I’m having some trouble writing this week’s article. Not because I don’t know what to say, but because it’s difficult to reach my keyboard when I’m floating three feet off the ground.

If last week’s game against the Alouettes was a lethal virus, infecting all those who witnessed it with pessimism and anxiety, then Thursday’s game in Toronto was the vaccine. No doubt excruciatingly boring to all but the brotherhood of longsuffering Tiger-cat fans, it was a godsend to those of us who needed it most.

Now, I refuse to fall into the trap I have in the past, and predict that all will be well now for the black and gold, and we will all live happily ever after. But this game showed the players, the coaches, and most importantly, the fans that those problems which have plagued them in the past can all be overcome.

They don’t need to give up a hundred penalty yards per game, as they were flagged just five times for 61 yards. If Casey Printers’ throwaway pass in the second quarter had travelled just a couple more yards before going out of bounds, they would have had just four penalties for 35 yards. They can play disciplined football, so they should do so.

They don’t have to settle for three yard passes on second and long. Even against the Argos’ feared defence, against whom most offences use a “take what they’ll give you” approach, the Cats repeatedly made catches in first down territory. The reason the Argo defence is so feared is that teams, fearing the defence, constantly throw short passes underneath, and are unable to move the ball downfield. When teams ignore their fear and attack the Argo defence, they show, as Hamilton did, that that defence is just as vulnerable as any other. The Cats showed that they can attack a defence and get first downs, and they should do so.

They can catch. Casey Printers is completing over 70% of his passes, second only to Anthony Calvillo, and has an average completion of around twelve yards. Though the running game was dominant, the Cats were able to complete passes against Toronto, and even pushed the ball deep a few times. All this in spite of the fact that their receiving corps has been dismissed by many as inexperienced, or as too slow. I think they’ve shown everyone that they can make catches, and they should continue to do so.

They can pressure the quarterback. Kerry Joseph was sacked three times, putting Hamilton near the top of the list in that stat after week 2. Even when he wasn’t being taken down, he was held to 196 yards passing, just 25 more than Hamilton who, unlike Toronto, has a running attack. This was one of their weak spots last year, and now that they know that they can pressure the quarterback, they should do so.

Hamilton already knew that they had a great quarterback and a great running back. They needed them to remain healthy, and they still do. But Lumsden isn’t showing any signs of weakness in his shoulder after off-season surgery, and Printers is running around and delivering the ball like the MVP he was a few years ago. They need to continue doing this, and while 311 yards rushing may be too much to ask, the fear that running game puts into future opponents will open up their options through the air.

Next on the schedule is the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They don’t play the 3-4 style of defence that the Argos do, but prefer a more traditional formation with four linemen and three linebackers. It is more difficult to establish a running game against that formation, since by its very nature it allows fewer holes in the first line of defence. But if the Riders try to bring a lot of pressure, with the right offensive strategy, it can be almost as good.

This game is being played at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Now that they have this big win behind them, the Cats can promote the game by emphasizing what happened on Thursday. It is important that they let the public know that the team can win, that they are vastly improved, that last week’s game was an aberration, they should do so. And it’s important for us as fans to buy tickets, fill the stadium and cheer them on.

We should do so.