Hamilton 40, Montreal 3

That, my friends, was a Grade-A butt whooping. I have not seen such dominance by one team over another in quite some time. Statement game? Statement made.

Positives
Um, everything. When you beat down a team the way the Cats beat down the Als, everything is a positive. But there are some things I'd like to highlight.

First, and foremost, Chris Bauman's performance. That's the type of stuff Cat fans have been waiting to see from #87. I would hazard a guess that that was his best game as a pro. Five catches for 116 yards and two TDs, with one catch being an absolute beauty at the end of the first half that looked to land Bauman in the end zone, but was ruled as down at the one-yard line.

What more can I say about Stevie Baggs that I haven't already said? The nickname Shakespeare really does fit. All he does is make big plays. Tonight it was an 80-yard fumble recovery for a TD, his second of the season. He also had an interception. Is there anything this guy can't do? I imagine he might be adding a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week award to his trophy case.

The entire Defense deserves a round of applause. They have allowed 17 points in the last three weeks. Let that sink in for a second. 17 points, three weeks. They haven't allowed a TD in over two games, giving up a mere two field goals to the two teams they are likely going to have to beat to make it to the Grey Cup: Toronto and Montreal. This Defense is turning into the type that wins Grey Cups.

Last week, the Offense wasn't great, despite scoring 30 points. This week everything clicked. A big hand to Kevin Glenn on tying none other than Danny McManus for the single-season record for TD passes with 29. No doubt Glenn will eclipse that with two weeks left to go.

Negatives
The Arland Bruce injury was a big negative. Losing Bruce for any length of time would not be good. However, the injury looks to be only a minor one, and he was kept out as a precautionary measure according to Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille. Also, the Cats pounded the Als without Bruce. Imagine what they could have done with him.

That's it; that's the only negative I can think of.

Final Thoughts
Now all the "Hamilton hasn't beaten anyone" talk can cease. Not only did they beat the Als, they clobbered them. I await the calls of, "Well, Montreal had nothing to play for blah, blah, blah." The Als said they were going to play to win, and they got hammered (no pun intended).

The Cats chased Calvillo from the game midway through the third quarter, and they just battered and beat down the mighty Als. Montreal could not get anything going at any point tonight. It was complete domination.

I have no doubt in my mind that this Hamilton team – the one we've seen the last three weeks – can play with and beat any team in the CFL. These Tiger-Cats are the team we all thought they could be at the start of the season. It may have taken over three months, but these Tiger-Cats are playing as well, if not better, than any other team in the CFL. If they keep playing like this, their season won't end until very late November.