Willy to become an Argo?

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This article was published 09/09/2016 (3550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An injury that may end Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray’s season has cranked up the volume on speculation Drew Willy will be headed east before long.

That would be a big loss for the Blue Bombers, said the man who took Willy’s job, sparking a shocking turnaround that has the 6-4 club on a five-game winning streak going into today’s Banjo Bowl against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“Drew and I have a great working relationship, and he does a great job at helping me make sure I’m going through all my reads and those types of things — little reminders,” Nichols said Friday at Investors Group Field.

Ray reportedly suffered a fractured rib and punctured lung in Toronto’s 49-36 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Monday and will miss at least the next month. The Argos haven’t commented on the injury.

If the 4-6 Argos are indeed searching for a CFL-seasoned pivot to salvage the second half of the season, Willy would be a logical trade target, despite his demotion to the sidelines after a disastrous 1-4 start.

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea had little to say on the subject Friday.

“I’ve said all along, it takes two (quarterbacks) to win and to get where we need to go,” he said.

He said he’d be comfortable with third-stringer Dominique Davis in the backup slot.

“(Quarterbacks coach) Buck (Pierce) and LaPo (offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice) do a great job with our quarterbacks,” O’Shea said. “From Matt and Drew, to Dom and Bryan (Bennett), they’ve all improved from training camp on. There’s always that idea that you need to develop your guys. Quarterbacks do go down.”

Denmark takes a seat: With the return of receiver Ryan Smith to full health, Clarence Denmark will take a seat today, along with injured linebacker Kyle Knox.

Instead, the Bombers will dress Gerrard Sheppard, a big, tough and physical receiver.

“He stepped on the field for us in a special-teams role the first time he got on the field with us and did a fantastic job,” O’Shea said. “He’s a pro, learns his stuff and is always ready to go, whatever you ask him to do.”

 ‘Drew and I have a great working relationship, and he does a great job at helping me make sure I’m going through all my reads and those types of things — little reminders. It’s hard to think about every little thing on a game day, especially during the game, and he does a great job every time I come to the sideline, telling me what he’s seeing’ — Winnipeg starter Matt Nichols 

From the other side: Riders head coach Chris Jones’ penchant for gambling proved costly in the Labour Day Classic.

A second-quarter challenge that was lost wiped out Jones’ ability to question any other play in the game, including a questionable pass interference call on a Riders interception late in the fourth quarter that if overturned, would have at least salvaged overtime for the Riders, if not won them the game in the dying moments.

But it was the second-quarter challenge of a complete pass for Riders receiver Naaman Roosevelt Jones bemoaned on Friday as the team arrived at Investors Group Field.

“The replay that showed the nose of the football on the ground was not shown in our booth until later,” Jones said. “I saw the replay on our big screen that only showed his hands getting underneath the football. Unfortunately, that’s the way it goes.”

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.

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