3 Keys to victory

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/10/2010 (5454 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

1. INJECT JOEY ELLIOTT WITH DOUG FLUTIE’S DNA, THEN…

Hey, but seriously, folks… Bombers are seven-point underdogs largely because they are starting their fourth-string QB on the road and haven’t won away from home in over a year. That said, these Eskimos hardly rival the green-and-gold dynasty of 1978-82.

Fact is, nobody is asking Elliott to light up the Esks for 400 yards passing and four or five touchdowns, but if he can make his reads quickly and handle the blitzes and different looks Edmonton throws at him, maybe, just maybe…

“This week has been especially good for me getting a lot of reps and just getting comfortable,” said Elliott at a chilly Commonwealth Stadium Friday afternoon. “I’ve actually never really been able to show them what I can do as a quarterback or with this type of offence, so it’s been good for me to get reps, and for the rest of the guys.”

2. TAKE AWAY THE GUNSLINGER’S BULLETS

Eskimo QB Jared Zabransky’s 2010 numbers: a 52.7 completion percentage with four TDs against six interceptions and a seven-yard average when rushing. He’s also fumbled three times, although he’s not lost one of them. Translation: He’s not exactly the second coming of Warren Moon. Nealon Greene, maybe, but not Moon.

“He’s a gunslinger,” said Eskimos head coach Richie Hall when asked to describe his young pivot. “He’s had a lot of success this year when he’s played within himself. When he’s tried to do too much, then you just never know what happens and you become a riverboat gambler. A lot of times when you become that, you’re not always going to win the money.

“You want to give them the opportunity to be successful but you don’t want them to be a robot. It comes down to making good decisions.”

But with every young QB those good decisions don’t always come under pressure. And so while Elliott can expect a healthy dose of pressure from the Eskimo defence, expect the Bombers to do the same with Zabransky, either with a lot of heat up front or dropping eight into coverage. He’s much more dangerous outside the pocket than Elliott, though, making it incumbent on Bomber ends Odell Willis and Phillip Hunt to keep him corralled.

3. THE 2011 TRAINING CAMP STARTS NOW

We’ve heard a lot since the Bombers were eliminated from the post-season last week about playing for pride and blah, blah, blah. How about this? Maybe the best motivation of all comes from knowing that these final two games could go a long way to ensuring an invite to 2011 training camp. Say what you will about the Joe Mack/Paul LaPolice regime, but they have not been afraid to make change. This team continues to get younger and the final two weeks of the 2010 season, beginning tonight, could go a long way for the fresh faces in the lineup like Johnny Sears, Chris Greaves and Cory Watson and the pending free agents in leaving a favourable last impression before a winter of possible change. And fear can be a powerful motivator.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

“Ø Blue QB Joey Elliott makes first CFL start

“Ø Eskimos are winners of four of their last five games