Wednesday 21 December 2011

Three Questions: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

1. Can a new coach get them over the hump?
The Cats fired Marcel Bellefeuille because the front office felt that he wasn't the right guy to get the team to the Grey Cup. That means the next coach will have very high expectations. His sole job will be to win the championship that eluded Bellefeuille during his three-plus-year stint. A new coach can get the Ti-Cats over the hump, because the team as currently constituted is very talented. It might not be Grey Cup or Bust, but the team will need to show marked improvement in the win column for the coaching change to be justified.

2. Will the young Receivers take the next step?
The reason the Tiger-Cats traded Arland Bruce back in August was because they wanted to get their young Receivers some playing time. Chris Williams ended up being named the league's Most Outstanding Rookie, Bakari Grant had a breakout game in the East Division Semi-Final, Aaron Kelly also showed flashes of being a big-time player, and don't forget about the gargantuan Jeremy Kelley. The sometimes painful moments that the Tiger-Cats put up with in 2011 could pay big dividends in 2012.

3. Will the Cats fix the problems on Defense?
With Corey Chamblin off to Regina, the Tiger-Cats will have a new man calling the plays for the Defense. Who that man will be is unknown, and depending on who it is will decide what defensive scheme the Cats will run. It is pretty clear that Chamblin's scheme did not match the players he had. For example, Stevie Baggs in coverage is a waste of his immense talents. The Cats will have to find someone who can maximize their personnel. It will probably be one the most important decisions the next Head Coach makes. If the Cats can be a better team defensively, they will be a better team overall.

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