July 25, 2016

Steinberg’s MMQB: Quarterback controversy in Winnipeg

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

Sometimes a quarterback controversy is a good thing. The Ottawa REDBLACKS, for instance, have two bona fide number one pivots in Trevor Harris and Henry Burris and may have a decision to make at some point down the road. Those are decisions you want to have to make. Then there’s the decision the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been forced to make after a 1-4 start. Going from Drew Willy to Matt Nichols is not a decision the Bombers ever wanted to make, and I’m not sure it’s the right one either.

Tough call

I know full well how tough this decision was for Head Coach Mike O’Shea. Winnipeg is off to another bad start and its highly paid starting quarterback has struggled in turn. In an effort to shake things up and find some sort of a spark, I understand why O’Shea has pondered making a change behind centre. He decided to follow through on the thought, though; if it were me, I wouldn’t have gone down the same road.

Despite Willy’s struggles, he’s still the best quarterback on the roster. In situations like this, I typically side more towards letting a guy get out of a funk and that’s definitely where I am with the Bombers. Winnipeg’s best chance to rectify this season is with an effective Willy at the helm. He’s not there right now, but I don’t think sidelining him gets him there, either.

 

And it’s not like Willy has been so terrible the decision is punching Winnipeg in the face. Yes, Willy has thrown almost as many interceptions (4) as touchdowns (5). However, Willy’s 71.7 per cent completion rate is better than established starters like Ricky Ray and Bo Levi Mitchell right now. Now, Toronto and Calgary aren’t losing the same way Winnipeg is, but my point still remains accurate.

The problem is two-fold for Willy. First, he’s well paid and everyone knows it. A hefty paycheck carries with it commensurate expectations and right now he’s falling short of the bar. Second, the Bombers are desperate and making a change at quarterback is one of the last options available to O’Shea. It’s not a great spot to be in.

I’d have more confidence in this decision being a good one if Winnipeg had a different alternative to Willy. I think Nichols is a safe, reliable option, but he isn’t going to be the difference in a win. Some may see that as a slight towards Nichols, but that’s not the intention at all. Nichols manages a game well and he limits mistakes. On the flip side, though, he’s not explosive, he doesn’t stretch the field, and he has historically struggled in the red zone.

If the Bombers were losing games mainly because their quarterback wasn’t getting the job done, my opinion on this is likely different. That’s not the case, though. Winnipeg has more problems than who is throwing the ball. Downgrading that position, even to try and find some sort of much needed spark, doesn’t seem like the right call for me.

A different perspective

Watching Hamilton’s epic 37-31 comeback win over the Eskimos on Saturday night was extremely entertaining. Just as fun was watching the reaction on social media as it transpired. Suffice to say fans in Edmonton were rather displeased with what they saw take place at Commonwealth Stadium. I think things are being blown slightly out of proportion, for a couple different reasons.

First off, some of the hyperbole I saw on social media was a little much, at least for me. Was it a bad loss for the Eskimos? Of course it was! They blew a 25-point lead and that should never happen. But to call this one of the worst losses in team history or to suggest this could be a negative turning point in Edmonton’s season is a little much.

 

It was a tough-to-swallow loss, I will grant you that. But it’s also the CFL. Leads evapourate, points get scored, crazy things happen. That’s why we love watching this league! We can’t classify every big comeback as a historic loss on the other side!

Oh, and to suggest this is going to rattle the defending Grey Cup Champs is where I really take issue. This group won a title last year for a reason and has enough savvy pros to put this behind them in short order. Sometimes a bad loss can just be a bad loss and not a seminal moment.

I will say this, though: I wasn’t supremely shocked by what happened. I’m not saying I called Hamilton’s comeback, but I wasn’t surprised to see a huge Eskimos lead dwindle. This is not the terrifying Edmonton defence we’ve gotten used to over the last few years. At least it isn’t right now.

The Esks have given up some points through their first four games. Edmonton has allowed 30 or more points in three of its first four contests. Only Winnipeg and Saskatchewan have given up more points thus far which is not what we’ve become accustomed to from this green and gold defence.

So what’s going on? Well, the obvious thing to point to is Edmonton’s susceptibility to the deep ball. The Eskimos have given up a lot of 30-plus yard passes, which doesn’t look good on that defensive backfield at all. It’s a little unfair to point just to the secondary, though.

The Eskimos have a league-worst five sacks and have struggled mightily in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Jeremiah Masoli had all day in the second half on Saturday, for instance, which is going to make any secondary look bad. For me, that’s the number one area this team needs to figure out on the defensive side of the ball.

As it stands right now, Edmonton looks like a good bet to play some pretty entertaining football. The Eskimos score a lot of points and have an exciting offence with the likes of Mike Reilly, John White, and Adarius Bowman in the fold. Unfortunately, they also give up a lot of points. Until that part changes, it’s going to be tough to build a safe lead.

Credit due

Let’s give some credit to Hamilton, though! Erasing a 25-point lead on the road is difficult regardless of the circumstances and the Ticats did it in style.

I always enjoy watching the aforementioned Masoli succeed. We all know Zach Collaros is Hamilton’s number one quarterback, but I truly believe Masoli has developed into a guy you can count on. The guy has put in a ton of work since arriving in the CFL and man did he look good in the second half on Saturday.

RELATED:
» Preview: Argos, Als set for Monday night football
» Ticats capture Masoli magic in win over Esks
» Landry: Stubler’s defence looks to rise above pack
» Bombers tab Nichols to start in Week 6

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Jeremiah Masoli engineered an impressive second half comeback for the Ticats (The Canadian Press)

Luke Tasker doesn’t get always get mentioned among the best receivers in the league, but he should. Tasker is one of the CFL’s most consistent at the position and he went off for 146 yards against the Eskimos. Couple that with Andy Fantuz’s nice work on a pair of touchdowns and Chad Owens’s leaping grab on a two-point conversion and you can give Hamilton’s receivers a gold star.

Let’s not forget the Tiger-Cats held Edmonton’s formidable attack to just seven points in the second half, though. Despite their so-so start to the season, the Ticats look like a sleeping giant defensively. In six of their last eight quarters, they’ve looked rather awake.

Quick hits

Speaking of receivers, Saskatchewan seems to have added another name to the mix of high-end playmakers. Through four games, second-year Rider Naaman Roosevelt has gone from an intriguing talent to on the map in very short order. The Buffalo product is 12 yards away from eclipsing his receiving total from last year and he’s only four games in. I think Roosevelt is going to start getting more red zone targets as the season goes along which will make him even more of a factor.

Don’t forget we’ve got one more game to finish off week five of the season tonight. Kevin Glenn is back under centre for the Montreal Alouettes as they pay a visit to Toronto tonight at BMO Field. Both teams are coming off Week 4 losses and both are aware the East Division looks pretty wide open right now, so I’d be somewhat surprised if this isn’t pretty tight from start to finish.