Buck’s got the will; there may be a way

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This article was published 29/09/2011 (5310 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HE’S got the will to play, but there was never any doubt about that.

The bigger question this morning remains what it has been since Buck Pierce was knocked out of the game last Saturday in Toronto: Will Pierce play Friday evening at Canad Inns Stadium against the Montreal Alouettes?

The answer, while a little clearer after Pierce practised Wednesday for the first time since being injured, is probably not going to emerge definitively until game day.

Indeed, about the only definitive news on Pierce’s immediate prospects that did emerge Wednesday is that he will most certainly dress against the Alouettes.

After watching him lead the Bombers’ first-team offence for most of Wednesday’s practice at Canad Inns Stadium, Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice told reporters the coaching staff is now considering just two quarterback scenarios against Montreal on Friday: Pierce starts and is backed up by Brink and Justin Goltz, who mopped up admirably in Saturday’s loss to Toronto after both Pierce and Brink were knocked out of the game; or Brink starts and is backed up by Goltz, with Pierce dressing as the third-stringer and seeing action only in the unlikely event both Brink and Goltz get hurt.

The other piece of news to emerge Wednesday is that Pierce’s ability to roll out and throw crisply and accurately — which he mostly did Wednesday, but with some obvious discomfort — is not the only determining factor for LaPolice in deciding whether Pierce will continue his career-long streak of starting every game this season.

“He threw the ball like he always does, but it’s a different story when you get hit by a 300-pounder and thrown to the ground,” LaPolice said Wednesday afternoon. “We wanted to see if he could throw the ball; we wanted to see his soreness level…”

“There are more factors than whether he could complete passes today that will go into it.”

Pierce expanded on that idea during his meeting with the media after practice, suggesting he believes he’s ready to go, but still needs to persuade the coaching staff of the wisdom of that decision in the bigger picture of the rest of this season.

“I’ve been pretty optimistic all along,” he said. “But it’s just getting back out there and taking the reps and showing everyone else I can play and do all the things. I think they’re more concerned about me taking another hit on it, not so much whether I can make the throws and execute our offence.

“I’m going to do my part to be out there on Friday and the rest is up to everyone else.”

Pierce said he remains sore, but that’s to be expected. “It’s sore; that’s not a secret. And it’s not going to go away in a day or by Friday,” he said. “I think I can be effective. But can I withstand another hit on those ribs? Is that the best thing to do at this point in time? These are things we have to think about as an organization and myself as a player.”

Brink, who led the first-team offence Tuesday, was reduced to a secondary role Wednesday as Pierce and his ribs auditioned for the Bombers’ coaching staff.

“I’m preparing either way,” Brink told reporters. “If, late in the week, he’s going to go, than he’s going to go. That’s part of the position I’m in…I thought he looked good today. He operated very well.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca