The Big Blue without Drew

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This article was published 11/08/2015 (4063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The news couldn’t be any worse for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their faithful – the club will be without Drew Willy for up to two months.

The club announced this morning their No. 1 quarterback suffered a tibial plateau fracture as well as a partial PCL tear in his right knee in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. According to the team’s medical personnel, the estimated earliest return from this injury for Willy is 6-8 weeks.

“For him, personally, it’s a setback that is pretty frustrating for him,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “When I talked to him (Monday) night he reiterates the same thing: he says he wants to be there for his guys. He wants to play and help us win. You always feel pretty badly for the person. Drew’s always shown that he’s resilient, that he heals fairly quickly. I don’t think that pain will be a determining factor for him. It’s just a matter of making sure that the fracture is healed up and he’s healthy and ready to go. We’ll see how long it takes.”

O’Shea said the injury was not related to the shot Willy took to the same knee in Edmonton a couple of weeks ago. He also did not need surgery.

The coach would not confirm whether Brian Brohm or Robert Marve would start Friday’s game against the Toronto Argonauts, but the decision who will take the first snap has already been made by the coaching staff.

“I’m not going to tell you right now,” he said. “We’ll go through practice (Wednesday) and you’ll know by then, I’m sure.”

Willy has started 24 of 25 games since becoming the Bombers starting QB in 2014. Brohm started the only other game – last October in Calgary — when Willy was out with a bum shoulder. The Bombers lost that game and, in mop-up duty since, Brohm hasn’t exactly been prolific. He has completed 52.9 per cent of his passes with zero touchdowns against four interceptions this season.

Marve, meanwhile, has been the fans’ choice to be first out of the bullpen dating back to last year. But he is just four of seven this year with no TDs and one interception.

On top of all that, the club will also be without running back Paris Cotton (broken arm) and receiver Darvin Adams (upper body) for the foreseeable future.

Not surprisingly, O’Shea was attempting to put a brave face on the situation.

“Team-wise, it’s pro football and you understand this is something we’re going to go through and we’re going to find ways to win,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting for our team and the opportunities guys are going to get and they’re going to make the most of them.

“To me it’s going to be a great opportunity for us.”

The Big Blue without Drew

The Bombers will be without their starting QB, Drew Willy, for two months after he suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Ed Tait takes a look at the injury, what it means short term and long term and what the Bombers options might be:

THE INJURY

Willy suffered a tibial plateau fracture as well as a partial posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear in his right knee. The PCL is a ligament within the knee that connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia).

A tibial plateau fracture is one of the most critical load-bearing areas in the human body, affecting knee alignment, stability and motion.

The Bombers medical staff said in a press release Tuesday the ‘estimated earliest recovery time for this injury is 6-8 weeks.’

(Sources: Webmd.com; Medscape.com).

WHO’S UP NEXT?

Brian Brohm: has been second on the depth chart dating back to last year, but his numbers hardly instill any sense of confidence. The former Louisville star was a second-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2008. He spent two years with the Pack, two more years with the Buffalo Bills and a season with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL before signing with Hamilton in 2013.

Brohm did not play for the Ticats, spending the entire season on injured reserve, but was acquired in a trade by the Bombers in March of 2014 for a conditional 2015 draft pick (which became a fourth rounder).

He started one game for the Bombers last year in Calgary, completing 18 of 33 passes for 219 yards before leaving with a broken thumb.

He has appeared in relief three times this season for the Bombers, throwing 0 touchdowns while being intercepted four times — two of which have been returned for scores.

Robert Marve: the popular No. 3 pivot brings a certain level of excitement because of his ability to move in the pocket and make plays with his legs. He has been slotted at the third spot on the depth chart because the coaching staff believes Brohm has more patience in letting plays develop.

Marve was Florida’s “Mr. Football” in high school before playing with both Miami and Purdue in university. Knee issues plagued him in college and he was not drafted. He attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie mini-camp in 2013 before being signed by the Bombers in 2014. His most-significant playing time with the Bombers came late in 2014 with two stints against Calgary (5 for 10 for 64 yards, O TDs, O ints on Oct. 18; 36 rushing yards and six of 12 for 76 yards, 1 TD, 0 ints; 26 rushing yards on Nov. 1).

Dominique Davis: Was added to the Bombers practice roster in late June following the release of Josh Portis and after he had been released by Calgary. Davis spent his college days at Boston College, Fort Scott Community College and East Carolina before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. He was on the practice rosters with Tennessee and Indianapolis before signing with Calgary.

THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT

The Bombers have been a mess without Willy at the controls and now face the prospect of being without their best player for more than two months.

Winnipeg plays host to the Argos this Friday and has the bye next week. After that they are home to Calgary (Aug. 29th); in Saskatchewan for the annual Labour-Day Classic (Sept. 6th); home to the Riders for the Banjo Bowl (Sept. 12th); on the road in Montreal (Sept. 20th); home to Calgary again (Sept. 2th); home to Edmonton (Oct. 3rd) before back-to-back road games in B.C. (Oct. 10th) and Ottawa (Oct. 16th).

THE LONG-TERM IMPACT

Winnipeg opened the season at 2-1 and with some signs that a revamped offensive line and more weapons around Drew Willy had the club pointed forward. Since then? A crushing 26-25 loss to Calgary that was riddled with self-inflicted wounds, a 32-3 loss in Edmonton, a 23-13 win over B.C. and then Sunday’s 38-8 massacre in Hamilton.

On top of that, sales for both Bomber games and this year’s Grey Cup at Investors Group Field haven’t exactly been buzzing. And with the Roughriders — the team’s closest rival — wallowing at 0-7, even the possibility of Grey Cup sales being boosted by Rider Nation have already dwindled.

TRADE OPTIONS

Given how many QBs are currently on the mend in the CFL, the prospects of GM Kyle Walters pulling the trigger on a trade for immediate help seem limited. (FYI: the CFL trade deadline is Wednesday October 14th at 2:59 p.m.) Still, here are the names that could be linked in any speculation:

Ricky Ray, Toronto: Future hall of famer has yet to take a snap this season after off-season shoulder surgery. Reports say he has been throwing better of late, but there is no timetable for his return and the Argos seem to have found a long-term answer in Trevor Harris.

Drew Tate, Calgary: Has started and won games in this league for both the Stamps and Saskatchewan. But teams have apparently sniffed around him before and the asking price is steep. Calgary remains one of the CFL’s elite teams and it would take a ton for the Stamps to thin their depth chart behind Bo Levi Mitchell in a deal.

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Jonathan Crompton, Montreal: Currently injured and might have lost his gig to impressive rookie Rakeem Cato. Also, reports out of Montreal suggest his injury is serious enough that he could be placed back on the six-game injured list.

Matt Nicholls, Edmonton: He’s leading the Esks right now with Mike Reilly on the mend, but what happens when Edmonton’s QB1 returns? The Esks also have the exciting James Franklin as an option.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait