Hamilton @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2016 ) Hamilton 21, Toronto 33

The Toronto Argonauts host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the season opener for both teams Sunday. The new-look Argonauts overhauled their management team by bringing in general manager Jim Popp and former Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman, and the duo who led the Montreal Alouettes to back-to-back Grey Cups in 2009-10 hope to work their magic in Toronto, which missed the playoffs in two of the previous three seasons.

"The only thing I know for sure is that we have a bunch of guys who really love football and who have really worked hard," Trestman told reporters. "That's the platform we're going to work off as we head into the season." The Tiger-Cats look to rebound from a disappointing season by their lofty standards as they finished with a losing record for the first time since going 6-12 in 2012. Hamilton lost six of its last seven games in 2016, including a 24-21 home setback to the Edmonton Eskimos in the East Division Final and hope a healthy Zach Collaros, who missed eight games with injuries in 2016, can lead the Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup after back-to-back appearances in 2013-14. "I'm very grateful for the position I'm in and I try to live up to the expectations I set for myself every day," Collaros told reporters. "It's something to keep working at and all that matters is who's holding the trophy at the end of the year."

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (2016: 7-12): Collaros hasn't been able to shake the injury bug as he's missed at least five games in each of the past three seasons and Jeremiah Masoli will be ready to deputize for the former University of Cincinnati quarterback after throwing for 2,695 yards and 15 touchdowns in Collaros' absence last year. Andy Fantuz was named the East Division's Most Outstanding Canadian after catching 101 passes for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns but will begin the season in a front-office role after tearing his ACL in the penultimate game of the 2016 regular season. Hamilton shored up its secondary by snapping up free agent Abdul Kanneh and re-signing all-star Emanuel Davis, but both players are doubtful for the season opener.

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2016: 5-13): Toronto added receivers S.J. Green, Jeff Fuller and Armanti Edwards in an effort to kickstart the passing attack, which ranked second-last at 260.9 yards per game in 2016. Quarterback Drew Willy, who was traded to Winnipeg for all-star T.J. Health and a first round pick midway during the season, was unceremoniously released while veteran offensive lineman Greg Van Roten left the team to try his luck with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. Toronto snapped up all-star linebacker Bear Woods, who was surprisingly released by the Alouettes after recording 126 tackles last year, and hopes his presence can solidify a defence which gave up a league-worst 31.6 points per game last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Tiger-Cats have won five of the last six regular-season meetings with the Argonauts.

2. Toronto QB Ricky Ray has missed 24 games over the last two seasons.

3. Hamilton has dropped 11 of its last 12 season openers.

PREDICTION: Argonauts 22, Tiger-Cats 21