Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
To hear it spoken plainly, the Tiger-Cats’ recipe for success on Saturday night seems simple. Namely: put a higher number on the scoreboard than the Alouettes over the course of 60 minutes. Football 101 is now in session.
But despite the simplicity of the goal, the path toward actualizing it is an incredibly difficult one to travel. It is one littered by the thorns of a capable Montreal defence and made steeper than most by the counter efforts of an Anthony Calvillo-led offence.
Hamilton’s Head Coach George Cortez singles out that attacking unit for its strength, portraying it as a comprehensive threat that will require a great deal of beating.
“Their offence is very good. It’s been very good for a long time and it’s still very good,” says Cortez. “They’ve got quality receivers, a quality quarterback, a quality running back and they do a good job of protecting the quarterback. That makes them good on offence, and if you plan on beating them you better score some points.”
The necessity of peak production against the Alouettes has the Ticats prioritizing focus on the offensive side of the ball, where the team has suffered periods of mid-game stagnation to begin the season.
Quarterback Henry Burris acknowledges that improving his group’s level of consistency is foremost in his thoughts as he approaches Saturday’s game. The cause of the team’s lapses remains unknown to him, but he speaks of rectifying them as a matter of urgency.
“For the last couple of weeks, we’ve played well in the first and fourth quarters, but for the second and third quarters we were nonexistent,” says Burris. “Hopefully it’s something that we’ve worked on over time that will be considerably better this week than it was for the past two weeks. It’s something that you’ve got to work through.
“I don’t know if it’s growing pains or what it is. But whatever it is, we’ve got to end it quick, because we can’t have that same kind of output against the offence that we’re going up against. Because they’re going to find a way to put points up on the board and we must do the same.”
When the offence has stalled in previous weeks, the Ticats have collected those coveted points through the return efforts of Chris Williams. The sophomore speedster’s three touchdown haul of a week ago served to shine the spotlight squarely on him.
Williams is unfazed at the mention that he will be at the very top of Montreal’s target list. After all, this is hardly the first time that he’s been a priority of opposing game plans. One imagines that CFL training fields are not short on pinnies bearing the number 80.
The second-year Tiger-Cat doesn’t concern himself with the added scrutiny he’ll undoubtedly be greeted with on Saturday, because he knows that he is not the only weapon at his team’s disposal.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m pretty sure that I’ve had a bull’s eye on me before,” says Williams. “That’s why we have a team around us: so that no one guy can make that much of an impact. Everyone has to do their job equally for the team to be successful.”
Williams is not particular about the way in which his team scores points on Saturday, he merely acknowledges that someone in Black and Gold must. If the burden of the big play falls on his shoulders once again, he is fully prepared to carry it. But if other members of the Tiger-Cat offence provide a better, more effective option, Williams will be happy to see them get their due.
The bottom line as he explains it is execution, anything that can present the ‘Cats with the production they will need to succeed and edge out another victory.
“It really doesn’t matter,” says Williams of the source of his team’s points. “Obviously, if I have a good game on special teams, our offence doesn’t get on the field nearly as much. It’s just one of those things where you have to roll with the punches.
“We’ve got to execute. We know that they’re a good team. We know that they’ve got good players on both sides of the ball, and we just have to execute.”
