Gable still feels he has a lot to prove



By Steve Milton

Go ahead, take a stab. Guess how far - toward the opponent's goal-line, that is - the average completion from quarterback Henry Burris to tailback CJ Gable actually measures.



Time's up, and you wouldn't have got it anyway.



The answer is a minuscule 2.05 yards and, yes, that decimal point is in the right place.



That tells you a little something about why the Tiger-Cats' rookie running back - not so long ago a major star south of the border - was named the CFL's top offensive player of the week. He takes the ball any way he can get it, then makes people miss.



Heading into that important win over Toronto on Thanksgiving, when he had 118 rushing yards and another 46 in aerials to capture guy-of-the-week kudos, Gable had 41 pass receptions for a commendable 490 yards.



But, as the CFL winnowed out in its weekly report (the updated version is not out until later this week) a whopping 406 of those yards came after he caught the ball. That is the numerical background to Kent Austin's description of the passes to Gable as "long hand-offs."



Gable does a lot of things well, including running precise pass routes, working mostly as a blocking back for the primary kickoff returners, and helping protect Burris through a complicated blocking scheme.



But the Neon lights all point to his legs. Essentially, most of Gable's pass yards have come because he can run, as have all of his 783 rushing yards.



Not just run, but jump. A little too often for his head coach's liking. Gable leaped over a half-dozen would-be Argo tacklers on Monday, including two of them at the same time. And there's rarely a game where he doesn't flash glimpses of a 100-metre hurdler.



Austin knows that this is a dangerous habit, especially on a team where injuries have been like a virus, but says it's part of his tailback's DNA. And Gable agrees with his boss.



"I can't stop that, I've been doing it ever since I was little, " he says shrugging. "I don't think about it, it's just a reaction that happens. I should have just kept my balance on that (two-man jump)."



Gable has been leaping more of late because tacklers keep going chronically low. The supposed "book" on him was ridiculously obvious against the Argos, who made a beeline for the dirt the moment he got the ball. Sometimes, especially on the double dive, they looked like starved birds crashing a convention of worms.



"I don't know why, but they keep going for my legs, " Gable said after practice Wednesday. "I was surprised, I would think they'd try to hit me up top now. But if they keep coming, I'm going to do it."



That confident Gable - here's what I'll do if you continue to do what you're doing - is not the CJ Gable who arrived at training camp in June.



"I feel real comfortable. Before, I was kind of iffy. I was kind of nervous a little bit. I was just new, I didn't understand the rules and what I can't do. Just a little timid. Now I'm more relaxed and out there just playing."



The only true freshman (including the likes of OJ Simpson) to ever start at tailback at USC, the finishing school of tailbacks, Gable was reduced to part-time status by his senior year by now-NFL coach Pete Carroll. That killed his draft chances and set him on the Everyman's nomadic path through skeptical NFL training camps. He hadn't really played in three years when he got to the Cats, so no wonder he felt he had to demonstrate something.



It was actually stronger than that. Gable concedes that he had - and still has - a chip on his shoulder.



"Yeah, I still have a lot to prove, " he says. "It's been a long time since S.C., and I want to prove to everybody that I am the back that started as a true freshman. Some people have forgotten that. I want to make sure they remember."



Austin was saying Wednesday that the Ticats love to have that kind of hungry player on their team.



Gable isn't just hungry - he's ravenous.

By Drew Edwards

Cats look to kicker Congi for consistency



With the playoffs fast approaching, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are hoping that veteran Luca Congi can bring some much-needed stability to the team's kicking game.



He'll replace rookie Brett Lauther Sunday against the Alouettes, after the 22-year-old rookie made just two of his last six kicks over the past three games, including a miss from 28 yards against the Argos Monday.



"We just need more production, so we'll give Luca another shot, " said head coach Kent Austin.



The 30-year-old began the season as the team's go-to guy for field goals and kickoffs, and was coming off a 2012 campaign that saw him hit a career high 88.9 per cent of his attempts. But he's struggled most of this season, connecting on just 72.4 per cent thus far. He was benched for one game in July and then again in mid-September when Lauther took over.



With first place in the East in play and a key back-to-back set against the Alouettes coming up - a win this Sunday would guarantee the Cats a home playoff date - Austin says the team needs to find some consistency.



"It's a big issue, we have to make our kicks. We're not going to be perfect, we just have to be better." Austin said. "We can't be a 60 or 70 per cent field goal team and expect to win close games, especially down the stretch.



"It might be a big factor in a very close game."



Congi, who is now in his seventh year in the league, spent much of his practice time over the past month on the back field behind Ron Joyce Stadium working on his technique.



"When you're playing, you have to watch the number of reps because you don't want to wear your leg out before a game. But that obviously hasn't been an issue, " Congi said. "I need to get a lot of quality work in. I thought it was helpful and the leg feels pretty good."



Despite losing his job twice this season, Austin says he expects Congi to rise to the occasion.



"He's a pro, he's been there before, we expect him to respond and I believe that he will, " Austin said.



Confidence has never been Congi's issue, either.



"I didn't know if I was going to get a chance to kick again this season so I'm excited by the opportunity to help the team win, " he said.



A series of simple one-on-one drills at the end of practice on Wednesday turned into an impromptu team-building session.



Austin ended the session a few minutes early so a few of his reserve players could get in some extra work. But as the wide receivers went head-to-head against the defensive backs - followed by the offensive and defensive linemen - the rest of the team lined up on the sidelines to watch and cheer on their teammates.



It was very loud and enthusiastic, led by - who else - linebacker Simoni Lawrence.



"Simoni has a way of stirring things up, " Austin said. "Guys could have just got on the bus and sat around, but the guys are close, so they might as well make it fun.



"It's a good sign."



Notes: A number of Ticat players sat out practice on Wednesday, including linebacker Brandon Isaac, defensive back Rico Murray, wide receivers Luke Tasker and Greg Ellingson, and offensive lineman Joel Figueroa and Brian Simmons. On the plus side, linebackers Jamall Johnson and Fredo Plesius, as well as defensive back Dee Webb, were back on the field after missing Monday's win over Toronto. ... The Ticats have signed 6-foot-3, 220-pound wide receiver LaMark Brown to the practice roster. ... Reports out of Montreal indicate that former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will start at quarterback for the Alouettes on Sunday. The former Ohio State standout was signed by Montreal in August. ... According to TSN, the most watched football game in Canada over the Thanksgiving weekend was the clash between Toronto and Hamilton, which drew 956,000 viewers.