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PREVIEW
ARGOS, TICATS RENEW RIVALRY IN WEEK 1 FINALE
CFL.CA STAFF
TORONTO — Week 1 of the 2017 CFL season closes out with a grudge match between the QEW rival Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tigers-Cats on Sunday at BMO Field.
Both teams are looking to start the year off on the right foot after making their exits much earlier than planned in 2016. The Ticats fell in the Eastern Semi-Final while the Argos failed to secure a playoff spot following a disappointing last-place finish.
Ticats’ head coach Kent Austin says he is looking forward to what 2017 will bring.
“It’s always exciting when the season starts because you have anticipation to see how your guys are going to play,” Austin told Ticats.ca. “(It’s) the excitement of competition and winning football games and going through the journey of a football season and trying to get to the ultimate goal… It’s a lot better than sitting in the office during the off-season, that’s for sure.”
A healthy Zach Collaros will be a key part of a successful Ticats season. The University of Cincinnati product spent half of last year on the sidelines with a torn ACL he suffered during the 2015 season. Completely healed and with a full training camp under his belt, the five-year pro will be expected to lead the charge in Hamilton.
The Ticats also boast a top receiving corps with the ability to move the sticks and steal games. Fans got a brief glimpse of receiver Brian Tyms’ skill set in his two games with the Hamilton last season. He posted a team-high 114 yards on eight catches in the Eastern Semi-Final. Tyms’ CFL sample size may be small, but he has already showcased that he is capable of being a difference maker on the field.
Hamilton will be without two crucial members of its defence entering Week 1. The Ticats bolstered their secondary during the-off season by re-signing sought after free agent Emanuel Davis while also penning a deal with halfback Abdul Kanneh. The former REDBLACK helped lead Ottawa to a Grey Cup Championship last year and has been named an East Division All-Star the past two season. But both are currently on the inured list, leaving a void the rest of the secondary must fill in the season opener.
For a tattered secondary with a new defensive coordinator following the departure of Orlondo Steinauer, who took a job with college football’s Fresno State, an early-season meeting with a Marc Trestman-coached team will be a challenge.
Perhaps no team in the CFL has gone through more off-season changes than the Toronto Argonauts.
It began in the front office with Jim Popp taking over as the general manager after two decades in Montreal. And Popp brought a friend in former Alouettes Grey Cup-winning coach Trestman, who will lead the charge on the sidelines after Scott Milanovich moved on to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars as quarterback coach.
“[Sunday] is really the starting point,” Trestman told Argonauts.ca. “[Sunday’s] the test. It’s the first test to finding out about where we are as an offence and certainly as a football team… We’re playing against two of the more dynamic defensive ends in the league, certainly, and a defence that is going to bring it from different places, from different structures.
“We’re going to get tested physically and mentally up front in our protections and in our run game.”
The multitude of changes also continues on the field with an offence that looks next to completely different than it did a year ago after Toronto released four receivers last October.
Veteran S.J. Green leads Toronto’s new look receiving core after he was sidelined most of last season with knee ligament damage. The 32-year-old spent a decade in Montreal before being acquired by the Argos in an trade two months ago.
The Double Blue also picked up Armanti Edwards via trade from the Saskatchewan Roughriders and signed free agent Jeff Fuller.
The Argos’ offence will once again be led by veteran quarterback Ricky Ray. The 37-year-old and future hall of famer is entering his 14th CFL season and ranks fourth all-time in passing yards.
Despite the numerous new faces in the front office, coaching staff, and offence, some of the most impactful off-season additions could be on the defensive side of the ball.
The Alouettes sent shock waves throughout the league when they released all-star linebacker Bear Woods. The reigning 2016 East Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player did not remain a free agent for long and was eagerly scooped up by the Argos just over a week later.
