If the Hamilton Tiger-Cats end up losing quarterback Zach Collaros for the long term it would be an absolute travesty. Not only would it be bad for the Ticats, but it would also be bad for the CFL. As we just wrote about last week, Collaros has been your pacesetter for Most Outstanding Player in 2015. Because he’s been playing at such a high level all year long, seeing Collaros go down long term would too bad for football fans from coast to coast.
Worst-case scenario
Losing Collaros for any period of time is awful news for Hamilton. As good as they are defensively, and as well rounded a group they’ve been, the Ticats are still keyed by their quarterback. Collaros has been their pulse all year long, which makes losing the league’s best player in 2015 all the more tough to deal with.
What’s fascinating is how Hamilton decides to deal with this unfortunate situation. We should know the severity of Collaros’s knee injury later today, and that answer will determine the strategy going forward for the Tiger-Cats.
| Crossing Over? |
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Led by the return of Jonathan Crompton, the Alouettes beat the Bombers to put themselves ahead of Winnipeg and BC for the final playoff spot in the West. |
If Collaros is only out for a few weeks, then the answer is a whole lot more simple for Hamilton. Losing Collaros for four or five games, while not ideal, is manageable for a Ticats group that has already put themselves in a great spot to make the playoffs. If that were to be the case, Hamilton would be much more inclined to tread water until a Collaros return. If he can be back in time for the playoffs, then you game plan for that.
However, if the result is as some fear and Collaros is done for the season, then the decision making process is far different. The Tiger-Cats are a really good football team and they can’t simply throw in the towel if the news is bad. If Hamilton were to go seek a trade for someone for the rest of the season it would certainly make sense.
The “good” news for the Ticats is they enter a bye week. If there was ever a time for a potentially catastrophic injury to happen, I guess this would be it. Hamilton has a little more time to evaluate Collaros, and they also have a few extra days to make a decision once practice gets back underway.
The Tiger-Cats are having a really strong season and they are full marks for an East Division leading 8-4. Regardless of what happens with Collaros, they’re going to be a factor in the playoffs and would have a chance of returning to the Grey Cup game. Unfortunately, without Collaros at the helm, I can’t see Hamilton as a championship team.
I know I’m certainly crossing my fingers for a speedy return for Collaros, and a return in 2015.
The ironman
With Collaros going down in Hamilton and John Beck leaving BC’s 35-23 loss in Calgary on Friday, the woeful year for quarterbacks continued. It’s been brutal being behind centre in 2015 as top names like Drew Willy, Mike Reilly, Ricky Ray, Darian Durant, and Travis Lulay have all missed significant periods of time. But there is a pretty big name missing from that list.
Stamps fans please knock on wood with me, but we’ve seen Bo Levi Mitchell stay healthy all year long to this point. In fact, among this group of young, relatively new starting quarterbacks, Mitchell has proven to be the most durable of the bunch.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback in Calgary last season, Mitchell has missed three games due to injury. Comparing that to the time lost by the likes of Collaros, Reilly, Willy, and Lulay the last two or three seasons, three games is a drop in the bucket.
Mitchell is one of just two CFL starters to not miss a start this year. The other is 40-year-old Henry Burris in Ottawa, but we’ll get to him later. For whatever reason, being a quarterback in this league has been a calamitous vocation the last few seasons, because very few have been able to stay consistently healthy. For the most part, Mitchell has been able to avoid the pitfalls that go along with the position.
From a performance standpoint, I think it’s fair to say Mitchell was a little more impressive last season. But there are two very important things that scream louder than anything else. First, Mitchell has been at the helm for nine wins, more than anyone else in the CFL. And second, he’s been able to stay healthy. In 2015, that ability is about as valuable as it gets.
Awful houseguests
There’s nothing worse than when you welcome people to your house and they show a blatant lack of respect to your wishes. Henry Burris and Chris Milo were among the messiest and rudest of Saskatchewan’s houseguests on Saturday night. I can be quite sure those two, along with their Ottawa teammates, aren’t losing too much sleep about it.
While he’ll always, always deny it, there’s no doubt in my mind that Burris enjoys getting the job done in opposition colours at Mosaic Stadium. We all know things ended poorly in Burris’s second stint with the Riders, and that has made the future Hall of Famer public enemy number one in every visit he makes to Regina.
We’ve seen some pretty rough outings for Burris in his old stomping grounds. Saturday night was not one of those outings. Burris was superb as he rolled out one another one of his “turn back the clock” performances as the REDBLACKS took a 30-27 win over Saskatchewan in thrilling fashion.
Burris finished the night with 477 yards and two touchdowns on 35-for-45 passing while adding another major and 16 yards on seven rushing attempts. Yeah, Burris may be 40 years old, but he’s looked like a true number one all year long. We’ve referenced it numerous times this year, but don’t ever underestimate what a supporting cast infusion can do for a veteran quarterback.
The most significant scoring play of Saturday’s contest had nothing to do with Burris, though. It was Milo’s field goal with six seconds remaining that sent Ottawa to their seventh win of the season.
It was only a few months ago that Milo was cut loose by the Riders in favour of Paul McCallum. After a few weeks in the wilderness, Milo caught on with the REDBLACKS. It had to feel sweet to help his new group drop his old one to a league worst 1-11 mark.
I’m not even saying the Riders made the wrong call to cut ties with Milo. His time in Regina was decent but checkered with inconsistent stretches. But whether you’re in pro sports or accounting, it always feels nice to show the company that got rid of you. That’s exactly what Milo got the opportunity to do on Saturday.
Burris wasn’t necessarily gotten rid of, but I think he enjoyed himself too.
Quick hits
The 2015 season is now 13 weeks old and my favorite topic is still going strong. The East Division crossover is not only a possibility, it’s a reality as things stand right now. Montreal’s win over Winnipeg coupled with a Lions loss in Calgary means that if the playoffs started right now, all four Eastern teams would qualify. I’m based in the west, but I’m sure the East Division is able to use the crossover for the first time.
Speaking of the Als, you can definitely tell how much of a difference getting your starting quarterback back in the fold makes. Jonathan Crompton was solid in his first outing since Week 1 and he lead Montreal to a crucial 35-14 win over the Bombers. Crompton looked confident from start to finish and was putting even more zip on the ball than I can remember.
The velocity Crompton had on his throws to the wide side was extremely impressive and he looked extremely comfortable despite missing more than two months. Yeah, he threw a pair of interceptions, but I thought Crompton looked great and I think it was easy to see how his team fed off his return.
