Wylie pleased with hogs’ progress

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/06/2016 (3401 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They’re a unit taking it one step at a time, making mistakes and then coming back and making more.

Those were the words of Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive line coach Bob Wylie Wednesday when asked to assess the state of the five guys who, arguably, have the most important bearing on the team’s success this season, including the health of pivot Drew Willy.

Overall, however, Wylie is pleased with the hogs, even if they got roughed up a little bit during Wednesday’s practice.

“They give a good effort and work hard,” he said. “They’re playing to a level that they didn’t play to last year, so that’s good to see from them.”

His assurance will comfort Bombers fans, many of whom worry about the offensive line and its crucial task of protecting Willy.

Wylie didn’t take kindly to the notion the offensive line was behind all 130 sacks given up over the past two seasons, including a whopping 71 in 2014, a franchise-worst total.

They’ll take part of the blame for the 59 allowed in 2015, but not all of it, as Wylie answered sharply to a question Wednesday morning.

“We let up 59 sacks — you sure it was us?” Wylie said. “You sure it was us? We let up every sack? Are you positive with that s—? We let up every sack? Is that right? Do you think we let up every sack last year? Do you think we let up every sack last year?”

Understandably, Wylie is protective of his stable of big guys.

“Everybody is involved in the sacks,” he said. “We’re going to get hammered for it. I can tell you the first year we let up (71), the (offensive) line let up 27. We’re going to get hammered for it, that’s part of the deal and we understand that. But everybody gets the sacks.

“We have to block our guy. The quarterback has to throw it at the right depth. The receivers have to run the right routes. Backs have to block the right guys. Everyone is involved in the thing.”

Wylie, 65, has a career that spans well over 30 years, including stints with seven NFL teams, a handful of colleges and two CFL teams. He led the Oakland Raiders from the 29th-ranked O-line in 2010 to the fourth-best in 2011.

Aside from veteran centre Dominic Picard, the offensive line sees the return of four of the five starters from the beginning of the 2015 season.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The difference, then, between this year and the year previous?

“Probably the talent level the scouts brought in,” Wylie said. “They did a good job bringing in some big-bodied guys that have good athletic ability and can move.”

When it comes to the five men on the line, this season differs in terms of comfort level.

“We have the same guys, but we know how we all play with each other,” said veteran Canadian hog Patrick Neufeld. “Sukh (Chungh) and I played almost a full season together. Goose (centre Matthias Goossen) was in there for a lot of the year last year, so we’re comfortable with the way he calls the game. I think the level of comfort is that much better with our unit this year.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.