Scott Milanovich compares Tre Ford’s speed to Michael Vick

Photos courtesy: CFL and Atlanta Falcons. Photo edit: 3DownNation.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ head coach Scott Milanovich compared Canadian quarterback Tre Ford’s speed to one iconic player.

“Michael Vick would be the only guy that has Tre’s kind of athletic ability,” Milanovich told the media.

“Have I ever had anybody (at quarterback) that has the speed Tre does? Absolutely not, but you still have to throw it in this league if you’re going to be successful, and that’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

The Niagara Falls, Ont. native has started two games in Milanovich’s offensive scheme since Bo Levi Mitchell suffered a likely season-ending injury in Week 5.

Ford has won one game and lost one game as Hamilton’s QB1. He’s completed 36-of-50 passes (72 percent) for 382 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also rushed 13 times for 133 yards, averaging over 10 per carry.

The six-foot, 192-pound dual-threat QB signed with the Ticats over other suitors in CFL free agency to be the future Canadian Football Hall of Famer’s backup, but he’s been pressed into action. His CFL career win-loss record stands at 11-14.

“Some of it’s not a physical thing, it’s a visual thing. How a guy sees the game, how he sees coverages. That sort of thing takes reps, it did with Bo. I don’t remember what it took us, eight months before we started hitting on all cylinders. Ricky [Ray], it took six weeks. Zach [Collaros] and Trevor [Harris] hit the ground running,” Milanovich explained.

“It’s the combination of finding out from my end what he can and cannot do. He’s a quarterback that hasn’t played very much. He’s very athletic. He’s in a new system. He’ll be fine.”

Milanovich described Ford’s performance against Montreal in last week’s 31-18 loss as a “tough game.” The 2021 Hec Crighton Trophy winner completed 15-of-23 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The turnover came with less than two minutes left as No. 5 was trying to evade pressure in the pocket and scramble up the middle. It appeared as though his pass was intended for receiver Myron Mitchell, but it flew straight into defensive back Robert Kennedy III’s hands for a game-ending pick.

“We didn’t protect very well, which is not usually the case for us. But that’s why quarterbacks get paid the big money; there are games when you’re not being protected well, but you still have to produce. There’s things Tre needs to do better,” Milanovich said.

“I told the offence: all we need to do is run the ball better, throw the ball better, and block better. That’s all we need to do, so we’ve got plenty of things to work on offensively.”

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-4) will host the Calgary Stampeders (3-4) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, August 1 with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Stampeders blew out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this past week, while the Tiger-Cats fell 31-18 to the Montreal Alouettes.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 27 degrees and a 40 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and CTV in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 770 CHQR in Calgary or the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.

Football insider, reporter and analyst.