Jyles stakes claim on offence

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/09/2010 (5862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Depending on how the first nine games go — and they didn’t go so well as far as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are concerned — the second half of the CFL schedule is occasionally thought of as a new season.

In Winnipeg, that campaign reset comes with a new No. 1 quarterback.

Steven Jyles is the main option for the Bombers under centre, thanks to the long-term injury suffered by Buck Pierce in Sunday’s 27-23 loss to Saskatchewan at the Labour Day Classic. Hours after Pierce was trying to wade through his murky football future inside the Bombers offices, Jyles told reporters he is more than ready to make the difficult jump from potential CFL starting quarterback to actual CFL regular.

It won’t be easy.

Jyles lost the quarterback battle at the start of the year to Pierce. Now he has to get out of Pierce’s shadow and convince the players and the Bomber fans that he is the right man for the job.

"I finally have a chance to go out and do what I do, but now it’s on my shoulders," he said after practice at Canad Inns Stadium Wednesday afternoon. "I have to go out and lead the guys; be the leader and the solid quarterback they need."

Five-game skid

A solid quarterback is exactly what the Bombers need heading into the final nine games of the season. Mired in a five-game losing streak, Winnipeg sits with a miserable 2-7 record — good for last spot in the East Division and last in the league, tied with the ice-cold Edmonton Eskimos.

But beyond that immediate pressure cooker of trying to salvage the season is the career opportunity dangling in front of Jyles. He’s waited patiently for five years as a CFL understudy, not creating a selfish drama behind the scenes and instead choosing to work on understanding the game through film study.

Sure, he’d get to see some action once in a while — whether it be in garbage time or for a QB sneak or two — but he was never anointed ‘the guy.’

Until now. There’s no other option in Winnipeg anymore. This is Jyles’ team, pure and simple.

It’s a break a backup QB on any team in any league would kill for.

"A lot of guys get established like that throughout the CFL," Jyles said. "A lot of guys have backed up for years and they finally got their shot to play, and I look at this as my shot. I just have to come out and be productive — that’s my biggest thing. If I play football like I’m supposed to play, then we should win ball games."

Another bonus with this new pivot arrangement: Less worry about playing time.

"I don’t have to worry about getting pulled out too quick," he smiled. "It’s a great feeling, to just go out there and play football, and (not having) to worry about competing with another guy (Pierce) who’s a pretty good quarterback."

The 27-year-old, whose attention to preparation and cool demeanour can only help him in this promoted position, certainly hasn’t looked out of place in the four games he’s started. His eight TD passes and two interceptions are both better than Pierce’s numbers (six and four), and Jyles’ QB efficiency rating (104.1) is second only to Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo (111.6) across the league.

The work experience is well underway, but there’s a different feeling — maybe a different expectation — that Jyles has to face coming out of the tunnel now.

"I don’t know if it’s a different mindset, but there’s obviously more responsibility," head coach Paul LaPolice said. "He’s always prepared himself since I’ve known him in 2008, but it’s different now. He has to make all the throws and make all the reads. He had a good practice (Wednesday).

"He gets a good opportunity to play football games… and (we’ll) see how he does."

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca