Marvellous Marve? Bombers are about to find out

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This article was published 28/08/2015 (3998 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A proper week of work is what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are counting on to make Robert Marve the real deal as their starting quarterback Saturday.

The 3-5 Bombers face the Calgary Stampeders at 5 p.m. at Investors Group Field.

Marve took over as the No. 1 signal-caller for the team’s Aug. 14 game against Toronto but lost 27-20. In that defeat, his first pro start, Marve went 18 for 29 passing, good for 203 yards, with an interception and a touchdown.

All of that came on a short week of work after top quarterback Drew Willy was hurt the week before, and in that short week, his only real practice was interrupted by weather.

Since then, the Bombers have had a schedule bye week and a regular week of practice to prepare for the 6-2 Stampeders, who lead the West Division.

“It’s huge,” Marve said of the two weeks since his first start. “Going over the plays two or three times against two or three different defences, I’m excited about the plays we have in this week. So I’m looking forward to it and like I said, it feels like a long time coming having to deal with the two weeks and dealing with the Toronto game.”

It was also no surprise today at the pre-game walk-through day that Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was talking up Marve.

“I think he’s obviously going to be better,” the coach said. “Every pro quarterback is going to benefit from a week of practice and a couple of extra days.”

Today at the light practice, center Dominic Picard was on the field. He did not speak to reporters but O’Shea has placed him on the roster for the game and believes he’ll be available.

“He’s got to get some work done,” O’Shea said of Picard’s early departure today for treatment on an upper-body injury that’s hobbled him since last weekend. “He’s going to be on the roster and my expectations for him and his expectations are that he’s going to give it his best shot to play and we’ll see, go right up to the last minute to see how that looks.

“You know, Dom’s a pretty tough guy. He’s a competitive guy, too.Once again, with a veteran guy who’s an important cog to the machine, you’ve got afford him as much time as possible.

“I’d list him as a starter.”

O’Shea did say today that Bombers newcomer Jasper Simmons, a special-teams and defensive player that was released by the Stampeders a week ago after a blow-up with him and his agent over playing time, will not be on the roster versus Calgary.

O’Shea simply said Simmons wasn’t yet ready to play within the Bombers systems.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca