In the spotlight

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This article was published 10/07/2015 (4049 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The spotlight is always on the quarterbacks in football, but it will burn especially bright on the two men who will line up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes tonight.

The Bombers will roll out Drew Willy again against the Als (6 p.m.; TSN/CJOB) following a week in which he made an early exit after a gruesome helmet-to-helmet hit during a loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but was back on the field for practice on Monday. And the Als will hope for an encore performance from Rakeem Cato, who was so spectacular in his debut in leading his charges to an upset win over the defending Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders.

“I feel great,” said Willy, who passed a concussion-protocol test during the game last week but was held out by the trainer. “I have total trust in our doctors here. I spoke about it earlier in the week and our stance isn’t going to change on that. We feel comfortable with the way we’re approaching it and I feel good because this organization has always treated me in a first-class way. They wouldn’t put me out there if they didn’t feel I was ready.

“I’ll play my same game. I won’t have any fear out there. I think when you kind of play that way (with fear) you bring on other injuries. You just want to go about your usual business and go out there and play to your ability.”

The Bombers, 1-1, were solid in their season-opening win in Regina but looked lost last week with Willy on the sidelines for three quarters and the defence and special teams breaking down.

The Als, also 1-1, got a remarkable performance from Cato in his first CFL start. He completed his first seven passes and finished 20 of 25 for 241 yards with three TDs against zero interceptions.

“He was as a remarkable as being on the sideline with someone like Ricky Ray, being on the sidelines having a quarterback like Doug Flutie… because you always knew you had a chance no matter what was going wrong out on the field,” said Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins. “And the only reason I picked those two (Ray and Flutie) is because I was on the sidelines for those two athletes. I’ve alluded to some of the throws Cato can make are similar to what Doug Flutie could do. Now. I’m not putting him anywhere near the same category as Doug Flutie, but Doug had a way to get the ball to his receiver whether he had to throw behind his back or underhand. He just had that knacks and it seems that’s what Cato has as well.”

The Bombers are making three changes to their 46-man roster, adding defensive linemen Kashawn Fraser and Deantre Harlan and wide receiver Rory Kohlert for Thaddeus Gibson, Kris Bastien and Derrell Johnson. Montreal will be without middle linebacker Bear Woods, whose spot in the defence will be filled by Kyler Ellsworth.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

11 per cent — Increase in CFL offence, in terms of yards, this season over last year, the largest single season jump in league history

5-1 — The West’s record against the East through the first six interlocking games in 2014

5-1 — The East’s record against the West through the first six interlocking games in 2015

6-1 — Winnipeg’s record against Montreal in the last seven games between the two teams.

 

QUOTABLE

“He has this… maybe it’s the ‘It’ factor, which coaches can never describe. We’re thinking he might have ‘It.’ He did nothing but the same down at Marshall. He took a team that, supposedly was always underdogs and did what he had to do which is throw the football. He’s a pure passer that loves playing. He doesn’t seem to be fazed by how big the arena is.”

— Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins on new starting QB Rakeem Cato

 

“You try to switch up things and do things different, but you don’t want to get out of what you do. You don’t want to try to throw too many things at him that you over-extend yourself. We’ll try to do some things differently that might cause him to throw an errant ball and we could get our hands on it. “

— Bombers defensive end Jamaal Westerman on what the Bombers defence has in store for Montreal QB Rakeem Cato

— Tait / Paul Wiecek