Jyles showing he has what it takes with Esks
Acquired in trade for Ray, quarterback had big shoes to fill in Edmonton
EDMONTON — There was nothing in his profile, nothing that would have led anyone to believe Steven Jyles was capable of this — being a starting quarterback and having a modicum of success.
How could there have been? Six seasons in the Canadian Football League, the majority of which have been spent as a backup. A 52-per-cent completion average. Barely more touchdowns (31) than interceptions (29).
“Apparently, everyone was going off what they had seen,” Jyles said on Thursday. “You complete 50 per cent of your passes, but people don’t know the reason why.
“I knew with time, every quarterback at one time gets his shot in the game,” he added. “I’ve been patient, learning the game.”
There were those who believed Anthony Calvillo was a bum when the Alouettes signed him as a free agent, what seems like a lifetime ago, from Hamilton. Similarly, Jyles was the innocent victim — the principle figure Edmonton acquired last December from Toronto in its astonishing trade of veteran pivot Ricky Ray, who had spent his entire nine-year CFL career with the Eskimos, including a pair of Grey Cup championships.
“It’s tough coming to a team that’s established, and you have to fill a role of a good quarterback,” said Jyles, 29. “And everyone was comfortable with Ricky Ray. If things don’t go right, everyone would say they should have kept Ricky Ray.
“It didn’t matter who they traded for Ricky Ray. Each would have had that pressure.”
Six weeks into the season, things don’t look so bad from an Eskimos perspective. Edmonton’s record is 4-2 heading into Friday’s game against the Als. Jyles might not be the league’s best pivot, but he’s also not necessarily doing anything to jeopardize his team’s chances. He has completed nearly 60 per cent of his passes, throwing for a modest 1,275 yards and four touchdowns. Jyles has been intercepted three times.
He’s coming off his most impressive performance, last Friday against Saskatchewan. Jyles completed 18 of 23 passes for 282 yards and a score.
“He’s leading the team and helping them win. That’s all you can expect from a quarterback,” Calvillo said.
“He has the ability to make plays,” Montreal head coach Marc Trestman said. “He’s a strong guy. He has shown the ability to make the great throw. He has proven he can help this team win.”
Perhaps Jyles, charitably listed at 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time — behind Ray in Edmonton, Darian Durant in Sas- katchewan and Winnipeg’s Buck Pierce.
He started only one game over four seasons, in 2008, before starting 11 games with the Blue Bombers two seasons later after Pierce suffered one of his many injuries. Jyles passed for 2,800 yards and 19 TDs that season, but Winnipeg stuck with Pierce, eventually trading Jyles to Toronto over the winter.
Eric Tillman had acquired Jyles from the Eskimos in 2008, when Tillman was the Roughriders’ general manager, and saw fit to repatriate the Louisiana native.
Time ultimately will decide whether Tillman — and Jyles for that matter — gets the last laugh. Although Jyles can create plays with his legs, he understands he can be effective by utilizing the talent with which he has been surrounded. Many teams rely exclusively on their quarterback, but the Eskimos don’t necessarily believe in that formula.
“We’re starting to turn things around offensively,” Jyles said. “My focus is to protect the ball. When things come around, with timing and chemistry, we can make those big plays and be a dominant offence.”