2011 Grey Cup Predictions – Team Preview – Hamilton Tiger-Cats
As a team that really fell on some hard times during the 2000s and hasn’t won the Grey Cup since 1999, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have potential to be a nice redemption story in 2011. They quietly started last season 1-4 before rallying to go 8-5 over their final 13 games.
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2010 record: 9-9
ATS: 10-8
The potential for growth in Hamilton seemed high at the end of 2010 and some new faces could take the Ti-Cats to a new level this season.
It’s nice to see some stability under center in Steeltown Canada right now. Kevin Glenn, fresh off a contract extension, was second in the CFL with 5,102 passing yards and set a career high with 33 touchdown passes. Glenn’s top target this season should be Dave Stala, who went over 1,000 yards last season. He could be relied upon even more this year now that Hamilton let Chris Bauman walk. The former first-rounder wanted a big raise and the Ti-Cats didn’t think he was worth it.
To compensate for a possible downgrade in Glenn’s receiving corps, Hamilton pulled a major move in the backfield this offseason. It released DeAndra Cobb and made a big free-agent splash by luring Avon Cobourne away from the champion Montreal Alouettes. His style is more bulldozing than Cobb’s and he’s a better pass protector. He’s also a great pass-catcher; he’s had 950-plus rushing yards in three straight seasons but he’s also caught 56 or more passes in each of those campaigns.
On paper, Hamilton’s defense was a disaster last season. It ranked dead last in total yards allowed and in pass defense. But the rankings were a bit deceiving, as Hamilton improved throughout the season. [ad-4437448]
The big catalyst was Stevie Baggs, who joined the team as a free agent last September. He had five sacks in seven games. He had 12 with Saskatchewan last year so that may not have been a fluke. Many people around the Tiger-Cats camp feel that Baggs has emerged as the emotional leader of this defense.
Baggs should have some help, too. They plucked two more guys from the Roughriders’ defense: middle linebacker Renaud Williams and defensive back Daniel Francis. They also have another rising star at rush end in Justin Hickman. He’s had seven sacks in each of his first two seasons and should keep getting better.
Tiger-Cats 2011 Outlook
Things are finally looking up in Hamilton. The Ti-Cats offense was above-average last season and Cobourne should only make it better. Their defense isn’t championship-caliber yet but, on paper, it looks improved from last season’s group.
Hamilton seems a virtual lock to at least match last year’s nine-wins. Take the same team that went 8-5 down the stretch, add one of the league’s better running backs and tinker with its defense and you have a team that looks like it’s on the rise.
I’d expect Hamilton to be a 10-win team this season. If a few things break their way and Montreal’s question marks come back to bite them, it wouldn’t be unfathomable to see the Ti-Cats win the East.
Tiger-Cats 2011 Futures
Grey Cup odds: +500
Eastern Division odds: +250
Tiger-Cats 2011 Predictions
East Division: 2nd
Over/Under Season Wins prediction: over 9.5 wins
One reply on “2011 Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL Team Preview/Predictions”
9-10 wins seems like a good bet on the Tabbies