Elliott gets passing grade

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This article was published 15/07/2011 (5168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT wasn’t the first time Joey Elliott had to lead an offence down the field in the waning moments of a game and it certainly won’t be the last.

The second-year Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback — forced to enter the game at the start of the third quarter thanks to an apparent left quadriceps injury to starter Buck Pierce — had the game and Winnipeg’s hope for a 3-0 start in his hand. With under 90 seconds to play, Elliott marched the Bombers 42 yards to the Calgary 39-yard line, giving kicker Justin Palardy a chance to win the game with a field goal from 44 yards out.

Close, but not close enough.

Palardy’s attempt into a stiff breeze was just short and to the left and the Bombers fell just short.

“That’s the situation you want to be in,” Elliott said after dropping a 21-20 decision to the Stampeders at Canad Inns Stadium Thursday night. “We have a great kicker; I have 100 per cent trust in the guy.

“We were fighting for every inch, put ourselves in a good situation, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Elliott, who finished the game 10-of-18 for 87 yards and no turnover — a stat that has to make the Bombers defence quite happy this morning — was thrust into action right before the whistle sounded to start the second half. Bombers coaches made the curious decision of not telling him he’d be getting the ball while in the room during the break, instead looking at the Pierce injury and crossing their fingers that he could go.

Pierce couldn’t, and Elliott had little time to mentally prepare.

“Walking out of the tunnel,” Elliott said, when asked when he was told to get his helmet on. “Didn’t know prior to, but obviously in the first half (Pierce) was getting hit pretty hard. He had a few late hits on him and as a back-up quarterback you’re always one play away.”

Regardless of when he was told, Pierce’s injury situation — which is left murky at best considering the secrecy surrounding the quad injury after the game — is a gentle reminder how Elliott is the first up out of the bullpen when the starter begins to falter.

The 24-year-old did have some struggles Thursday (he overthrew a few receivers) but he did play within himself. When the blitz came, he picked it up and got rid of the football; when he was asked to make some key throws in the final drive, he stepped up.

“He did a very good job coming in,” Bombers wide receiver Cory Watson said. “He stepped up when we needed him to. Unfortunately, we came up a bit short. But that’s on us…not really on him.”

Elliott’s coach gave a passing grade to his backup quarterback, as well. It’s never easy for a guy who has just three games (two starts) since joining the team halfway through the 2010 season.

“This (CFL action) doesn’t overwhelm Joey, if that makes sense,” head coach Paul LaPolice said.

NOTES: Bombers DB Alex Suber left the game after the first play, appearing shaken up after making the game’s first tackle. The club held him out of action as a precaution… Winnipeg (2-1) next sees action a week from Saturday, in Toronto.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca