Bo Levi Mitchell and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have once again found the winning recipe after failing to make the playoffs last season, the first time the team has missed the postseason since 2017.

Hamilton leads the East Division at 4-2 and are riding a four-game win streak after opening the season with a pair of losses. 

Mitchell says the season is still young, but the veteran quarterback is happy the team has been able to turn things around after missing the postseason in both his seasons under centre.

"It's early, man. It's a long season. We're a third of the way through and I feel like we've put ourselves in position to control our destiny,” Mitchell said on TSN Radio. “The past couple years that's something we haven't done. This year we're ahead of it; we understand how to win games.

“Winning is contagious. From the bottom up it creates a domino effect of 'We know how to win' and it creates a standard that we hold. No matter what the score is, we're going to go out there and try to finish this game.”

Mitchell, 35, reached a personal milestone in Sunday’s 30-15 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, as he passed Tracy Ham for 10th all-time on the CFL all-time passing yards list with 40, 835.

"When you're younger you play it off. When you're younger you say 'Oh, we're focused on winning' but the truth is, and every athlete knows, it means a lot to get your name into a record book, to be in the top 10 of all the quarterbacks that have been in this league,” said Mitchell. “Passing a guy like Tracy Ham and him sending out a special message like that means the world to me. It's the salute to the kid who picked up a football and fell in love with this game."

The two-time Grey Cup Champion and two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player threw for 327 yards on Sunday, the fourth time this season he has surpassed 300, along with his league-leading 12th touchdown pass of the season. 

Mitchell has quickly developed chemistry with wide receiver Kenny Lawler, who has already caught a career-high eight touchdown passes in just six games, and says the two-time Grey Cup Champion has added a new dimension to the Ticats offence and locker room. 

"Kenny Lawler is a guy that can make a play on the ball anywhere. It's a good time having him around. They brought in a bunch of guys that have won championships and right now what you're seeing is that camaraderie and that's been a big part of our hot start here,” said Mitchell.  

"I love having a guy that can go up and make the one-on-one play. I joke about it all the time. You guys could pick up a ball and have an instant connection with this guy. He's that good. It's fun to play with him."

Mitchell leads the CFL in passing yards (1,812) and touchdowns (six) while Lawler leads the league in both receiving yards (644) and receiving touchdowns (eight) as the Tiger-Cats lead the league in scoring at 31.3 points per game.

The Katy, Texas native credits head coach Scott Milanovich for changing the culture and direction of the team after he was hired in 2024.

“Once Scott came in and took over, he did everything he could to make the team his own, and that's tough because Hamilton has a great culture. He's the mad genius behind the whole thing. The more that he's got his guys around, you see the team get better and better,” said Mitchell.

With a 4-0 record in the East Division, the Ticats will look to maintain momentum as they embark on a two-game Western road trip with matchups against the BC Lions and Edmonton Elks. 

Watch the Ticats vs. Lions LIVE Sunday, July 27 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN1/4/5, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.