Eskimos clash with Tiger-Cats in potential playoff preview

The Edmonton Eskimos will meet the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton on Friday night, but both teams may want to keep their best game plans hidden for a few weeks.

If the season ended today, Edmonton and Hamilton would meet in the opening round of the playoffs, as the Eskimos currently occupy fourth in the West and would play the second-seeded Eastern team in the crossover game.

The Tiger-Cats will get a boost for Friday's contest, as quarterback Zach Collaros returned to practice this week and will play. Collaros has missed the past three games with a concussion.

Jeremiah Masoli has filled in admirably and tallied 359 yards passing with three touchdowns in last week's win over the Ottawa RedBlacks that clinched a playoff spot.

The Eskimos have won four of their past five games, but are struggling to gain ground in a strong Western division. Finishing fourth wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, though, as both Ottawa and Hamilton are under .500 and would likely be softer opponents for Jason Maas' club to deal with.

That being said, Edmonton hasn't beaten either team all year and would have to play on the road in a tough environment.

While the Ticats have been rotating quarterbacks because of injuries, Mike Reilly continues to be a pillar of consistency for the Eskimos. The 2015 Grey Cup MVP has now tossed more than 5,300 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year and comes into Friday's contest red hot. Reilly has thrown five scores to only one interception over his past three games.

Hamilton defeated Edmonton 37-31 in the teams' only prior meeting this year.