LaPolice has playbook for all QBs in the room

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This article was published 14/11/2019 (2123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Paul LaPolice has had his work cut out for him this season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ offensive co-ordinator has worked with three starting quarterbacks — Matt Nichols, Chris Streveler and Zach Collaros — each with different skill sets.

While LaPolice has had to adjust his play-calling to whichever quarterback is behind centre, you won’t find him complaining about having to put in the extra work to make it happen.

“I don’t think anything is difficult. You’ve just got to make sure each week you’re communicating with those guys to say, ‘Hey, this is how we’ve done it. Is there any little tweak that’s still within our system that makes it easier for you to read, process or understand?’ It’s just that line of dialogue I try to have with those guys to make sure,” LaPolice said after Thursday’s practice. “Chris is most comfortable with this, Zach is comfortable with this, Matt Nichols is comfortable with this. So, you’re trying always just to make sure you’re calling what they’re best at.”

LaPolice was asked if this has been one of the more challenging, yet rewarding, seasons he’s had as a coach due to the team’s success — despite all the different storylines surrounding the quarterback position.

“You’ll go through quarterbacks. My first year in 2010 here in Winnipeg, we played four different starting quarterbacks throughout the season. So, that’s a part of the business,” said LaPolice, who was head coach of the club in 2010 and was relieved of those duties midway through the 2012 season.

“I love our quarterback room. I love the guys in it and I love working with (quarterbacks coach) Buck Pierce. That makes it a lot of fun. That makes it enjoyable, because they’re great guys.”

Collaros, who will lead the Bombers on Sunday when they play the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium with a trip to the Grey Cup on the line, had never worked with LaPolice prior to getting traded to Winnipeg last month. The quarterback said they’ve worked with some of the same people and similar offences over the years, which has made it easy for the two to communicate. Collaros has consistently praised LaPolice for helping him get comfortable with the offence so quickly.

“Adaptability is definitely a positive thing for a coach,” Collaros said. “You’re not always going to have the same guys on the roster. You’ve got to work with what you have. I think, for him, just his openness to listen to the guy who’s playing, even to the guy who is just in the room about an idea of how we can attack the defence, or a drop change or what this coverage might be — those kinds of things. His openness creates a culture where it’s a good work environment.”

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Veteran long-snapper Chad Rempel was back at practice on Thursday after missing the team’s past three games.

In his absence, Thomas Miles and Maxime Latour have been sharing the role. Rempel, a 38-year-old who’s in his 16th CFL season, said he went 10 years without missing a game, so missing the past few — especially during the most important time of the year — has not been easy. But he said his replacements have filled in admirably.

“They’ve done a fantastic job. Both Max and Miles worked together and I thought they did a great job,” Rempel said. “I give them a lot of credit. They put in a lot of work and we didn’t miss a beat.”

Rempel said he isn’t sure if he’ll be ready to start on Sunday, but at this point in his career, he realizes how rare it is to play for a chance to go to the Grey Cup. Rempel has made it to the Grey Cup once in his career, winning it in 2012 with the Toronto Argonauts.

“You think if you play long enough, you’re going to be in the Grey Cup multiple times,” Rempel said. “But it’s hard. You run into teams — like early in my career, it was Montreal. And then the last few years, it’s been Calgary. You’ve got to seize the moment.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31