HAMILTON – After starting the season with two losses, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hope a few simple tweaks will get their sputtering offence going.
The Ticats have managed a league-low 26 points so far and are at or near the bottom in every CFL offensive category heading into Saturday’s home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“This is the second week in a row the coaches have made some subtle adjustments to what they’re doing, and to try and make it simple and try and create more opportunities for those guys,” said head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. “At the end of the day, it really comes down to execution and players have to execute the game plan.”
The Ticats lost their home opener 24-16 to Winnipeg, going scoreless in the second half after taking a lead into halftime. They lost in Edmonton 28-10 last weekend.
The Roughriders, however, are in no better shape after losing 42-28 to Edmonton and 39-25 to Montreal. Saskatchewan’s defence has allowed a league-worst 81 points.
Both teams envisioned better starts. Saskatchewan made it to their second-straight Grey Cup final last season while Hamilton made off-season changes to its roster in order to become a more legitimate contender.
Instead, Saturday’s game will feature a struggling offence up against a struggling defence. The good news, though, is one team should come away with its first win of the season.
Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn is off to a rough start. He was pulled in the fourth quarter against Winnipeg and ranks eighth in the league with just 406 passing yards.
Glenn has already thrown four interceptions and just two touchdowns. Counterpart Darian Durant, by comparison, is fourth with 612 yards passing, three touchdowns and three interceptions – but still sports an identical 0-2 record.
“When you watch film as an offence, you see the signs. We do good things, good things, good things, and then there’s a slipup. Good things, good things, slip-up,” Glenn said. “We’ve got to make sure we get out of that slipup. And if it is a slipup, make it not as big as it’s been.”
Hamilton also has a league-worst eight turnovers: five interceptions, one fumble, two on downs.
Glenn said he’s not about to take the Roughriders defence lightly.
“Both of us are going to be hungry,” he said. “Both of us are going to come out and fight.
“It’s about the team that makes those minimal mistakes because everybody’s not going to play a perfect game.”
Two expected weapons for Hamilton, running back Avon Cobourne – who left Montreal in the off-season to sign with the Ticats as a free agent – and all-star receiver Arland Bruce III, have yet to make an impact. Bruce only resumed practising Thursday after taking two days off with a lower body injury but still isn’t expected to play Saturday.
Maurice Mann has been Hamilton’s top receiver, ranked third in the league with 15 catches for 173 yards and one touchdown. Saskatchewan’s Weston Dressler is right behind in fourth, with 172 yards on 14 receptions and no touchdowns.
Cobourne, who has 110 rushing yards on 24 carries (4.6 yard average) said he’s got to work harder and must bring his new teammates along with him.
“We’ve just got to focus,” he said. “One person, every play, messes up and it begins to add up.
“Next thing you know you’ve lost the game. When you’ve got somebody messing up almost every other play, it’s on us to focus on getting it right.”
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