If Willy’s a no-go, O’Shea must choose between lesser of two evils

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This article was published 10/08/2015 (3952 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If and when he is forced to make the decision, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea won’t see it as the end of the world. But if injured No. 1 quarterback Drew Willy isn’t going to be his starter Friday night at Investors Group Field against the Toronto Argonauts, then O’Shea’s choice, either Brian Brohm or Robert Marve, is fraught with risk either way he looks at it.

Willy went to the turf late in the third quarter Sunday in Hamilton. He could not get up after he was hit and his right knee appeared to be hyper-extended. He was under duress on the play — a common theme of his afternoon — and the toll of that hit and the total of five sacks inflicted on him by the Tiger-Cats was not known Monday.

Willy is known to be beyond tough, but the news isn’t likely to be good this week. You can expect O’Shea, at the latest, to address Willy’s health and availability today.

If Willy can’t go, which option will O’Shea choose?

Will he go with Brohm, who has been his Plan B consistently this season?

The 29-year-old from Louisville has been uninspiring to say the least. He has at times looked nervous, but that is not surprising given his playing time prior to this year was all of 70 attempted passes last season as Willy’s understudy.

And this season, when Brohm has been called upon, each time it’s been under the worst of circumstances, when Willy has been forced from a game.

In those cases, the Bombers have shown themselves to be shell-shocked when their No. 1 pivot was injured, about the equivalent of putting a pair of cement shoes on their backup quarterback.

Brohm’s 2015 numbers show this. He’s completed 27 of 51 throws for 235 yards, has four interceptions and no touchdowns and just hasn’t been able to move the offence with any consistency.

Sunday, with the score 31-8 Hamilton, he was called upon after Willy’s injury for just two series and five plays before O’Shea gave Marve a chance.

Marve is the one many fans have been clamouring for since the start of the season.

The 26-year-old Floridian has tantalized some with his running ability. Charged last season and this to operate the team’s short-yardage offence, Marve has scooted and scrambled and scampered for some nifty plays.

That included three runs for 29 yards Sunday, when he took over the offence for Winnipeg’s final three series and 11 offensive plays of the game.

One of those runs came earlier in the game in a short-yardage situation.

But beyond that, Marve’s decision-making has been nothing to write home about.

He was 4-for-7 Sunday — his first throws of this year — and tossed a late-game pick-six when he tried a long ball to the outside into heavy coverage.

Marve completed 11 of 22 passes in all of his appearances last season, when he had four rushing touchdowns.

Either Brohm or Marve, or maybe both, will have other serious handicaps Friday beyond their inexperience.

One will be that this is a short turnaround week for the Bombers. The team has scheduled just one full practice before meeting the Argos.

Another is Winnipeg’s run game has been a ghost-like element in recent weeks.

Sunday in Hamilton, backs Cameron Marshall and Paris Cotton were handed the ball just 10 times, managing 51 yards.

The week prior in a home win over B.C., the Bombers rushed the ball just 15 times for 59 yards with their backs, though Willy did haul it five times for 72 yards on his own.

Compounding that issue is Cotton appears to have a serious arm injury and is likely to miss this week’s game. He was seen leaving Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton with his arm in a sling.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca