Despite Willy sitting out practice, Bomber coach won’t rule him out for Calgary game

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This article was published 16/10/2014 (4315 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Drew Willy spent most of Thursday’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice playing the spectator.

Arms folded across his chest or stuffed in his sweat pants, the Bombers No. 1 quarterback didn’t put his helmet on and didn’t throw a single pass.

And yet head coach Mike O’Shea still isn’t ruling him out for Saturday’s contest against the powerhouse Calgary Stampeders (6 p.m.; TSN/CJOB).

“We’ll have to reassess him (Friday),” said O’Shea. “We’re going to see what he can do tomorrow throwing the ball and we’ll make a decision after that.

“I haven’t ruled him out. Once again, don’t ever rule out Drew Willy. He’s going to try and throw tomorrow. I don’t know if we’re at the point yet where he can wake up game day and we just throw him in.”

O’Shea did say he was more hopeful about Willy’s availability today than he was on Wednesday. The Bomber QB, who ranks second in the CFL with 3,526 yards passing, injured his hand in the second quarter of last week’s blowout loss to the Edmonton Eskimos and was replaced by Brian Brohm.

Brohm got most of the work with the No. 1 offence at practice today.

“I got all the reps this week, the majority of reps with the ones (first-team offence) so I’ll be prepared if I’m called upon to go in,” said Brohm. “I’ve just got to come in ready to go, ready to start and we’ll see what happens.

“Drew is the starter. If he’s healthy, if he’s ready to go then he’s going to get the start. If he’s not, I’m going to be fully ready to go.”

No matter who takes the first snap from centre against the Stamps, the QB will be working being a reconfigured – again – offensive line. Right tackle Glenn January (back) is still out and the club had another new face, Jace Daniels, working at left tackle Thursday with rookie Matthias Goossen at right guard. Rounding out that crew is left guard Chris Greaves, centre Steve Morley and right tackle Devin Tyler.

“I’ve only been here about a week and a half,” said Daniels, who joined the club on Oct. 7th. “I didn’t know until right before practice (that he was going to start), but I was ready for it. That’s what I came up here to do, to try and get a spot. So, this will let my film talk to show off for here and any other team if that happens.

“I’ve got Glenn (January) behind me in the film room and he’s always talking and helping me out. It’s been, I don’t want to say ‘easy’, turnaround, but I’ve got it down.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait