipeg, a home-and-home versus Saskatchewan, and home to Ottawa. Yeesh. If the Cats start 0-2 and Masoli’s performance is below average, we could see ‘Johnny Football’ start Hamilton’s home opener in Week 3 against the Blue Bombers.
Fourth on the list of unknowns — defensive co-ordinator Jerry Glanville. The man started coaching football when the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup, 51 years ago, so he knows football. But this is his first exposure to the three-down game. Raise your hands if you’re 100 per cent confident that this is going to work out. Anyone?
Lastly, the Tiger-Cats have to put their flag in the ground again at Tim Hortons Field and reclaim home-field advantage. It is a phenomenal place to watch a football game, but fans have not been treated to many wins over the last couple of years. The Cats went 2-7 at home last season. They were 3-6 on home soil the year before. After winning their first 10 games (including playoffs) at Tim Hortons Field, the Ticats have gone 8-17 at home since. They must flip the script.
If Masoli can start the season on fire, that will take care of questions one to three. If Glanville’s defensive scheme works against Calgary and Edmonton in Weeks 1 and 2, that will hopefully be a great sign of things to come. And if Hamilton can take care of business at home this season (I see them going 6-3 at THF), they will definitely compete for a playoff spot, heck, even the East Division title.
That’s a lot of “ifs” and now it’s up to the Ticats to provide some answers.