Woods may be the missing piece for an Argo defence that’s also added Cleyon Laing and Marcus Ball to complement second-leading sack getter in 2016 Shawn Lemon. Not to mention the hiring of 2013 Grey Cup-winning coach Corey Chamblin, who returns to the CFL for the first time since mid-2015 to coach the Argos’ defence.
Also of note, three former Ticats will start on Toronto’s defence on Sunday, as Rico Murray, Cassius Vaughn and Johnny Sears Jr. have switched sides in the rivalry.
While the Ticats have dominated the Southern Ontario rivalry of late, two proven winners in Chamblin and Trestman look to turn the tides.
Let the 2017 chapter of the Toronto and Hamilton rivalry begin.
By The Numbers:
3 – Argos starters that spent last season with the Ticats (Rico Murray, Johnny Sears Jr. and Cassius Vaughn)
4 – The number of touchdown passes Ricky Ray needs to become the sixth quarterback in history to reach the 300 mark.
6 — 300-yard games in eight starts for Zach Collaros against his former team. The next closest against any other opponent is two.
24 – Receiving yards needed by S.J. Green to reach the top 60 all-time.
126 – Tackles posted by Bear Woods last season, leading the East Division and finishing second overall in the league
The Skinny:
Both the Argos and Ticats are looking to start 2017 strong after finishing last year’s campaign below the .500 mark. The QEW rivalry will be intensified with a number of former Ticats making their debut in double blue, but not just on the field.
Argos receivers coach Tommy Condell led Hamilton’s offence for three seasons before suddenly stepping down at the start of 2016. Johnny Sears Jr. and Rico Murray will start in the secondary for the Argos after spending the last two and four seasons respectively with the Ticats. Cassius Vaughn will be in the lineup after he was released by the Ticats last month. He played nine games with Hamilton at cornerback last season, but has made the transition to SAM linebacker with his new squad.
Kevin Elliott was part of a group of four receivers that were abruptly cut by the Argos near the end of the 2016 regular season. He will look to pick up where he left off with the Ticats last season, registering 220 yards through three games.
Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker or seen on TSN and ESPN2.
ARGOS, TICATS RENEW RIVALRY IN WEEK 1 FINALE
CFL.CA STAFF
TORONTO — Week 1 of the 2017 CFL season closes out with a grudge match between the QEW rival Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tigers-Cats on Sunday at BMO Field.
Both teams are looking to start the year off on the right foot after making their exits much earlier than planned in 2016. The Ticats fell in the Eastern Semi-Final while the Argos failed to secure a playoff spot following a disappointing last-place finish.
Ticats’ head coach Kent Austin says he is looking forward to what 2017 will bring.
“It’s always exciting when the season starts because you have anticipation to see how your guys are going to play,” Austin told Ticats.ca. “(It’s) the excitement of competition and winning football games and going through the journey of a football season and trying to get to the ultimate goal… It’s a lot better than sitting in the office during the off-season, that’s for sure.”
A healthy Zach Collaros will be a key part of a successful Ticats season. The University of Cincinnati product spent half of last year on the sidelines with a torn ACL he suffered during the 2015 season. Completely healed and with a full training camp under his belt, the five-year pro will be expected to lead the charge in Hamilton.
The Ticats also boast a top receiving corps with the ability to move the sticks and steal games. Fans got a brief glimpse of receiver Brian Tyms’ skill set in his two games with the Hamilton last season. He posted a team-high 114 yards on eight catches in the Eastern Semi-Final. Tyms’ CFL sample size may be small, but he has already showcased that he is capable of being a difference maker on the field.
Hamilton will be without two crucial members of its defence entering Week 1. The Ticats bolstered their secondary during the-off season by re-signing sought after free agent Emanuel Davis while also penning a deal with halfback Abdul Kanneh. The former REDBLACK helped lead Ottawa to a Grey Cup Championship last year and has been named an East Division All-Star the past two season. But both are currently on the inured list, leaving a void the rest of the secondary must fill in the season opener.
