Justin Dunk
CFL.ca
In Week 16, Toronto had the ball down six with a first-and-10 on its own 41-yard-line and the clock ticking down under one minute and 30 seconds left in the game.
Ricky Ray lined up in shotgun with a running back to his immediate right and five receivers deployed, three to his left on the short side of the field. That is the side to focus on. Meanwhile, Hamilton had six defenders ready to bolt at Ray. And Ticats safety Craig Butler crept down near the line of scrimmage on his way to blitzing the Argos quarterback.
Off the snap, seven pass-rushers burst towards Ray. On the back end Hamilton was playing ‘Cover 0’ — in layman’s terms, straight man-to-man coverage with no safety help anywhere. Chad Owens and Robert Gill were the slot receivers to Ray’s left. Working in tandem, Owens and Gill used a switch release off the line and it changed the coverage matchup. Brandon Stewart and Erik Harris reacted by exchanging coverage responsibilities. Stewart now locked on Gill and Harris the same for Owens.
Toronto’s route combination on the trips side called for John Chiles and Gill to run short hitch patterns at about five yards, with Owens heading downfield on a vertical route. And No. 2 for the Argos ran a beautiful pattern. He pressed to the inside shoulder of Harris creating more room to the sideline where he knew he was going to break on a corner route.
Ray saw the man coverage and let the ball go just as Owens was breaking to the corner before any Ticats rusher could get close to him. The Argos quarterback threw a perfect pass hitting Owens in stride, and the 2012 MOP did the rest, sprinting to the end zone.
Ticats take time for turkey
Hamilton players and coaches were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by the wives of Kent Austin and Orlondo Steinauer this past Saturday.
“It was really good food,” Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence said approving of the cooking.
Members of the team gathered at the Sheraton Hotel near Jackson Square in Hamilton to share a meal. One of the keys to the Ticats’ recent success is the group coming together and becoming more comfortable with one another on the field. And the same cohesiveness has happened outside the white lines.
“The whole team was there eating and enjoying each others company. We really have a good family atmosphere,” Lawrence said. “The same way you see us having fun on the field – we’re a close-knit group off the field as well.”
Growing bonds among teammates will only help Hamilton down the stretch.
First place in Ticats’ hands
Despite a disappointing collapse in Toronto – Hamilton was outscored 21-3 in the fourth quarter to lose 34-33 – the Tiger-Cats still control their own fate in the Eastern Division.
If Hamilton wins out it would claim first place in the East and the first-round playoff bye that comes with it. The Ticats face Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and the REDBLACKS again to finish their 2014 regular season schedule.
Claiming both games over Ottawa is a must and it starts with a meeting on Friday at Tim Hortons Field.
