Tiger-Cats lose Zach Collaros in miserable outing vs. Eskimos

Saturday was a day to forget for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Ticats committed five turnovers in a stunning 25-18 point loss to the surging Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton's league-leading defence snatched two pick-6s to offset another pedestrian showing by its offence.

Hamilton raced to a 10-0 lead in the first half before losing starting quarterback Zach Collaros to a knee injury. Without Collaros, Hamilton's vaunted offence lost its composure as backup Jeff Mathews tossed three interceptions before being replaced by Jacory Harris.

Despite losing their MVP, the TiCats still held a seven-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. That, however, was erased when Matthews' third interception landed in the hand of Brandon Banks, who returned it 68 yards for a stunning pick-six.

The Eskimos completed the comeback in the final minute when running back Kendial Lawrence found the end zone with a four-yard touchdown to give Edmonton its first lead of the game - the only lead it needed.

In all, Hamilton held the lead for 51 minutes, while Edmonton led for just 43 seconds as it stole a victory in front of a stunned crowd at Tim Hortons Field.

The Eskimos remain second-place to the the rival Calgary Stampeders in the West, while Hamilton remains four points ahead of the Toronto Argonauts for best in the East.

The bigger worry for Hamilton is the health of Collaros, who entered Week 12 as the league-leader in touchdowns (24), yards (3,286) and QB rating (113.2). Given the performances of their backups Saturday, the TiCats need Collaros back in a major way.