The Hamilton Tiger-Cats find themselves in first place in the CFL East Division, if only by a narrow margin, as they prepare to host the annual Labour Day Classic against the Toronto Argonauts on Monday.
The Tiger-Cats (6-4) are 1 1/2 games up on Montreal at this point in the regular season, and everything starts to feel more urgent with two months to go. However, the Ticats don’t subscribe to the idea that the CFL season really starts on that first Monday of September.
”Being at this point at Labour Day, being 6-4, it’s a lot better feeling than what we’ve been feeling the last two years,” defensive lineman Casey Sayles told the Hamilton Spectator. ”So you say it starts on Labour Day but I think we’re in a lot better position. Being first in the East right now feels phenomenal.”
Hamilton was a dismal 2-9 entering the rivalry game in 2024, then pulled out a 31-28 win over Toronto, the eventual Grey Cup champions.
Hamilton had a six-game winning streak snapped earlier this month. It had a bye last week after falling 29-9 at Saskatchewan on Aug. 16.
Toronto (3-8), meanwhile, picked up its first win in a month on Aug. 23 by beating the BC Lions 52-34. The Argonauts are not quite out of the playoff race yet, but a win over their rival would be crucial.
The matchup pits the top two passers in the CFL. Nick Arbuckle has racked up 3,476 passing yards for Toronto, with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell ranks second in yardage (3,057), with 21 TDs and five picks.
The quarterback play has fed into the two highest-scoring offenses in the league; the Ticats average 30.0 points per game and the Argonauts average 29.9.
The Argonauts are adding more firepower to their offense by bringing back 2024 All-Star wide receiver Makai Polk, who didn’t make the final cut with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons this preseason.
”Our offense was pretty dynamic with (Polk) last year, being able to catch the ball and take it the distance,” Argos coach Ryan Dinwiddie said, per the Toronto Star. ”And he can go up and get it, too. Not so many guys can go and have a catch rate like him, and also being able to pull away from (opponents) when they’re running away.”
Hamilton defeated Toronto 51-38 earlier this year. Mitchell threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns that day, while Arbuckle had 339 yards, two TDs and a pick for Toronto.
–Field Level Media
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