Did they win a championship?
When evaluating coaches and quarterbacks, it’s the most common question to assess success. Did Dan Marino’s career have a blemish for never winning? Absolutely. He’s a hall of famer, but he never won a championship.
In the CFL, Henry Burris had doubters until 2008. Darian Durant ended the critics talk that he couldn’t get it done in 2013.
Just ask Kevin Glenn what a lack of championship has done for the talk of his hall of fame status in the CFL. Despite being one of the top passers of all-time, there are those that cite his longevity for those numbers and say with no championship on the resume, he should be left out of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
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Can Matt Nichols lead the Bombers to a Grey Cup this year? (The Canadian Press)
For the two quarterbacks that face each other on Friday Night Football, Trevor Harris and Matt Nichols are facing the same questions. Can they win it all?
Right now, Ottawa and Harris lead the way in the East Division, while Nichols and Bombers are tied for second in the West.
Harris may have it a little more difficult than Nichols with the narrative of being able to lead a team to a championship.
Harris is still living in the shadow of Henry Burris. The REDBLACKS pivot started 10 games in his team’s 2016 Grey Cup Championship season but it was Henry Burris who finished the season as the starter after Harris couldn’t grab hold of the starting job from the veteran. Burris was the Grey Cup MVP and rode off in the sunset.
The feeling in Ottawa is they’re still a championship calibre team but is Harris the right guy to get the job done.
Earlier this season, Harris was benched in a game against the Stampeders leading to talk of the future of the quarterback spot in Ottawa. CFL.ca analysts ranged from 50 per cent to 107 per cent on whether Harris would be the quarterback in 2019 in Ottawa.
Harris is 32, so it’s realistic to believe Ottawa has to be thinking of the future right now at the most pivotal position in football.
In 2018, Harris throws the ball more than any other quarterback and his yardage is up there but his touchdown to interception ratio is one of the worst among starting quarterbacks.
Harris is looking for the same vote of confidence from the REDBLACKS as Matt Nichols received from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While Harris just signed a one year deal going into 2018, Nichols is in year two of a three year extension signed ahead of the 2017 season.
Nichols is a year younger and in a much more favourable position for a quarterback who has yet to lead a team to a championship.
Will Trevor Harris take his REDBLACKS to a championship in 2018? (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
Both men have been starters for the same amount of time, really getting their true shot in 2016. Nichols, however, isn’t playing under the shadow of a recent championship.
In fact, Nichols plays for the team with the longest Grey Cup drought. It’s been 28 years since Winnipeg saw Tom Burgess lead the team to a title in 1990.
Bomber nation should be feeling okay with the team’s recent history under Nichols, although back to back losses in the West Semi-Final isn’t going to be good enough for Nichols to get another extension after the 2019 season.
He needs to guide this team to at least a West Final appearance, if not a Grey Cup appearance. Nichols hasn’t exactly aired it out so far this season. He doesn’t need to with Andrew Harris leading the league in rushing and touchdowns. A game high of 253 yards passing is lowest among starting quarterbacks but a 4-1 record as a starter is much more important in the eyes of the General Manager Kyle Walters and Head Coach Mike O’Shea.
The other thing Nichols has ahead of Harris is the division in which he plays. Winnipeg is in tough every year to get a home playoff game, while Ottawa has proven they just need to be around .500 to be a good spot to host a playoff game, if not the East Final.
No championships will be won on Friday, of course, but it’ll be a good test for both these quarterbacks to try to move their team to 6-3 at the mid-point of the season and in a great spot for their team to achieving their ultimate goal in the back half of the year.
