Justin Dunk
Ticats.ca
Justin Hickman’s coordinator referred to him as the silent assassin.
The laid back pass-rusher took out Montreal quarterbacks twice during Hamilton’s 34-26 victory over the Alouettes last Friday. All told, the Tiger-Cats managed a pair of sacks on the prodigious passer and one on backup Adrian McPherson after Montreal had only allowed three sacks in the first four regular season games this year.
Defensive coordinators across the CFL agonize over their game plan when facing the quick-slinging Alouettes pivot. However, Hickman made it look as simple as the words he chose to describe his two-sack performance versus Montreal.
“I happened to win my one-on-one match up on those plays and that’s all there is to it, really,” he said.
Hickman, the more reserved of Hamilton’s two dynamic bookends, has notched three quarterback takedowns over the Ticats three-game winning streak. But it’s his quiet and business-like demeanor that prevents him from attracting as much of the spotlight as his on-field performance might deserve.
“The spotlight comes with making plays,” he said. “You’re talking to me now so I guess I must have done something.”
“I just gotta make more plays on the field to get my shine.”
Number 95 and the rest of the defence have looked and are starting to feel increasingly comfortable in Corey Chamblin’s defensive scheme.
“There were times earlier in the season where he should have had more sacks,” Chamblin said. “Now he’s doing an excellent job on the end against the run and the pass.”
“It’s something different than I’ve been used to the last couple years, but I’m starting to like it,” Hickman said of the aggressive-style defence his coordinator has employed.
“Especially now when we’re coming together as a unit, we’re starting to play on the same page and feed off of each other, and we’re starting to understand the ins and outs of the defence – we are starting to do things without coach Chamblin having to tell us.”
Chamblin won’t have to tell his team how much he would like to earn a victory over his former team in Calgary on Saturday evening.
“I was with those guys for a while,” he said.
After spending three seasons with the Stampeders as their defensive backs coach, Chamblin made the move to Steeltown in 2011 — his first gig as a defensive play caller. The coordinator knows how well the Stamps play on their home turf and he has his pass rushers eyeing their next target.
“They have a number of weapons over there, starting with Hank (a.k.a. Henry Burris). You can’t let Hank get loose,” he said.
Hickman will look to do his part in containing Burris and the Stampeder attack. Calgary’s starting pivot leads all rushers in the CFL, with over 10 carries, sporting a yards per rush average of 9.2.
“Hank can still run and he runs at a high level. We have to make sure that 100 per cent of the time we keep him contained,” Chamblin said.
“That’s going to be on the defensive line with our pass rush, and being true in our pass rush lanes,” Hickman added. “Keeping us evenly distributed on each side so he’s not able to escape through a lane, or me or Stevie (Baggs) giving up contain on the outside.”
If the UCLA product has it his way, Burris will spend time on his back, and Hickman will be hearing the sweet sound of silence coming from the stands at McMahon Stadium.
“Me personally I like away games. I like going somewhere and trying to shut a crowd up,” he said.
Hamilton hasn’t managed a win in Stampede country since 2004, but the Cats bounce into Calgary playing their best football of the young season, primed to put another ‘W’ in the left column of the standings.
