Brohm in, Willy out as Bombers QB this weekend

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 10:22 AM CDT Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 Last Modified: 2:25 PM CDT Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 | Updates

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea says the decision to start backup QB Brian Brohm against the Calgary Stampeders this weekend was made this morning after it was determined No. 1 starter Drew Willy still isn’t healthy enough to play.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/10/2014 (4065 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

O’Shea said Willy was evaluated by staff this morning and it was found “he didn’t have strong enough grip strength on the football to make some of the longer throws.

“So to me, it’s a no-brainer.”

Brohm led Winnipeg’s first team offence at practice this week as Willy continued to nurse a hand injury sustained in a 41-9 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Monday.

O’Shea had remained hopeful that Willy could go, saying as late as Thursday that he was feeling like the chances of Willy starting on Saturday had improved.

With Willy now unable to go, it will be the first career CFL start for Brohm, who was once touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick and was expected to wage a serious battle with Aaron Rodgers to be the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

Brohm played the end of the first half and all of the second half on Monday versus Edmonton after Willy left the game after hitting his hand.

He finished with respectable numbers — 18-33 for 219 yards and 1 INT — although all of that came against an Edmonton team that was already leading 37-0 at halftime.

Brohm told reporters after his team’s walk-through at IGF this morning that he feels he can build on his performance against the Eskimos.

“Last week was good for me, to get in there and get that experience and to get into a kind of rhythmnwith the offence and the receivers and to get into a little bit of a rhythm throwing the football.

“I think that was good for me and good for our chemistry and will definitely be beneficial for this game coming up.”

Saturday’s start for Brohm against the Stampeders at Investors Group Field will be his first professional start since he started the final game of the 2010 NFL season for the Buffalo Bills in a 38-7 loss to the New York Jets.

The Bombers (6-9) will carry a six-game losing streak into their game against Calgary, who are 12-2 and have been beaten just once on the road this season.

Winnipeg is four points behind the 8-7 BC Lions — who are idle this week — in the chase for 4th place in the West Division and the possible crossover playoff spot that will go to that team.

Meanwhile, the Bombers will also have some changes on defence this week, with Johnny Sears and Don Unamba both starting at linebacker — in place of Teague Sherman and Desia Dunn respectively — and Bruce Johnson returning to his starting job at halfback after a one-week hiatus.

Those changes are in addition to two new starters on the offensive line this week in left tackle Jace Daniels and right guard Matthias Goossen.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek