Game Day: 3 Keys to Victory

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/09/2010 (5538 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

1. THE NEXT STEP IN A QB’S MATURATION: ‘Ws’

Here’s the thing about Steven Jyles and his progression from prospect to starter: the efficiency rating is impressive — second in the CFL to Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo — and the TD-to-interception ratio is a solid 8:2. But if he’s going to completely win over his teammates he’s got to do two things: 1. protect the football better, as his five fumbles (three lost) have been killers and 2. Finish games with his team ahead on the scoreboard. And that’s the key here now because no longer are the Bombers simply waiting for Buck Pierce to get healthy again — this season is now Jyles or bust and the new starter needs to make some plays when it matters most. More than anything that’s been the biggest development for Jyles since the season started: the team has seen enough to expect, not hope, that he can be a difference maker.

"He’s in a good spot because he’s been in the system for a couple of years," said head coach Paul LaPolice. "He’s seen it, he’s played in several games and now he gets a chance to show what he can do."

2. SOME RED-ZONE PRODUCTION, S’IL VOUS PLAIT

One of the aspects of the Bomber Labour Day loss that screams out is their ineffectiveness in the red zone, especially early in the contest. Three times the Bombers were inside the Riders 20-yard line in the first half and on all three occasions they left with just a field goal — including a nine-yarder on the final play of the first half with the Bombers on Saskatchewan’s two. That, coupled with an awful 2-for-16 second-down conversion rate, can cripple a squad’s chance of knocking off a Grey Cup contender like the Riders.

"When you don’t score against a team that’s explosive, it will hurt you in the long run," Jyles said after practice Friday. "You have to score when you get down there, get touchdowns, and put guys away. If we would have scored when we got down there it would have been a totally different ball game."

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3. WIN THE CHESS MATCH

Both teams showcased some new wrinkles a week ago — the Bombers with that double reverse flea-flicker gem and the fake punt — but now that those plays are on tape, expect each coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments to counter-attack. The Riders, for example, have talked all week in Regina about the speed of the Bombers secondary and the damage done by rush ends Odell Willis and Phillip Hunt.

"I’m sure the surprise is over as to how good our ends are," said LaPolice. "They’re going to have some plans in place so we can’t just rely on our pass rush, we have to rely on our total defence to play. They’ll try to chip those guys and help them out… and I’m sure they’re going to try to establish the run and find a way to get Wes Cates the ball so they’re not throwing as much as they were… which is hard because we stop the run very well. But we also told our players at the beginning of the week, ‘Be cautious of Darian. He may worry about the pressure and then just take it and go.’ We have to make sure we can contain him."