Steve Milton: Ticats are ‘hot at the right time.’ Is it enough to keep playoff drive alive?
Everyone in Canadian football is asking the same question about the Hamilton Tiger-Cats today that they were asking two months ago, but it's in a different, nearly polar-opposite, tone of voice.
How the bleep did they get here?"
In the first week of September it was delivered like a sarcastic punch in the stomach, intended to hurt. Heading into Sunday afternoon's CFL East Conference semifinal against the Alouettes in Montreal, it's more like an awed, slightly stunned, reaction to a magic trick.
After the Toronto Argonauts' ruined Labour Day with a rare victory, the Ticats were a wretched three wins and nine losses with only one-third of the season remaining. They appeared destined to finish behind the first-place Argos and second-place Alouettes, and allow the Saskatchewan Roughriders to take advantage of the CFL's geography-defying crossover playoff rule and become the third-place team in the East.
To get into the playoffs, the Ticats were going to have to win at least four, more likely five, of their final six games, three of which were on the road - where they hadn't won all season.
And that is how they got here. They did win five of those six, their only loss coming in Montreal in late September and they could have won that too but reverted to their season-long mean: costly fumble, failure to put an opponent away early, some questionable play selection, surrendering too many yards and points in the fourth quarter.
But they also won in Calgary for the first time in 18 years, decisively beat the fairly unbeatable Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and stifled all hopes of a hometown team in November's Regina Grey Cup with a Thanksgiving weekend victory over the Roughriders.
And, after not winning even two in a row until last month, they are on a four-game winning streak.
The turnaround hasn't been theatrically graphic and some of the earlier shortcomings that created losses out of potential wins persist, but the Ticats have found the little ways to come out on top instead of on the bottom.
Many of the players say that all those lost games served as a teaching tool. They still falter and make costly mistakes, but they have developed resilience and, finally, a 60-minute persistence.
The bullet points: the rebuilt offensive line has gelled, often adding an extra blocker; the pass receivers run better patterns and make more tough catches; Dane Evans has rediscovered his confidence at quarterback; powerful running back Wes Hills and rushing alter-ego Sean Thomas Erlington keep defences honest; the defence exerts more sustained pressure on quarterbacks, covers receivers more confidently and is tackling better.
And they are getting improved kicking from punter Michael Domagala and place-kicker Seth Small, who established a new franchise record for field goal accuracy.
It gets a little bit more intense but you have to do what got you there," Evans said of the win-or-go-home post-season. Like Tommy (Condell, the offensive co-ordinator) said, you don't have to go into a phone booth and change into Superman.
We're on a little roll right now and we have to keep it rolling."
The two teams are evenly matched, in both strengths and weaknesses. The Tiger-Cats beat the Alouettes by seven points in Hamilton in July, lost by one point on a last-second field goal in Montreal in August, and lost by seven in Montreal in late September.
Montreal quarterback Trevor Harris who can run hot and cold, often has big games against Hamilton and in the three head-to-head meetings this year the oh-oh factor has been the Alouettes outscoring Hamilton 33-6 in the fourth quarter.
Two of the CFL's top receivers should feature prominently. Montreal's reliable Geno Lewis had 10 touchdowns and is the East's Most Outstanding Player and Hamilton's dynamic Tim White topped the CFL in receptions.
There could also be some special teams fireworks. Hamilton's Lawrence Woods and Montreal's Chandler Worthy have the potential to spring loose on any kick return. And Montreal will have powerful running back, William Stanback - who missed all three Ticat meetings with a broken ankle - back in the lineup, with agile Walter Fletcher as an effective change of pace. Both defences are among the league leaders at controlling the run.
Like Hamilton, Montreal also staggered out of the gate, firing head coach Khari Jones - who immediately landed in the Ticats' front office - when they were 1-3 and replacing him with General Manager Danny Maciocia. The Als eventually won six of their final nine games to finish second behind the Argos.
It gives you a feeling that things are going in the right direction," Maciocia told The Spectator. But we're well aware that we're playing a team which has also turned it around."
The Ticats will start Evans and have former Alouette Matt Shiltz ready should he falter. Evans was plagued much of the season by disastrous interceptions and fumbles but has recently found a groove, using his legs to extend plays and exuding belief in himself and his teammates.
Evans has suffered shoulder and thumb injuries, part of a litany of Ticat wounds which contributed to their wobbly inconsistency. Wynn, their best receiver Bralon Addison, all-star offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl, starting receiver Papi White, centre Alex Fontana, and special teams leaders Curtis Newton and Nic Cross are gone for the season. Star linebacker Simoni Lawrence, receivers Tyler Ternowski, Lemar Durant and Anthony Johnson, cornerback Ciante Evans, defensive back Cariel Brooks and tailback Don Jackson all missed significant stretches.
In reaction, the Ticats had to promote players from backup roles and the practice roster, make three separate trades with Edmonton and one with Winnipeg.
They still had the most Eastern all-stars with 11, incongruent for a team losing more games (10) than it won (eight). But that depth of talent is exactly what got so many CFL observers wondering how the team could lose nine times by Labour Day.
You just have to get hot at the right time," said Hamilton all-star safety Tunde Adeleke. And right now we're playing good football."
Steve Milton is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: smilton@thespec.com