Article author:
Canadian news agency
Steven Sandor
Edmonton — These Two Cities In the story, it was the worst and the worst.
Edmonton Elk visits Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Canada Day. In the way these teams are doing, aggressive fireworks may not be on the menu. Both are 0-3 and both are having a hard time playing soccer.
At Elks, pain was expected under the new general manager and coach Chris Jones. He inherited the team that finished 3-11 last season and was not expected to be a candidate in 2022. However, Ticats reached the Gray Cup final in 2021 and was expected to be big.
"No one would have expected them to be 0-3," Jones said of Thai Cats before Elks left for Steel City. "They have very good football teams, lots of experienced players, great coaching staff and HR departments. They have never been to the Gray Cup and even if it's not a great program so far. I've won so many games like. I'm full and I have to fly in the right way. "
" Starting the season from 0-3 I don't think you can see the resilience of your teammates right away, "said Tim White, a Thai Cats receiver. So far this season, he has won 19 passes at 216 yards. "I think I'm feeling better now. I think a lot of people are learning, just sitting and watching what the coach says, going out into the field and trying to improve it."
Despite the different expectations of entering the season, there are many ways these teams can mirror each other. The two teams lead the league with a thrown intercept. Edmonton was 7 and Hamilton was 6. Elks is the last attack, only 303.7 yards per game. The Ticats rank is slightly higher, 7th, with 319 yards per game.
And another one for mirrors, the mirror department. Ticats has scored 46-16 in the fourth quarter of the three games it has played so far. More than half of the points that Ticats surrendered throughout the season were earned in the final quarter. Elks collapsed in the fourth quarter with two recent defeats. They led Saskatchewan slightly late in the second week and couldn't keep it. With a 30-23 defeat in Calgary last week, Elks led behind in the third quarter.
When it was late, these teams had a hard time. So perhaps the advantage is entering the fourth quarter.
"You need to learn how to protect your leads. You need to learn how to end the game," Jones said. "This is all three phases (attack, defense, special team), not just one. The special team played well, but in the fourth quarter they couldn't play the best football. You need to play three-phase soccer in a quarter, and you can learn how to win the game. "
" We are less comfortable It's no surprise that we can't be, "said Manny Arsenor, a veteran Elks receiver who achieved a 100-yard reception and touchdown in the 30-23 defeat last week. To Calgary. "We need to step into the gas and keep going up."
Arsenor said Elx couldn't panic.
"Each game is a new game, so you can't really look at the past to see what the team has done or check the records. For me personally. I couldn't care what was happening over there (in Hamilton). My focus is on how to win this next match, "he said. "When you experience a move, someone becomes a victim of the changing room."
For casualties, Elks replaced American offensive lineman Collin Kelly with Hamilton earlier this week. In return, I won the 7th round draft topic. Jones said the next draft was deep and adding picks was a move Elks had to do. Ticats may move Kelly from the right side to the left side of the line.
"The good news is that I played against Edmonton's defense several times during practice," Kelly said. "I'm excited to be able to play again, no matter who I am. I'm switching positions, but it's just the person in charge, keeping me focused."
Canadian Press This report was first published on June 30, 2022.
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