Despite a paltry 3-5 record, week after week the Hamilton Tiger-Cats could at least extract some confidence from the numbers.
With little exception, the Ticats have entered each matchup with an offensive edge thanks to an average of 403 net yards per game; 314 of those yards through the air.
But there’s no offensive edge this week.
The Edmonton Eskimos (6-3) walk into Hamilton Thursday (7:30 p.m. kickoff) topping the Canadian Football League in most key offensive statistical categories.
Per game, Edmonton averages the most yards (425), passing yards (340), quarterback rating (93.0), and first downs (223). The Eskimos also don’t make many mistakes, trailing only the Calgary Stampeders (17) with 18 turnovers all season.
The Eskimos enter Week 11 having won four of their last five and sit two points back of the first-place Stamps while giving up a game in hand.
Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly is the early favourite for CFL Most Outstanding Player, thanks to a league-leading 3,046 passing yards through nine games and a 19-9 touchdown to interception ratio.
Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli isn’t far behind Reilly in most categories, but where he falls significantly short is in the end zone. Masoli has thrown just eight touchdowns to his eight picks.
Hamilton is coming off their second bye week, having lost in Winnipeg 29-23 the week prior. Ticats are looking for just their second win at home in three tries this season. They’re 6-16 at Tim Horton’s field dating back to 2016.
On the flip side, Edmonton is on a short week after beating the Montreal Alouettes 40-24 on Saturday night.
The Tiger-Cats met once this season already, with Hamilton stunning Edmonton 38-21 in Week 2 at Commonwealth Stadium. In that game, Luke Tasker and Mercer Timmis each recorded a pair of touchdowns for the Ticats.
If Hamilton needs any help slowing down Mike Reilly and the Eskimos offense, they could always ask one of the greatest defenders in CFL history to strap on some pads and don his former black-and-gold threads.
Former defensive end and Canadian Football Hall of Famer Joe Montford will be the 23rd inductee onto the Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour during halftime at Tim Hortons Field Thursday. Montford’s name and number 53 will join other distinguished Wall of Honour inductees on the upper facade on the west side of the stadium.
“Joe Montford was not only one of the best players in Tiger-Cats franchise history, but also CFL history. He was a dominant pass rusher throughout his career and his accomplishments as a Tiger-Cat make him an obvious choice,” Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young tells Ticats.ca.
“Being enshrined onto the Wall of Honour is the single largest acknowledgment of excellence the franchise and alumni association can provide. It symbolizes elite performance over a sustained period wearing the Black and Gold as evidenced by the legendary names honoured in the past.”
Montford played 141 games over eight seasons with Hamilton (1996-2001, 2003-04) winning a Grey Cup with the team in 1999, and sits second in franchise history in career defensive tackles (460), quarterback sacks (115) and fumble recoveries (18). He was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player three times (1998, 2000 & 2001) and was a CFL and Divisional all-star in four consecutive seasons (1998-2001). The 6-1, 225-pound native of Beaufort, N.C., also set the Tiger-Cats single-season record with 26 quarterback sacks in 1999, just 0.5 shy of James Parker’s CFL record 26.5 sacks set in 1984.
“Knowing my name will be up at Tim Hortons Field every time I come to Hamilton is a great honour and one that’s right up there with being a Hall of Famer,” Montford tells Ticats.ca. “I’m proud of what we accomplished on the field, but the things I remember most about being a Ticat were the great teammates and coaches I had, and obviously the fans. I can’t wait to share this with them in August.”
Montford, a product of South Carolina State, ranks fifth all-time in CFL sacks (135). He was inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
After Thursday’s game, you can listen to The 5th Quarter postgame show on Global News Radio 900 CHML, online at 900chml.com and via the Radioplayer Canada app.
3 Things to Watch
- Hamilton Milestones: Receiver Brandon Banks is 51 yards away from 3,000 career receiving yards. Linebacker Simoni Lawrence is 29 tackles away from second on the franchises all-time list.
- No Rest:Â Since 2011 Hamilton is 3-9 (.250) in games after a bye week. That’s the worst post-bye record in the CFL in that time frame. Tiger-Cats are 1-6 (.143) since 2015.
- Reil’d up: Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly is tied for 10th all-time with Sam Etcheverry, passing for 300-plus yards in a game 39 times. He needs just 84 passing yards to surpass Condredge Holloway (25,193) and move into 18th on the all-time passing yards list. Reilly is also just 25 completions away from 2,000.
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