Isaac Owusu
Ticats.ca
With a win over the Montreal Alouettes this Sunday, the Tiger-Cats can slide into first place in the East Division – but the standings are the last thing on the minds of the players.
“We just want to win every game, I don’t think any week is more important than the other one,” quarterback Zach Collaros said on Wednesday.
“Nobody even mentions that will be in first place. Nobody’s talking about that. We are just preparing to win every single week, and the challenge this week is Montreal,” he added.
Collaros had a victorious return to game action in the team’s 13-12 victory over rivals the Toronto Argonauts, at the Labour Day Classic.
Collaros, who threw for 317 yards and a touchdown against his former team, understands that winning the games against division opponents is all about the team’s work during the week in practice.
“We just have to come in every day and prepare hard and just get better,” he said.
“There’s not many things you can change physically, I think you are who you are as a player. But just working at it everyday and fine tuning the little things,” Collaros added.
Equally as surprised about learning about the team’s opportunity to sit at the head of the division is defensive back Craig Butler.
The veteran safety playing his first year in Hamilton suggests that the team must learn from the hardships they’ve experienced in 2014.
“We just have to keep pushing when that first place is there to be taken. We have to go take advantage of it. We’ve never veered off our goals, and what we wanted to do since day one of being here,” Butler said.
“The focus is all still the same as it’s been the first day of training camp. You go through ups and downs, and you go through adversity, but it’s how it’s how we respond to that that characterizes our team,” he added.
Even with the publicized personnel changes that have been occurring with the Alouettes, Butler remains focused on keeping the defence sharp for whoever is behind centre for the opposition.
“Everybody’s in the league for a reason, we’re all professional football players and everybody can sling the ball and make good decisions. So on any given day, anybody can step up. So it’s on us to execute,” he said.
