Ticats get second Tim Hortons Field loss, but loss of Zach Collaros may be worse

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats suffered only their second loss ever at Tim Hortons Field Saturday, falling 25-18 to the Edmonton Eskimos, but that may prove to be only a footnote next to the major story of the day; the exit of Zach Collaros. Collaros, Hamilton's starting quarterback, led the league with 3,288 passing yards heading into this and was a prime candidate for the CFL's most outstanding player award, but he left the game in the second quarter after suffering an apparent knee injury on a scramble (video is here) and didn't return. The loss isn't great, and it may suggest the Ticats have some vulnerabilities, but what's even more concerning for them is what's going on with Collaros. If he's out for any length of time, that could be a huge blow to this team.

Collaros was very good on the day before he left, completing seven of 10 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. His replacements? Not as good. Second-stringer and Cornell alum Jeff Mathews threw for 157 yards and completed a decent 12 of 20 passes (60 per cent), but tossed up three interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) and was pulled for Jacory Harris. The Miami product didn't impress either, completing just six of his 12 passing attempts for 59 yards. Both Mathews and Harris also had a lost fumble, with Harris' fumble coming in the final two minutes and setting the Eskimos up for the game-clinching touchdown. The Tiger-Cats were in this until the end thanks to their defence, with Edmonton only taking the lead in the final minute, but without Collaros, they couldn't get anything going on offence. Thus, any significant injury to him may be dismal for them.

Something else that will have to be addressed, regardless of who winds up under centre for Hamilton, is what's going on with their ground game. Running back Ray Holley has looked good at times this year, but he couldn't get anywhere Saturday, picking up just 19 yards on eight carries. The struggles on the ground may have been a big part of why the backup quarterbacks didn't get too far; they weren't given a lot of help in the rushing game. Sorting that out may also be important for the Ticats.

It's worth keeping in mind that the Hamilton defence is still very good, though, and they showed that Saturday despite the loss of Collaros. They were especially effective against the pass, holding Eskimos' quarterback Mike Reilly to just seven completions on 22 attempts (31.9 per cent) for 49 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Edmonton did get further on the ground, with Reilly collecting 72 rushing yards on 11 carries, fellow quarterback Jordan Lynch picking up 45 on eight carries, receiver Adarius Bowman adding 26 yards on two carries, running back Shakir Bell totalling 23 yards on six carries, running back Kendial Lawrence providing 14 yards and a touchdown on three touches and receiver Cory Watson contributing nine further yards on two carries. Still, the Tiger-Cats' defence was very stout on the day, and it kept them in this game despite their offence's struggles and turnovers.

The schedule also sets up well for Hamilton here. They have a bye next week and aren't in action until Friday, Oct. 2, so that's substantial time for Collaros to possibly recover if his injury isn't too serious. Ticats' fans will certainly be hoping that's the case, as Saturday's game cast some questions on their quarterback depth behind him. Hamilton is still 8-4 on the season and still has a phenomenal defence, and Saturday's game also showed that they can stay in games even without Collaros, but winning them may be harder. We'll see what the story is with him, and how that affects the Ticats going forward.