Bombers very judgmental

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/06/2010 (5656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are two things we know about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterbacks and what they can expect this Sunday.

1. Everyone will get their chance to show what they can do.

2. Buck Pierce and Steven Jyles have little to worry about.

Earlier in the week, Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice said the four-man pivot pool in camp is splitting in half: Two players are separating from the pack and competing for the starting spot, while the other two battle it out for the No. 3 position on the depth chart.

Pierce and Jyles are the obvious pairing up front, their CFL experience and prior relationship with LaPolice a decided advantage in the evaluation process, and despite the ruse that there is a battle for the No. 1 spot, it would be a shocker if Pierce didn’t lead out the team for the 2010 season kick-off July 2 against Hamilton.

On the back end of the quarterback derby sits 2009 holdover Adam DiMichele and former Washington State star Alex Brink, a competition that carries a little more intrigue when you consider what’s up for grabs in the pre-season tilt against the Montreal Alouettes Sunday.

“I’m not sure how much I’m going to play,” DiMichele said after Thursday’s training camp session at Canad Inns Stadium. “I’m anxious to get out there, though. It’s been a long time coming. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

As is the case every training camp, real game action is a valuable commodity for the Bomber offence, and most of the starters will get at least a quarter of playing time, LaPolice said. The quarterbacks? Well, Pierce and Jyles will see some time to get used to the new systems and schemes before handing it over to the other guys. Come the second pre-season game (June 20 at Hamilton) the rep time for the Top 2 guys will increase, shrinking the audition window for those looking to make the grade.

What does this all mean? There will be limited time to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff for both DiMichele and Brink this Sunday.

In other words: Now is the time to make it count.

“I’ve been in camps where there were five guys battling for rep time, so I’ve been in worse situations,” said Brink, who remains the Cougars’ all-time leading passer with 10,913 yards. “In a place like this, all four of us are going to get plenty of opportunity to show what we can do. That doesn’t mean you can miss an opportunity and then wait for another one — you need to take advantage of what’s there.

“That’s part of the professional game: When you get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.”

Brink says the thing he’ll have to watch for is not getting caught up in the mindset of trying to do too much all the time. Patience at the controls of an offence is the key to being a successful quarterback but when you’re put in a pressure situation like Sunday, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to score four touchdowns on a single pass.

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“You’re competing and you want to make the big play, but it’s a fine line,” he said. “When you press, more often than not you don’t connect on the home run ball, and that’s when the game starts to get away from you.”

DiMichele has been waiting for his chance to play in Winnipeg since last September. Picked up from the Calgary Stampeders and put on the Bombers practice roster, the 24-year-old is trying to keep the urgency of Sunday’s contest at Canad Inns Stadium (1 p.m., CJOB) in perspective.

“You have to perform throughout rookie camp, throughout main camp and then in the games,” he said. “They chart every single throw here — even the ones in practice. Each throw we’ve made is being looked at, so it’s more than just what you do in games.

“You still have to perform when you get the chance, though. I know that much.”

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca