Ticats midterm report card

The Tiger-Cats are at the midway mark of their 18 game regular season so it is time for a midterm report card. And as you can imagine, with a 2 and 7 record, the team needs to get its grades up.

Kent Austin doesn’t attempt to disguise his disappointment in the Tiger-Cats during first half of the CFL season: “Well, if you had told me we’d be 2 and 7 at this point I’d be making sure there would be no high places or sharp objects around me.”

That said, he was comforted by the fact that the Ticats are still only 2 points out of first place in the east. Even if it is among a bunch of other teams with losing records. Austin refused to point out any specific areas of concern, but his players came up with a few.

Fourth-year Ticat Brian Simmons: “And the penalties, they have hurt us so much, more than anything. I feel like penalties have killed us more than bad play. Penalties. It hurts.”

The Ticats are the most penalized team in the CFL with 125. They have recorded fewest sacks with 19 and rank second in most sacks allowed.

Simmons says the o-line has taken plenty of grief for poor play. But injuries haven’t helped: “I think me and Tim O’Neill are the only two to start every game this year, so I’m not going to sit here and say that’s an excuse because we’re paid professionals. But it definitely has made some things more challenging.”

Turnovers have also plagued the Cats and last week’s game was no exception. In the wake of the loss to Montreal, Brian Bulcke shaved-off his lengthy beard to signal a fresh start to the second half of the season: “You know, gotta’ do something a little different and a constant reminder. We definitely had a good slap in the face last week in terms of shaking, it’s been done, and it’s about us responding this week.”

This week, and throughout the remainder of the season.