November 15, 2018

Berg vs. Ferg: QB questions ahead for Lions, Riders

The Canadian Press photo

Berg vs. Ferg returns for another season on CFL.ca as columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate over some of the league’s most contentious storylines. This week’s question: Which Lions/Riders quarterback has the best chance to start in 2019?

TORONTO — The questions have already started pouring in for the Lions and Riders following their untimely demise over the weekend.

Between pending free agents and coaching vacancies there are plenty of off-season uncertainties on both sides, but none loom larger than the quarterback situation.

Lions quarterbacks Travis Lulay and Jonathon Jennings along with Riders pivots Zach Collaros and Brandon Bridge are all reportedly free agents, creating unknowns and opening new possibilities for everyone involved.

Lulay’s struggles against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Semi were just part of the Lions’ problem, as they bowed out without much of a fight against a hungry Ticat team at Tim Hortons Field. In BC there are questions about both the veteran Lulay and Jonathon Jennings, with Lulay being 35 years old and Jennings having some reported friction with GM Ed Hervey.


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In Regina, Collaros showed flashes of his former MOP-calibre self this season, but failed to find a consistent high level of play. He ended up throwing more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (9), while his recent injury history has led to some speculation about his football-playing future.

The problem was compounded by the struggles of the Canadian Bridge, who took a step back this year by throwing just one touchdown pass and three interceptions on 131 attempts. With a 6.1-yard average, Bridge never seemed to have the full confidence of his coaching staff, leading Head Coach Chris Jones to sub in unproven quarterback David Watford at times throughout Bridge’s starts.

Of the four Riders’ and Lions’ quarterbacks slated for free agency, which one has the best chance of starting in 2019? Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson weigh in on the latest Berg vs. Ferg:

BERG VS. FERG: LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

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Last time, Berg and Ferg debated over who’s facing the playoff pressure.

» View previous Berg vs. Ferg

Poll Result: Who is under the most pressure in the 2018 playoffs?

Last Week’s Poll:

Steinberg: Matt Nichols (71%)

Ferguson: Trevor Harris (29%)

BERG (10-13): THE NUMBERS THIS SEASON WERE DECEIVING

Pat_Steinberg_2016Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg

I don’t think I’m telling tales out of school by saying Zach Collaros had his struggles during his first season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He threw just nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions and was part of the reason the Riders had issues on offence all season long. Despite that, I’m still not ready to write off Collaros; I still think there’s a lot of raw talent and I saw some promising signs from him last season. I don’t know where Collaros is going to play next season, but I still see starting potential there.

More than anything else, Collaros’s work in the final weeks of the season showed me he can still run an effective offence. Prior to his injury in Week 20, Collaros had thrown for 250 or more yards in three of four starts and was starting to spread the ball around nicely. I know his touchdown numbers were low this season, but that’s partially a function of how the Riders structured their offence; players like Nick Marshall and Tre Mason tended to touch the ball most in the red zone, even when Collaros moved the down the field.

Saskatchewan’s Week 19 win over Calgary was a good example. The Riders scored a pair of offensive touchdowns in that game, and both were set up by impressive passing drives helmed by Collaros. As soon as Sask was near the goal line, though, they didn’t even think about attempting a pass. In both cases, it was an immediate steady diet of Marshall and/or Mason, which makes sense, because those guys were extremely effective in tight. Situations like that don’t lend themselves to sexy numbers for the quarterback, though.

I guess it comes down to two things for me with Collaros. First, his season was better than a glance at his stats would suggest, especially in the second half. He finally started to resemble the MOP quality pivot we saw for a few years in Hamilton. Second, I’m still not ready fully sign off on Collaros having dropped completely off a cliff; there’s just too much talent there.

Collaros’s season ended in an unfortunate manner and, knowing how he played late in the season, I was looking forward to seeing him in the playoffs. That didn’t happen, which is too bad, but I still think Collaros has starting potential in this league. We’ll see if he gets that opportunity in 2019.

FERG (13-10): ONE GAME DOES NOT SUM UP LULAY’S ABILITY

Marshall_Ferguson_2016

Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh

With the BC Lions crashing out of the playoffs in spectacular fashion, the future of the quarterback position quickly becomes a primary point of contention.

With Head Coach Wally Buono leaving, the blood bond between Buono and Lulay no longer matters, which should mean Lulay ends up somewhere in the abyss that is pro football quarterbacking’s annual carousel.

I don’t see that happening though as Lulay is easily the most qualified and ready to perform – when healthy – quarterback available of the four Riders and Lions pivots who saw their season come to a close in the divisional semi-final round.

Zach Collaros has major long term injury concerns, the moment looked too big for Brandon Bridge and Jonathon Jennings continues to swing wildly from looking like a prodigal son of future dominance to looking like a third string passer in search of a contract.

Lulay’s performance in Hamilton Sunday absolutely left a negative impression on his off-season prospects, but you have to realize one game does not define Lulay’s ability to lead a team. Especially not one game in which his third string centre consistently got obliterated by a multiple time CFL all-star defensive tackle in Hamilton’s Ted Laurent.

Lulay might not be the young buck he was a decade ago but he is most likely to start for a team next season and would be my choice right now over the three other available options.

DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!

While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s got to take it. Whose argument convinced you the most?

You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh.

The winner will be revealed in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.

Fan Poll
Which QB is most likely to be a starter in 2019?
Zach Collaros
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Travis Lulay
Vote