For a tattered secondary with a new defensive coordinator following the departure of Orlondo Steinauer, who took a job with college football’s Fresno State, an early-season meeting with a Marc Trestman-coached team will be a challenge.
Perhaps no team in the CFL has gone through more off-season changes than the Toronto Argonauts.
It began in the front office with Jim Popp taking over as the general manager after two decades in Montreal. And Popp brought a friend in former Alouettes Grey Cup-winning coach Trestman, who will lead the charge on the sidelines after Scott Milanovich moved on to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars as quarterback coach.
“[Sunday] is really the starting point,” Trestman told Argonauts.ca. “[Sunday’s] the test. It’s the first test to finding out about where we are as an offence and certainly as a football team… We’re playing against two of the more dynamic defensive ends in the league, certainly, and a defence that is going to bring it from different places, from different structures.
“We’re going to get tested physically and mentally up front in our protections and in our run game.”
The multitude of changes also continues on the field with an offence that looks next to completely different than it did a year ago after Toronto released four receivers last October.
Veteran S.J. Green leads Toronto’s new look receiving core after he was sidelined most of last season with knee ligament damage. The 32-year-old spent a decade in Montreal before being acquired by the Argos in an trade two months ago.
The Double Blue also picked up Armanti Edwards via trade from the Saskatchewan Roughriders and signed free agent Jeff Fuller.
The Argos’ offence will once again be led by veteran quarterback Ricky Ray. The 37-year-old and future hall of famer is entering his 14th CFL season and ranks fourth all-time in passing yards.
Despite the numerous new faces in the front office, coaching staff, and offence, some of the most impactful off-season additions could be on the defensive side of the ball.
The Alouettes sent shock waves throughout the league when they released all-star linebacker Bear Woods. The reigning 2016 East Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player did not remain a free agent for long and was eagerly scooped up by the Argos just over a week later.
Woods may be the missing piece for an Argo defence that’s also added Cleyon Laing and Marcus Ball to complement second-leading sack getter in 2016 Shawn Lemon. Not to mention the hiring of 2013 Grey Cup-winning coach Corey Chamblin, who returns to the CFL for the first time since mid-2015 to coach the Argos’ defence.
Also of note, three former Ticats will start on Toronto’s defence on Sunday, as Rico Murray, Cassius Vaughn and Johnny Sears Jr. have switched sides in the rivalry.
While the Ticats have dominated the Southern Ontario rivalry of late, two proven winners in Chamblin and Trestman look to turn the tides.
Let the 2017 chapter of the Toronto and Hamilton rivalry begin.
By The Numbers:
3 – Argos starters that spent last season with the Ticats (Rico Murray, Johnny Sears Jr. and Cassius Vaughn)
4 – The number of touchdown passes Ricky Ray needs to become the sixth quarterback in history to reach the 300 mark.
6 — 300-yard games in eight starts for Zach Collaros against his former team. The next closest against any other opponent is two.
24 – Receiving yards needed by S.J. Green to reach the top 60 all-time.
126 – Tackles posted by Bear Woods last season, leading the East Division and finishing second overall in the league
The Skinny:
Both the Argos and Ticats are looking to start 2017 strong after finishing last year’s campaign below the .500 mark. The QEW rivalry will be intensified with a number of former Ticats making their debut in double blue, but not just on the field.
Argos receivers coach Tommy Condell led Hamilton’s offence for three seasons before suddenly stepping down at the start of 2016. Johnny Sears Jr. and Rico Murray will start in the secondary for the Argos after spending the last two and four seasons respectively with the Ticats. Cassius Vaughn will be in the lineup after he was released by the Ticats last month. He played nine games with Hamilton at cornerback last season, but has made the transition to SAM linebacker with his new squad.
Kevin Elliott was part of a group of four receivers that were abruptly cut by the Argos near the end of the 2016 regular season. He will look to pick up where he left off with the Ticats last season, registering 220 yards through three games.
Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker or seen on TSN and ESPN2.
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