Delay of game

While team owner Bob Young is hoping for a new head coach to be named before Christmas, the likelihood is the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will not make a decision until early in the New Year at the earliest.

And while the team is being very hush-hush, it's all because they are Curious George.

George Cortez is the quarterbacks coach of the Buffalo Bills, and his situation may be fluid pending what happens to his team once the season ends. The Bills will not make the playoffs for the second consecutive season under head coach Chan Gailey, an offensive mastermind who hired Cortez because the two southerners had a long history together in their many years in football.

Earlier this year, the Bills were playing well with a 5-2 record after seven games and appeared headed toward the playoffs for the first time since 1999. But they are currently on a seven-game losing skid and tied for last in the AFC East. They play this Saturday at home against Denver and close out against New England on New Year's Day. Denver and New England both have winning records, so it's not inconceivable the Bills will finish with a 5-11 mark. Last year the Bills had a 4-12 record.

Quality quarterbacking has been an issue with the Bills for years, but it's not necessarily what ails the team now.

The Bills routinely make changes to their football and business operations, the only consistency being Ralph Wilson as team owner, so if a change is made with the coach, all those employed by him are vulnerable.

And usually changes are made shortly after the season ends.

This season there has been a rash of head coaching changes.

Cortez worked off and on in the Canadian Football League for some 20 years before receiving his first National Football League opportunity. His name had come up during his CFL days at various times among teams looking for head coaches, but the situation had never been to his liking.

The difference between a QB coach in the NFL and a head coach in the CFL is immense, both in terms of prestige and pay scale. Cortez worked his way to get to the NFL and would surely like to stay there. Why wouldn't he? But I'm told that he would come back to the CFL should his situation in Buffalo change. Cortez and Ticats general manager Bob O'Billovich have a history of working together in Calgary a decade ago.

Right now, the Ticats have narrowed their CFL search to two candidates: Winnipeg defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke and Calgary offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson, both of whom are eminently qualified to become a head coach for the first time in their careers. But neither have Cortez's longevity or experience working with quarterbacks. Cortez tutoured Dickenson, who apprenticed under him as a quarterbacks coach. O'Billovich's history with Dickenson goes back even further than Cortez. They are both from Montana, and O'Billovich has worked on teams in which Dickenson has played. Dickenson is considered one of the brightest minds in the game. He has publicly stated he's ready to be a head coach now.

If the Ticats wanted to create a big splash to give their fans some exciting news they'd make the announcement of their new head coach before Christmas. But they are purposely dawdling because of the possibility Cortez may become available.

The other factor is, at some point Calgary quarterback Henry Burris will become available either through a trade or release. He is not coming back to the Stamps, but the team owes him a bonus payment in February and will wait before deciding to release him outright. There is no way they pay him the bonus. Because Cortez has worked with Burris before, it is more reason for the Ticats to wait.

The Ticats are going to blow up their current roster of quarterbacks that includes starter Kevin Glenn and backup Quinton Porter, neither of whom played with any consistency in 2011. Porter wasted every opportunity to usurp the position from the veteran Glenn, who had a turbulent season in 2011, in so small part to a lack of confidence by Marcel Bellefeuille, who was fired after the season.

So for the time being while every other team in the CFL has settled on their head coaches going forward, the Ticats remain undecided who will patrol their sidelines as field boss. Barring something drastic happening, nothing will change until the new year and the Buffalo Bills decide what to do with their coaching staff.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.