NEXT MAN: Even if Ted Laurent can’t play, Ticats is up for challenges in the Gray Cup against Bombers

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HAMILTON – The mindset is always the next man. Someone comes down, someone intervenes.

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It looks like the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, hit by many adversities with injuries in 2021, will have to deal with another major setback: All-Star defensive lineman Ted Laurent is highly unlikely to play in Sunday’s Gray Cup. The 33-year-old did not practice on Thursday or Friday. He was found to have appendicitis and underwent an emergency procedure on Friday, according to Matthew Scianitti of TSN.

“We’re going to exhaust everything we can to let Teddy play,” Ticats head coach Orlondo Steinauer said. “We will also be prepared if he doesn’t. (Adversity) is guaranteed in life, and in football one hundred percent. We can try to act like we can avoid it all. Or you can create an environment / culture that encourages people to care more about responding to adversity than trying to avoid adversity … it’s going to happen. “

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The loss of Laurent, a Canadian, would mean the Ticats would have to juggle their roster, probably their defensive backs, to get their roster ratio just under Canadian Football League rules. Laurent’s replacement will likely be Lee Autry II, who has been taking initial reps in practice for the past few days.

“Autry is a big, athletic guy and he’s more than ready for this situation,” Ticats defensive tackle Dylan Wynn said. “Anyway, I was hoping to play during this game. Whatever his ability, if he’s playing one snap or if he’s playing all the snaps, who knows what will happen when the roster falters, but he will rise to the occasion. “

On Sunday, the Ticats will be busy with the high-flying Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who are particularly good on both offense and defense. They won 11 games, while losing only three, during the regular season. The Ticats are also not far behind and will look to take on their Western opponents in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams. It will be a tall order, but the Ticats are on full blast right now.

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“Orlondo has been outstanding as a young head coach in recognizing the need for complementary football, where the three phases play together to create an opportunity to win a game … he gets it,” said the Ticats special teams coordinator, Jeff Reinebold. “A lot of times, the head coaches come from one side of the ball or the other and then that side of the ball is the focal point. You have to recognize that there are three phases of the game; no phase can be more influential than the others. (Long time National Football League coach) Dick Vermeil was involved in every meeting, every special teams meeting. Orlando does the same. “

On the defensive end, the Ticats will have to deal with a Winnipeg offense that runs through quarterback Zach Collaros and running back Andrew Harris. There is an excellent offensive line and some great receivers. It’s a lot to handle.

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“When you look at the package they use, how they use their athletes and how they run the ball so efficiently, you look at their receivers and they throw passes, it’s a formidable and serious challenge,” said Ticats defensive coordinator Mark. Washington said. “They are a really good team.”

It begins by limiting the damage done by Harris, who racked up 623 rushing yards in just seven games. He seems to find ways to give his team large amounts of yardage.

“That’s the first option you have to remove,” Washington said. “There is an old soccer adage: if you don’t take away the race, you don’t take anything away. That is one of the challenges we will have. It is what they are going to try to establish and it is what we are going to have to remove ”.

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Working for the defense will be to the advantage of the home crowd. Most of the crowd on Sunday at Tim Hortons Field will be Ticats fans, so you can bet it’ll be loud, especially when the Bombers have the ball. It will be difficult for them to communicate on the field, but, as Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea pointed out, it’s not like they haven’t faced that before, going to places like Regina’s Mosaic Field, where Saskatchewan head watermelon Roughriders fans take noise to another level.

“We’re going to try to use the crowd, but understand that (the Bombers) are still playing those 12 guys on the field,” Washington said. “We know they have handled it before, this will be nothing new to them. They have been the stars of the show all season. Every time they go to play somewhere, the house is packed. They will be used to it. “

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On defense, the Bombers are stacked, starting with linebacker Adam Bighill and defensive lineman Willie Jefferson.

“There is no weakness there. There are some great players: linebackers, secondary, defensive line, “said Ticats offensive coordinator Tommy Condell. “They have a great scheme, they have great coaches. We have great respect for them. Offensively, it is a great challenge for us. They’re champions “.

The Ticats started the season with many veteran receivers. DeVier Posey was cut midseason and Bralon Addison, who had 1,236 receiving yards in 2019, was injured. So Brandon Banks has joined sophomore pass catcher Jaelon Acklin and newcomers Steven Dunbar Jr., Tim White and Papi White as the game breakers. The offense got off to a slow start this season, but picked up steam as it progressed.