Scott Radley: Ticats look bad in 30-8 loss

It's just two games. It's just two games. It's just two games. It's just ...

Go ahead Tiger-Cat fans, join in if it helps.

It's just two games. It's just two games. It's just two games ...

We get it. We understand the angst among those who root for the black and gold. Especially after Saturday's holy-cow-that-wasn't-pretty game that ended as a 30-8 loss to Saskatchewan to drop the Ticats to 0-2.

This squad was - is - supposed to be good. Last time we saw them before COVID they were 15-3, a Grey Cup finalist and the highest-scoring team in the league. Then they brought back many of the key pieces for this season. Nearly every prognosticator has picked them to win the East.

Everything seemed to be in place to ensure (as much as you can in sports) that they'll be running out onto Tim Hortons Field on a blustery, blizzardy day in December to play for the Grey Cup in front of their delirious home fans.

Then the new season started and they've looked, well, bleh.

We're just not a great football team right now," head coach Orlondo Steinauer said after Saturday's game was done.

True that.

Two games in, two losses recorded, and they've yet to hit double digits in points in either one.

On Saturday, the problems were many.

On one drive, it took four attempts to punch in the ball from the one-yard line, which should be close to automatic in the CFL. And that success only finally arrived because the Roughriders couldn't figure out where the line of scrimmage was and kept taking stupid penalties for being over it giving Hamilton chance after chance.

Speaking of penalties, it was startling how little the Ticats could accomplish despite Saskatchewan taking an astonishing 20 of them. Of course, Hamilton turned the ball over six times which didn't help.

No part of the team was great. Not much was good. The offence was abysmal.

But before anyone starts pointing the finger of blame at Jeremiah Masoli and igniting a good-old-fashioned quarterback controversy, a little reality is in order.

The issue wasn't the pivot - though he wasn't fantastic - but rather the flimsy offensive line. Masoli was under pressure most of the game. At least until he was replaced late in the third quarter by Dane Evans, who immediately found himself under the same pressure the rest of the way.

You've got to give some credit to those guys," Masoli said of the Riders' defensive line. Their defence played well and we didn't."

He didn't blame his line. No quarterback who wants to stay alive ever has thrown his protectors under the bus. He said everyone has to do more, including himself.

We've got to be better," Steinauer echoed.

Again, true.

Yet bad as most everything was, there is some good news. Or the potential for some good news.

First, there are still 12 games left. Second, the two teams that just handled Hamilton might be the two best squads in the league. Third, it's hard to imagine the Ticats playing this poorly again.

And fourth, they're now on a bye week. Which should buy some time to figure a few things out.

This bye week couldn't come at a better time," Evans said.

If they show up in Montreal in a couple weeks as a sharpened unit that moves the ball like they did last year, all will be well. Perhaps with a little confidence, the team many expected to see will emerge. Then everyone will be able to breathe.

On the other hand, if the struggles continue in that one, then the angst can kick up a notch.

There's no such thing as a must-win game in August. It would be silly for anyone to suggest such a thing. But there can be a must-look-way-better game.

That's the bare minimum next time out.

Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sradley@thespec.com