Showdown in Steeltown: Five storylines to watch when Bombers take on the Ti-Cats What does Winnipeg do for an encore in Week Three against Hamilton? By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 6:55 PM CDT Thursday, Jun. 28, 2018

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This article was published 28/06/2018 (2633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON – Chris Streveler is still the talk of the CFL.

Winnipeg’s 23-year-old rookie quarterback has thrown six touchdown passes in his first two CFL starts and guided the Blue Bombers offence to 588 net yards in a 56-10 win over the Montreal Alouettes in Week 2, the highest total by any team since Oct. 5, 2013.

Streveler also piled up 31 of Winnipeg’s 36 first downs and ran for 98 yards on 10 carries before being pulled in the fourth quarter against the Alouettes.

“Oh, geez, I love this kid,” said Ticats defensive co-ordinator Jerry Glanville, who has been plotting and preparing his unit to face Streveler at Tim Hortons Field on Friday night. “This kid plays with passion, has unbelievable athletic ability. He looks like he’s built like one of those Clydesdales that pulls a Budweiser wagon. (He) has no fear. You add all those things up and you love him.”

Here’s a look at five key storylines heading into the showdown between the Ticats (1-1) and Blue Bombers (1-1):

1. What does Streveler do for an encore?

Streveler, who replaced an injured QB Matt Nichols before Week 1, has been putting in some some serious hours at the club’s facilities at Investors Group Field.

“We live in the same building, and I come out at 6 (a.m.), and his car is gone,” said wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky. “He’s probably been there since five. He’s just going to keep progressing and keep being smarter out there, football IQ-wise. Just keep seeing defences, slowing things down.”

Streveler said Nichols, currently rehabbing a knee injury that could keep him off the field until Week 6, set the tone for all the quarterbacks early in training camp.

“It’s early mornings but I’ve got to give credit for that to Matt,” said Streveler. “Coming in and being a rookie, you think you work hard. You don’t really know what it takes and how hard you have to work to be prepared. He talked to us as an offence one day, told us about his routine, and that’s intense.

“But a guy that’s been successful – if he’s doing it, I have no reason to not be doing it. I’m still fresh in here and need to learn so much. It only makes sense to try to match that level.”

2. Masoli starring in Ticats rebirth

Jeremiah Masoli, in his seventh CFL season, is finally being recognized as one of the league’s best quarterbacks.

The 29-year-old’s first start after replacing Zach Collaros last season coincided with June Jones first game as head coach. A win Friday and the Tiger-Cats would have a winning record after three games for the first time since 2009.

Masoli had been patiently biding his time and finished 2017 with five consecutive 300-yard-plus passing games and has two more to start 2018. Another two 300-yard games and he will equal the CFL record held by Montreal’s Sam Etcheverry (1956) and Saskatchwan’s Kent Austin (1991).

During training camp, he fought off a challenge from Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M and formerly of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Manziel is No. 2 on the depth chart but Masoli has played like he isn’t fazed by his presence.

“He’s been the best quarterback in the league for the last 12 games,” said Ticats head coach June Jones, who is 7-5 over that stretch. “I don’t think he even thinks about it. He just wants to win.”

Masoli’s elusiveness makes him difficult to defend.

“He’s definitely a unique quarterback,” said Winnipeg linebacker Chandler Fenner. “He’s a bigger body, he moves well inside and out of the pocket. He’s elusive and he has a strong arm.

“He likes to continue to look down the field even if the play is broken and he has a receiving corps that’s gonna find the green grass and he’ll get the ball to them.”

Blue Bombers linebackers and defensive line coach Glen Young expects to see a quarterback at the top of his game.

“It’s confidence — you can see it when he plays,” said Young. “He’s a gunslinger and he knows where he wants to go with the ball and he’s not afraid to go into traffic. I think when you have that attitude and you make the plays you make, your confidence grows even more.

“He’s not afraid to get hit, he’s not afraid to get out of the pocket and do what he has to do. He never panics, it seems like. I think all those qualities make him who he is right now. With the system he’s in, it’s allowed him to develop his style of play and it really promotes that kind of quarterback.”

3. Harris vs. Lawrence

The Andrew Harris-Simoni Lawrence rivalry, or whatever you want to call this bromance, has been one of the most entertaining talking points of Week 3.

Lawrence, Hamilton’s all-star linebacker and all-world speechmaker, had this to say when advised the Blue Bombers running back had called him “mouthy” earlier this week.

“That’s my boy, man,” said Lawrence following Thursday’s walk-through. “… On the field, he knows that I’ll do anything to not let him get one up on me and I’ll take his head off, do anything to win the game. But at the end of the day, that’s one of my closer friends off the field.”

Lawrence prefers their interaction to be in person.

“On the field, I say whatever I want cause we’re right there, we can back it up and talk,” said Lawrence. “It’s aggressive. Over the internet, that’s where people can say anything because there are no repercussions.

Does he do anything to mess with Harris’ mind during games?

“I don’t get in Andrew’s head. He’s a professional player, just like me. I don’t say much to Andrew,” he added, pausing before laughing uproariously. “Just hope we’re never miked up.”

4. Turning up the heat in Steeltown

It will be hot and muggy come game time, with a high of 32C and a humidex of 38C expected. Could the heat be a factor?

“It’s a lovely day, especially coming from Fresno,” said Blue Bombers defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo. “Summer days in Fresno, 100 plus. I think my hottest day in Fresno was about 115, which is probably almost 40.”

Okpalaugo’s comfort with the weather doesn’t extend to the disposition of the fans that inhabit the Donut Box.

“I’ve never liked Hamilton fans,” he said. “That’s one thing I can say, wherever I’ve been, I’ve never liked them. They try and get under your skin. I mean, I like it but I don’t like it. I like to show ’em up and shut ’em up fast.”

“I think the management of that is done during the week,” said O’Shea. “Our training staff and the players being made aware of a temperature change or something like that. I think over the course of our time we’ve managed things that mother nature throws at us fairly well.”

5. Bighill primed for a breakout?

The Blue Bombers believed they made a significant upgrade when they added all-star middle linebacker and former NFLer Adam Bighill before training camp. But Bighill’s full impact, he has 11 defensive tackles in his first two games, remains to be seen.

“I would say Biggie is feeling his way through it right now,” said Young. “Biggie’s trying to figure out the system but when he’s out there, he takes command. When he’s in meetings, he takes command.

“Him being away for a little bit and coming back, he’s probably bigger now than he was then – NFL caliber and NFL style of football and finding his way back to the CFL. It’s like riding a bike – you can see glimpses of what he’s able to do. And I think with what we do here, we challenge guys mentally. So once he gets a grasp of all that stuff, he’s gonna flow right through the process.”

Masoli believes Winnipeg’s front seven will try to disrupt the Ticats offence at all costs.

“They’re a different beast, man,” said Masoli. “Those guys have a really good front seven. They’ll be very aggressive compared to some of the teams we’ve played already. We’re watching film just like they’re watching film, so they’ll have some wrinkles out there for us.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14