The Calgary game is in the rear view mirror. They did not play a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination, but the Defence & Special Teams (with exception of a botched fake punt & a missed convert) generally played well.
The Tiger-Cats’ have 3 games left over the last 4 weeks of the schedule, and they have a timely Bye Week on their schedule as well (2nd to last week of the schedule). I am going to offer a different take on the last 4 weeks of the schedule:
first of all, I don’t care about finishing in 2nd place in the East Division & I could not care less how Montreal performs over the last 4 weeks of the schedule;
IMO these next 2 games are all about the Tiger-Cats improving every facet of their game in preparation for a road game at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Saturday November 4th.
We know the Tiger-Cats will be playing the Montreal Alouettes two games in a row . . . on Saturday October 28th, the 'Cats will be coming off a Bye Week, so some of the minor knicks & bruises, & sore knees, etc. will get a little reprieve. IMO the outcome of that game is totally meaningless. The two teams are very familiar with each other. I believe both teams will put away their “best” offensive & defensive schemes for that game, and will save them for the rematch in the playoffs. The 'Cats coaches should not show any plays that will get added to the playbook over the next 4 weeks. However, coming off a Bye Week the 'Cats will need to play their starters for at least the first half to knock off any rust from the week off. The Alouettes may actually sit some of their starters if that game is meaningless in terms of final standings.
Finally, I believe injured players that will be key to the Tiger-Cats’ playoff success, like Joel Figueroa, Dylan Wynn, Tunde Adeleke & possibly others, if they regain their health, can afford to sit until the final game of the season, and be ready to rock & roll in the playoffs. BUT this statement does not apply to Mr. Bo Levi Mitchell. By the time that Bye Week arrives, the Tiger-Cats’ coaches need to know whether or not they can rely upon Bo as their starting QB on November 4th. If the 'Cats have any hope of getting Bo back in the lineup in 2023, I actually think he needs to play against both Saskatchewan & BC. And if he looks good, perhaps he rests that final game in Montreal. That will be a tough call, knowing how much time he has missed.
At this point, who knows, perhaps the 'Cats will catch the Ar&%$ flat footed . . . or overconfident in the Eastern Final. In a single elimination tournament, you just never know . . . you put out your best effort and let the chips fall where they may.
Don’t forget . . . as Marty McLeod used to say, “When you least expect it . . . expect it !!”
This has already proved to be true on 3 separate occasions this year for the 'Cats !!
Both teams will be in the same situation, whether the game, on Oct. 28th, is meaningful or not, as they’re both off the previous week.
For 2nd. place to, still, be up for grabs, that day, the TiCats must have a better two-game record than MTL does, between now and then. The Cats go to SSK and host BC, while the Alouettes host OTT and go to EDM.
I honestly realistically don’t like our chances having to rely on the DEADBLACKS and the Elkimos to both come thru for us with victories . Even if they do there is still the factor of defeating a Lions team that is in a battle for 1rst place out West that has revenge on their minds for the beating we gave them earlier in their own backyard .
I’m thinking our destiny this year is to go on the road and hopefully get two wins b2b in order to earn the right to play our final game this season at home .
While loving your last thought, the music, in my head, suddenly changed to repetition of a song from The Man of La Mancha, also a hit recording by Jack Jones in the mid '60s.
Sure you can say “anything can happen”, but that just puts you into the category of being satisfied with mediocre football and hoping for the best. I always hope for the best, but I’ll never be satisfied with mediocre football.
I think this is a sound way to approach life in general, but for me, when it comes to being a football fan, I enjoy having an attitude of unbridled optimism and hope because I ultimately have nothing to lose if the outcome isnt what I hoped for.
I hope Hamilton will win the East Final, but I know that they may lose to Montreal and I know that even if we make it to the East final, realistically Hamilton probably loses that game 8 or 9 times out of 10. I just hope for the 1 in 10 scenario and i’m not surprised if it doesn’t happen.
You can have hope and be a realist at the same time IMO.
And I’ll add that fans have every right to voice their displeasure if their team can’t win the Grey Cup, no matter how good everything else seems to be going. 18-0 would be awesome but the goal is the Cup.
I think some people would be a little less crabby on these forums if we didnt blow EVERY opportunity we’ve had to win a Grey Cup over the past decade.
