Bombers have a QB conundrum
Coach can’t decide if Willy or Nichols will be starter
WINNIPEG — The Blue Bombers were to be back on the turf Sunday morning at Investors Group Field, with all eyes on the quarterback position.
Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea wouldn’t commit to a starting quarterback for the game at Commonwealth Stadium against the Edmonton Eskimos Thursday night. O’Shea yanked No. 1 gun Drew Willy from a 33-18 loss to the Calgary Stampeders this week and replaced him with backup Matt Nichols.
The Bombers are 1-4 and in last place in the West Division despite Willy’s 71.7 completion percentage and 1,473 passing yards in five games. He’s thrown just five touchdown passes, however, but hasn’t led the Bombers on a long touchdown drive in three games.
Nichols joined the Bombers last September in a trade with the Eskimos and almost beat his former team in October, but Sean Whyte booted a 53-yard field goal on the final play to give his team the 24-23 win.
It will be interesting to see if O’Shea makes the call before practice Sunday and allows his starting quarterback to take most of the reps or if he lets them battle it out for the job.
Notably, Willy had a great final day of practice before the Calgary game, but ended up getting the hook after generating just 10 points and throwing a pick-six early in the fourth quarter.
Willy is 0-5 in his career against the Eskimos, and the Bombers are 0-8-1 at Commonwealth Stadium since they won there on Milt Stegall’s 100-yard touchdown catch on the final play of the game in July 2006. NOT THE END
The Bombers have started 1-4 six times since 1997, and made the playoffs twice despite getting off to such a sluggish start.
They never got above .500 when kicking off a season with one win in five tries, but did qualify for the post-season with a 7-10-1 mark in 2000 with Dave Ritchie as head coach and again with an 8-10 record in 2008 under Doug Berry.
Thursday night, running back Andrew Harris and O’Shea both referred to the B.C. Lions starting the 2011 season with an 0-5 mark and still winning the Grey Cup.
“I’ve been around this before,” Harris said. “I was 0-5 before and we won a Grey Cup. I’ve been around the worst of it and fought back and been successful. It can be done.
“We have the right tools in this room to get it done, and we just gotta rally around and play our hearts out every day.”
Defensive tackle Jake Thomas is one of the longest serving members of the team and believes this year will be different.
“(The losing) wears on you a bit, but we have a really good group of guys here,” Thomas said. “Each year I’ve been here we’ve got better and better. The locker-room’s got better, and we’re there. We’re close.
“We just gotta win these close games.”