Bad news for Bombers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/07/2011 (5171 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s football fans got the answer Thursday night to the question they’ve been asking all winter, spring and now into the summer: Can the Blue Bombers win without Buck Pierce?

Folks have been asking that from coast to coast, in the North End and over in Charleswood, too.

The immediate answer is no.

Pierce, the celebrated but physically flawed passing priest of Bombers football, was knocked out of Thursday’s game at halftime with what the club was calling a bruised left quadriceps.

The Bombers led 11-7 when Pierce left and although backup Joey Elliott showed some pluck, he was unable to hold the lead as the Bombers lost 21-20 to Henry Burris and the Calgary Stampeders and fell to 2-1 on the season.

The Bombers immediately went into weird protection mode, declaring Pierce unavailable to the media after the game and attempting to prevent photographers from shooting his picture on the bench.

Lots of hand-wringing over a bruised leg, and it will be interesting to see how long Pierce is out of action. Just half a game, or will this stretch into a prolonged absence?

Elliott went 10-of-18 for 87 yards in the second half and there’s no doubt he has promise, but he’s nowhere near the quarterback Pierce is at this stage. Having him run the team for a number of games could hamper an offence already lacking punch.

The Bombers got to 2-0 on defence and special teams and at times despite its offence. Having Pierce of the sidelines proved insurmountable on Thursday and will offer a large problem going forward. Winnipeg isn’t very good on offence, and without Pierce, well, they may prove to be seriously challenged.

There’s been no shortage of talk regarding Pierce’s durability after spending a majority of the last two seasons injured and often unable to perform. He’s had issues with concussions, a shoulder, and elbow — you name it.

Tough? Like a night in jail. Brittle? Maybe. Unlucky? Like Liz Taylor was in marriage. That’s Buck Pierce, and that’s why there’s a risk with him as your moon, sun and stars when it comes to moving the ball and scoring points.

The book on Winnipeg since Pierce’s arrival in town has been a short one. With Buck in the lineup, the Bombers have a chance to win. Without him? Noooooooooo way.

So did the Calgary Stampeders target Pierce? Certainly teams had to know that banging Buck around could lead to an advantage and the Stamps were flagged twice for roughing the passer.

A bounty might be a little bit of a stretch, but any team playing the Bombers would be talking about getting their licks on Pierce. It’s play for pay, not Little League, and violence is inherent in the game.

Of course Pierce was a target. Every quarterback in the league is, but certainly one with an injury history like the Bomber pivot’s gets defenders licking their chops.

Most players and coaches will tell you hard, whistle-to-whistle football is what they practise, but that’s not what the Stamps threw at Pierce Thursday night.

Twice they hit him well after the ball was gone and he was vulnerable. No one can argue it wasn’t dirty football, because it was. Maybe not Jack Tatum dirty, but decidedly un-kosher. There are no favours in pro sport and the Bombers without Pierce are undoubtedly a less dangerous team.

Blue GM Joe Mack put his eggs in the Pierce basket this off-season when he traded veteran backup Steven Jyles. Some will be screaming about this deal today, but the reality is Jyles hasn’t returned from an injury suffered last season and whether he could be of use to the Bombers were he in Winnipeg is unclear.

Mack and coach Paul LaPolice determined last season that youngsters Elliott and Alex Brink were the future and hitched the Bombers wagon to their inexperienced arms.

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Now they’ll have to live it with.

For how long remains a mystery.

We’d ask Pierce, but he’s not talking right now.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca