Well, while we still got 4 days to go till we kick our game off, we save the best for last.  Meantime, Thursday night should be a good one to kickoff the 2019 season.

The subplots: The TiCats for obvious reasons are the favorites to win the east, and with the return of Steinhauer, the high hopes they got on Masoli and what looks to be a rock solid roster, there's many reasons the optimism is high.

For the Riders, the questions will be whether or not Craig Dickenson will prove to be their O'Shea, and whether or not they can protect Collaros.  A lot of changes have come to the roster with several former BC Lions including Arceneaux and Elimimian now there as well as former Colts WR Moncrief.

All that to say, while Steinhauer built his reputation on running an aggressive defense for Kent Austin, I seen some experts on the CFL site expressing concerns about June Jones no longer being there to be the guider for Masoli.  So will the TiCats offense get a high level of play under a defensive HC?

And the Riders will be a very different team than what we saw under Chris Jones, a guy who could win but had a toxic attitude at times and brought in cancers like Duron Carter.  Question is will this change be for the better or the worse for them?  Can't wait to see what this year of change is going to be.

1 minute ago, Atomic said:

The Riders are so baaaaaad

But but but if Collaros had played the whole game...

Mike Edem actually MADE A PLAY downfield on Tucker!

Lawerence with the pick.

I'd be so disgusted if I was a Rider fan right now.

Not sold on Harker yet. Reminds me of a lot of third stringers who come in and the defence has no idea his throwing motions or reads. Could end up being a good QB in time but could be a bust.

And then he throws a pick. 

Hamilton with the win! But yuck yuck yuck. Breaux couldn't cover my grandma, Masoli couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, and their d-line got zero pressure against a plug and play o-line. Lucky to win playing like junk. I expected a way better showing.

Edited June 14, 20196 yr by Bubba Zanetti

This is some awful coaching...

highest paid punter in the league and you go for it at your own 40 with two mins left...

then ham runs up the hit like there’s thirty seconds left instead of a minute thirty 

6 minutes ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Hamilton with the win! But yuck yuck yuck. Breaux couldn't cover my grandma, Masoli couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, and their d-line got zero pressure against a plug and play o-line. Lucky to win playing like junk. I expected a way better showing.

They looked like hot garbage and still looked comfortable against the Riders. 

Hoo boy, not a very good game.

BUT,

The right team sort of won..

Suitor right to the end holds out hope of a Rider victory but alas it will be a long and heartbreaking season for him.

How in the hell do they give player of the game to Masoli?  Why not Williams? 

Poor clock management at the end by the Riders.

Hamilton looking very soft on defense.

Masoli not being pressured yet making bad throws.  

 

Masoli player of the game? What? The punt returner with the TD was the player of the game, no brainer. Looks like preseason isn’t over after all. 

Also Hamilton playing a very conservative offense at the end... I wouldn't be shocked if Toronto is #1 in the East with how poor that was.  

The Riders are who we thought they were. 

Well, that's the first pickem I got right.  Aside from the bush league Lawrence play, good game to open things.  As I said, our game is saving the best for last.

Pretty wild that two years in a row a 23 year old rookie QB winds up playing in week one of the season. 

1 minute ago, O2L said:

Masoli player of the game? What? The punt returner with the TD was the player of the game, no brainer. Looks like preseason isn’t over after all. 

Lol Masoli? Not sure anyone deserved player of the game for that showing, especially not Masoli. Sask 3rd stringer nearly had as many yards....in a quarter....

Congrats 'Riders on being the first team **officially** winless out of the gate.

Edited June 14, 20196 yr by Eternal optimist

Riders are a mess..brutal oline play and they lost another starter on it..yikes! When Powell turned it over on downs Clarke got right trucked..and guys were coming through all night. 

Did Hughes even play? Johnson doesnt look as good when he has to do all the work.

Pop gun offence will scare nobody and expect Powell to be hurt or worn and broken down by midseason.. not like he a spring chicken

Lucky for rider faithfull that Hamikton played and looked like crap or this would have been fugly...

Dickenson looks lost and is going to have a lot of learning/growing to do if he wants to continue as a HC

 

1 minute ago, O2L said:

Pretty wild that two years in a row a 23 year old rookie QB winds up playing in week one of the season. 

And if they had switched to 2 QBs this year Harker would be flipping fries right now.

It's week 1 or preseason 3. Anybody judging these 2 long term based on this game in crap weather to boot... Is crazy

1 minute ago, Bomber_fanaddict said:

And if they had switched to 2 QBs this year Harker would be flipping fries right now.

If Collaros is out they have to start Harker over Fjardo next week, don’t they?

7 minutes ago, O2L said:

Masoli player of the game? What? The punt returner with the TD was the player of the game, no brainer. Looks like preseason isn’t over after all. 

Not to mention to huge defences late in the game

1 minute ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Lol Masoli? Not sure anyone deserved player of the game for that showing, especially not Masoli. Sask 3rd stringer nearly had as many yards....in a quarter....

I might have given it to STE, but that's just me.

Neither team impressed and Hamilton's run game and defense certainly aren't going to be able to bail him out all the time, especially not against better teams like us, BC or CGY.

But ... At the same time there's a reason you play 18 games, and we got our own work to do to dethrone the stamps.

Expected more from Hamilton - given the Rider QB situation, they should of mopped the decks with them.   That said, still have no idea what that Rider OC is doing......

Hopefully that the ugliest game of the year cause it sure was ugly. Luckily, no one was watching.