Bishop wants a shot at Argos

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/07/2009 (5921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

And so begins another week in Bomberland…

A new quarterback steps on the field, the previous starter stiffens his upper lip, the head coach calls out some veteran linemen and vows his woeful offence is oh-so-close to finding a gear.

Yes, if we’ve learned anything about the 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers through their 1-3 start it’s this: they may be struggling to move the yardage sticks but they certainly are skilled in generating headlines.

The Bomb Squad returned to work Monday for the first time since their horrific offensive performance in a 19-5 loss to the Toronto Argonauts and with new QB Michael Bishop taking some turns with the No. 1 offence. Head coach Mike Kelly won’t make a call on who starts this Saturday in Toronto — be it Stefan LeFors, Bryan Randall, Richie Williams or Bishop — but the 33-year-old howitzer-armed veteran wasn’t brought in to serve as an offensive consultant.

"He’s not going to be a scout-team player for us," said Kelly. "He’s got valuable experience. He’s won games in this league. He’s taken teams into the playoffs. We have a very good defence here. We have very good special teams. We have to get this offence jump-started somehow, some way in order for us to be productive as a team.

"I still want Stef around here. He’s still going to prepare himself as the starter. He still has the inherent qualities I’m looking for. Does he have the arm strength of a Michael Bishop? No, he doesn’t. Does he have adequate arm strength? Yes, he does. But we have to start recognizing things better at the line of scrimmage and making adjustments on the move and that’s what this is all about.

"I was happy with Stef, I think he’s growing, but right now we need to stir this pot a little bit."

LeFors has the worst QB-efficiency rating in the CFL at 65.3 and has completed just 44.2 per cent of his passes while throwing for two touchdowns against one interception in four starts.

But Friday’s 66-yard passing effort from the three pivots prompted change and Bishop was on a plane Sunday. He met with Kelly for four hours upon his arrival and much of the offence is similar to what he ran in going 11-1 as a starter with the Argos in 2007.

"I would love the opportunity to go out and play against those guys but the coaching staff has to make a decision about what’s best for the team," Bishop said after his first practice as a Bomber. "And if they feel I can go in and get the job done with a week’s worth of practice I’m all for it. I know I can go out there and run a basic offence and move the ball up and down the field. At the same time, I wouldn’t want to hurt the team. All I can do is get myself ready. I’ll definitely be ready if I get the nod.

"Watching the game film from last week I’d say they left at least 28 points on the field. My main thing is coming in and playing my part. I’ve been in a situation like this before playing with Saskatchewan and coming in and winning the first two games. I think we’re just one or two plays away."

LeFors spoke with Kelly on Monday and — class act that he is — also told Bishop that he would help him if he had any questions. Said Bishop: "That let me know what kind of guy he is right there off the top. Me and him right now… it’s a friendship that’s going to blossom."

Asked if he was getting an unfair chunk of the blame for the offensive struggles, LeFors was to the point.

"In-house, no," he said. "People in this locker-room know what’s going on. Outside this locker-room people don’t know what’s going on. They think they know, but they have no idea. But that doesn’t get to me. If they want to boo, they can boo. It’s not going to affect me and how I play. I’m going to take it in stride, try to get better but it’s not going to affect me as a person.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"I talked to coach Kelly. From what he told me he still has faith in me but obviously with the way we’re struggling you got to start at the top. I understand that. That’s the nature of the business. Obviously I’ve got to be a lot better. That’s just how it goes. I can take it and just try to learn from it."

Kelly did confirm that Ryan Donnelly would get more snaps at centre this week for a struggling Obby Khan while right guard Kelly Bates is also under the microscope.

"This is a business where if you don’t produce, you’re gone," said Kelly. "And so some people have to start producing. That’s just the way it is. We have to be production-oriented and we’re just not right now."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

IN THE HUDDLE C3