The Montreal Alouettes have an appointment in Hamilton on Friday with the Tiger-Cats, who lost their first two games of the season away. Expect the hosts to give their all at the Ti-Cats home game.
A football season is like a long deck of cards, and teams often keep certain elements in their playbook. It is possible to save some hands for later in the season.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Magic: The Gathering game. For those in the know, I’d say the Tiger-Cats will even be ready to play the Royal Assassin card on Friday if needed. Translation: They will not hesitate to reveal their game system in broad daylight to achieve a great victory. It’s time to draw the trump card!
Host of the Gray Cup
Hamilton is set to play in the Gray Cup final next November and a third loss in as many games could have lasting repercussions for the team. In other words, should they lose to the Alouettes, the entire staff is under close scrutiny. Players and coaches must make minimal concrete effort in front of their fans to reverse their situation. As for Hamilton fans, they’re passionate at both extremes, even willing to boo their team if they can’t keep up.
Of course, a season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. You can have three losses early in the season or have a bad streak during the season and still make the playoffs. In a league with nine teams that can happen. On the other hand, the Tiger Cats organization is already under pressure to succeed to keep up hopes of being part of the next Gray Cup final at home.
Bo Levi Mitchell is out
Things are getting complicated for the Ti-Cats because quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell injured himself in a loss to the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday and all indications are that he will miss Friday’s meeting at Tim Hortons Field.
For the Alouettes, this can be both good news and bad news. Without Bo Levi Mitchell, the Montreal club would obviously be facing a less established quarterback. On the other hand, substitute Matthew Shiltz, ex-Alouettes, will want to use this opportunity to show he can establish himself as the number one quarterback in the CFL. Shiltz is also extremely mobile and doesn’t hesitate to try his luck at errands. In short, the Alouettes must be extremely vigilant on the defensive. Beyond ground play, I wouldn’t be surprised if Shiltz attempted some long passes either. He will want to prove himself against his old team and the manager will give him all the tools to do so. The Tiger Cats have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
On leave during the Grand Prix
In the Alouettes’ camp, I would like to point out that their last week off was during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal. A good thing ? No doubt to create a kind of camaraderie between the players who took part in the celebrations that went well beyond the pit stop competition … It could therefore be a test to assess the maturity of certain athletes during such a social event. In these circumstances, we will soon see who the leaders are among the Alouettes in 2023, the ones who will take the lead. At this level, I already identify 28-year-old defensive player Avery Williams as a natural leader.
Finally, I cannot end this column without mentioning the recent release of Quebecer Brian Harelimana. What a shame ! He fell victim to an overload in the Alouettes squad while still a developing player in my opinion. He will have suffered in some ways from the spectacular recruitment of general manager Danny Maciocia among the Canadian players. However, I’m not worried about Harelimana. He’s already received calls…
-Comments collected by Benoît Rioux
