Which QB gets the ball?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2010 (5545 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One has a wonky right knee; the other has some tender ribs.

Not great options to choose from but when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head into Regina this weekend for the annual Labour Day Classic, the club could be operating with a quarterback who is less than 100 per cent health-wise. Buck Pierce is no lock to return from a knee injury that has kept him out of commission for the better parts of five games and Steven Jyles, who has served quite capably as the understudy forced to come in and take the lead role, is dealing with some bruised ribs — suffered well before the team took a collective powder for its bye week.

Let’s start with Pierce.

He was back practising with the club for the first time since re-aggravating the knee in a 39-28 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Aug. 13, and says the extra week away from the field turf has put his status as ‘possible’ when the club resumes action Sunday.

"It feels good," the 28-year-old said after a light workload Tuesday. "I was able to step into a lot of throws today. They (coaches) didn’t want to throw me to the wolves right away, but I felt good moving around. My weight transfer (on throws), which has been an issue in the past, is getting better.

"Obviously, I don’t feel like I was in Week 1 — but nobody really does at this point of the season," Pierce added. "I’ll continue to get the treatments, continue to take the reps in practice this week, and they (coaches) will make a decision in the next few days."

The issue for Pierce — the key question for the pivot since spraining his right knee in a Week 3 game against the Ticats (July 16) — has been about his mobility and his ability to sturdy his bottom half so the top half can make the throws necessary in the CFL. One of the league’s top pivots before he went down, Pierce is optimistic about his chances to play against the Riders, even as he continues to struggle with the knee brace he is forced to wear.

"It’s something I have to get used to now," he said. "That’s the world I live in for this moment, and I have to adapt to it."

Pierce’s first attempt at a return under centre ended poorly, with the New Mexico State product labouring through nearly a half against the Ticats before finally getting the yank just prior to the intermission. He clearly wasn’t ready to take the field for that game and that memory is playing a part in when he’ll see the huddle again.

"Part of his ability and strength is mobility, and if he doesn’t have that you have to be cautious putting him back in," said head coach Paul LaPolice, confirming the suggestion the club will be extra-cautious before handing Pierce a helmet on game day again.

As for Jyles and the reports of his bruised ribs, the concern around the Bomb Squad barely registers on the worry-meter. Is the pivot feeling some discomfort? Sure. Is he wearing a flak jacket under his pads? You bet. But according to the QB, the situation is nothing out of the ordinary for a player at this time of year.

The 27-year-old actually suffered the ‘injury’ before the Montreal game, and doesn’t understand what the big deal is.

"I like to say I’m just sore," offered Jyles, who’s hoping to make his fourth start in the last five games and his first against his old Saskatchewan teammates. "There’s nothing that’s keeping me out. When guys get bruised ribs, they sit out a a ball game. I like to just look at it like I’m just a little sore.

"There’s no issue at all."

LaPolice said a decision on a starting quarterback won’t be made until Thursday at the earliest.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Team beefs up along lines

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THE Bombers welcomed two new players to the practice roster Tuesday, adding import offensive lineman Marlon Winn and defensive lineman Jeremy Maddox.

Winn (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) started three seasons at right and left tackle for Texas Tech and was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Vikings after the 2010 NFL draft. Released by the NFL club in June, Winn gives the Bombers some American depth on the O-line.

He says the opportunity in Winnipeg is another chance to make his football dream a reality.

"(Pro football) is a dream of mine and I just want to pursue it in any direction possible," he said. "I always wanted to play football for a living. Before I got the call (from the Bombers), I was hauling furniture."

In Maddox, (6-foot, 263 pounds), the Bombers land a player out of Alabama A&M who can play both defensive end and tackle positions. The club will take a good look at Maddox inside to start, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the 22-year-old lining up at the end spot, as relief for starters Odell Willis and Phillip Hunt.