Bombers hand ball to Jyles

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This article was published 16/08/2010 (5757 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a scene Steven Jyles is getting more and more accustomed to with each passing day: a game or practice ends and a media throng gathers to hang on his every syllable.

Such is life under the microscope as a starting quarterback.

And so it was again Sunday after a Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice in which the 27-year-old Louisiana product was back at the controls of the offence as the No. 1 pivot.

Ditto for the rest of this week, possibly longer, as the Bombers prepare for Thursday’s date in Montreal against the Alouettes with No. 1 gun Buck Pierce on the shelf again with a wobbly knee.

"(Pierce) was sore today," said head coach Paul LaPolice. "It’s not fair to Buck to have Buck in the game if he’s not who he is, so we’re going to hold him for as much as we can and give him, hopefully, close to three weeks so we can give him another evaluation."

In other words, it’s Jyles this week in Montreal and, after the bye week, possibly again for the Labour Day Classic in Regina depending on how quickly Pierce heals.

Regardless, Jyles is most certainly maturing before everyone’s eyes right now and making the case that he deserves consideration to start regularly even upon Pierce’s return.

His 104.4 QB-efficiency rating heading into Sunday night’s CFL action — a 63.9 completion percentage with six against two interceptions — was second only to Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo.

"That’s my main objective every time I take the field," said Jyles after practice Sunday.

"Just get better, build from the last time I got to play. That was my main focus the other night. I feel more comfortable in the pocket and everything slowed down a little more. I felt pretty good.

"Every game I feel better and better every time I get in. I was confident last year in Saskatchewan, it’s just that (Darian) Durant was playing and I couldn’t wait to get out there on the field.

"This year I got to play in a couple of games. You learn every time you watch yourself after every game. You know you can do this different or that different. My thing (Friday) night was to just sit in the pocket and throw the ball around and try to hit guys as they get open."

Jyles as 14-of-22 for 227 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions in relief of Pierce in Friday’s loss to Hamilton, but also missed Chris Davis for a sure touchdown as well. And those missed chances are all part of his development from prospect to regular.

"I missed (a big throw) in the game… there was a sure touchdown," said Jyles. "That’s one I keep in the back of my mind. I won’t miss another throw like that.

This week, I got a guy wide open I want to strike him. That’s a sure completion. But I also want to make big plays. We have to win, that’s the bottom line. You should want to win every week, but this week we’re 2-5 and we really need a win. It would turn our season around big time if we go in there and take Montreal."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca