Mitchell still on track to start at QB
WINNIPEG— Upontouchdown in Winnipeg Thursday afternoon, John Hufnagel stuck to the script.
The identity of his starting quarterback for tonight’s clash with the Blue Bombers — Drew Tate or Bo Levi Mitchell — is a game-time decision based on the performance of Tate’s wonky throwing arm in the warm-up. “He practised Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Hufnagel, head coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders.
“He threw bette r on Wednesday than he did Tuesday. So he’s progressing and getting better.”
When asked if Tate would start if healthy, Hufnagel laughed.
“Why wouldn’t he be?” he asked rhetorically. “I mean, he’s my starting quarterback.”
Winnipeg head coach Tim Burke, however, is pretty sure he knows which guy will line up under centre for the opposition at the shiny new Investors Group Field. And it’s not Tate. “I think it’s going to be Mitchell,” Burke said Thursday. “Mitchell (with) Tate backing him up. That’s my gut feeling.”
Mitchell, 23, is poised to make his first career start
“If Bo plays, I expect him to be able manage the game,” Hufnagel said. “He’s done that so far when we’ve put him in the games in a lot of different situations. For the most part, he’s been successful.
“That’s all I’m asking him to do is manage the game, get the ball to his playmakers and the rest of the team to help out a young quarterback win the game.”
Given his lack of steady playing time, Mitchell is an enigma, of sorts, for the Winnipeg defence.
“There’s not a lot of video of him,” Burke said.
“But I know that the Calgary coaches feel like he is a very good quarterback, and he could be their long-term answer if Tate doesn’t stay healthy. They feel like he could be there long-term answer.
“He runs well. He looks like he has a nice arm. I think he’s another quarterback where they just feel he’s a winner — kind of a gunslinger guy who can run around and extend plays and make throws to guys off of that.”