CFL Preview - Hamilton (4-7) at Winnipeg (6-6) (ET)

GAME NOTES: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats try to keep a hold on first place in the East Division standings as they go up against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field on Saturday evening.

Almost any other year, being three games under .500 this late in the season will probably have a team on the outside looking in as far as the postseason was concerned, but that's not the case for the Tiger-Cats. Hamilton, which is winless on the road in five tries to this point, is actually tied with both Montreal and Toronto for first place in the division standings as all three squads have eight points, although the 'Cats hold a slight edge over the other two due to having played one less game.

The Tiger-Cats got off to a very slow start against visiting Edmonton last Saturday night, scoring just three points through the first 30 minutes of action and then being held out of the end zone until the fourth frame before a frantic comeback bid was rewarded with a 25-23 triumph.

Zach Collaros threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the final period to bring the 'Cats all the way back for the victory at Tim Hortons Field. Collaros finished the night 25-of-35 for 318 yards for the Tiger-Cats as they won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Brandon Banks had six catches for 111 yards and a major for the hosts as well. Hamilton, which turned the ball over twice, generated 374 yards of offense, but just 56 yards on the ground, with Collaros being the top rusher with 35 yards on eight attempts.

For his efforts, Collaros was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week.

Not to be outdone, Eric Norwood brought home the CFL Defensive Player of the Week award for the Ticats after he registered personal bests with seven tackles and four sacks, the latter total coming in the first half, as he helped Hamilton move to 3-0 at the new Tim Hortons Field.

As for the Blue Bombers, if they were playing in the East Division they'd be almost a lock for the playoffs at 6-6, but over in the West a split through 12 games has them in last place.

Winnipeg had a bye last week following a demoralizing 26-9 setback at British Columbia during Week 12 action.

During that meeting, the Bombers recorded only 11 first downs and a feeble 178 yards of total offense. The squad was charged with 10 penalties for 87 yards, nearly half of what Winnipeg was able to generate. Quarterbacks Drew Willy and Brian Brohm combined to complete 16-of-28 passes for 121 yards and they were sacked three times while being held out of the end zone.

Willy was also the top rusher for the squad with 28 yards on two carries, but as a team the Bombers accounted for a mere 57 yards, which was only a fraction of what British Columbia (163 yards) and Andrew Harris (101 yards) were able to produce. If not for kicker Lirim Hajrullahu and his three field goals, the bottom line would have looked a lot worse for the Bombers.

Nic Grigsby, who was limited to just 24 yards on seven attempts the last time out for Winnipeg, continues to lead the league in touchdowns with a total of nine, all but one of which has come on the ground. He is now third in the league in yards from scrimmage (1,009), one of only three players to have reached the 1,000-yard plateau.

While the Tiger-Cats really don't have a featured ball carrier who is capable of churning out the tough yards on the ground, seeing as how injured quarterback Dan LeFevour is the leading rusher for the group with 314 yards and four touchdowns, it is nice to know that Banks is trying to take up some of the slack as he is second in the CFL in combined yards right now with 1,186.

Thanks to a narrow 27-26 triumph in the most recent meeting at the end of July, Winnipeg's advantage in the all-time series has moved to 60-50, the Tiger-Cats capturing five of the last six regular-season meetings.

After falling behind in the fourth quarter of that Week 6 meeting, the Blue Bombers came back to win on the strength of Willy's two-yard TD pass to Grigsby at the end of regulation, the PAT by Hajrullahu completing the victory on the road. Willy threw for 361 yards in the meeting, while the Tiger-Cats hurt themselves with 19 penalties for a loss of 114 yards.

Obviously Collaros has the ability to do damage with both his arm and his legs, but as he learned earlier in the campaign, he must refrain from taking unnecessary hits outside of the pocket as much as possible, just for his own survival. As long as the signal caller makes good choices and the Hamilton defense is ready to go on the attack, a Tiger-Cats victory is not out of the question.