No pat on back for Elliot

By: Ed Tait Posted: 12:34 PM CDT Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

EDMONTON — Joey Elliott isn’t interested in pats on the back. And by no means should anyone attempt to offer condolences or try to find a silver lining in assessing his first-ever pro start.

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EDMONTON — Joey Elliott isn’t interested in pats on the back. And by no means should anyone attempt to offer condolences or try to find a silver lining in assessing his first-ever pro start.

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This article was published 31/10/2010 (5453 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON — Joey Elliott isn’t interested in pats on the back. And by no means should anyone attempt to offer condolences or try to find a silver lining in assessing his first-ever pro start.

The rookie pivot — fourth on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers depth chart behind Buck Pierce, Steven Jyles and Alex Brink — completed 15 of 29 passes for 130 yards with no TDs and no interceptions in Saturday’s 16-13 OT loss to the Edmonton Eskimos.

Asked to assess his own play, he was frank.

john ulan / the canadian press
Blue Bombers rookie quarterback Joey Elliott leans into a pass Saturday night in Edmonton. He was making his first CFL start. — john ulan / the canadian press Blue Bombers rookie quarterback Joey Elliott leans into a pass Saturday night in Edmonton. He was making his first CFL start.

“I made a few plays, missed a few plays. Can’t have that. I have to be more consistent,” he said in a morose Bomber locker-room. “It’s the CFL and you only get two downs… you’ve got to be consistent on every down. You’ve got to be on the same page as your receiver. I’ve got to get better for next week.”

With all of the men ahead of him on the depth chart on the DL for the remainder of the season the Bombers will start Elliott in the final game, Friday at home against the Calgary Stampeders.

Asked if he could file anything away from his first test — the learning-experience theory — Elliott waved if off as pure bunk.

“That’s shoulda, coulda, woulda,” he said. “You can’t think about, ‘Well, I’ll do this next time.’ When the game is on the line you’ve got to be able make plays. We’re out there to win it. Somebody’s got to step up and I pride myself on being able to make a play when we need it the most.

“We went all the way down the field and gave ourselves an opportunity to win at the end of the game and we’ve got to be able to punch one in.”

Elliott was twice stopped on third-and-one QB keepers, the first on the Eskimo one-yard line on a play that would have given the Bombers an 11-0 lead early in the second quarter.

“You’ve got to be able to put points on the board. Third and one, third and inches… we didn’t put points up and it cost us,” said Elliott.

“I love playing with these guys. Our veterans showed up when we really needed them to and some of our young guys made big plays to give us the opportunity to win the game.

“But there’s no rookies in this locker-room now. The CFL rule says that after seven games you’re not a rookie any more, right?

“We’ve got to start acting like it.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca