After Bridge hit goes unpenalized, league searches for answers

For the second consecutive game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback wasn’t around to finish what he started.

On Sunday, Brandon Bridge was helped off the field after absorbing a hit to the head during the secondlast play of a 23-18 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL’S West Division semifinal.

There wasn’t any penalty assessed to Winnipeg ’s Jackson Jeffcoat, who levelled Bridge with the hit.

The headshot came after starting quarterback Zach Collaros missed the final three quarters of a 35-16 win over the B.C. Lions Oct. 27 after taking a shot to the head from Odell Willis. The Lions’ defensive end was only penalized for unnecessary roughness after the Riders successfully challenged the missed call.

“I feel like every other team gets those calls and for some reason we don’t,” said Riders receiver Naaman Roosevelt. “I don’t know what it is and I don’t know what they see. Clearly you can see head-to-head contact with the quarterback. I know you have two refs back there watching and I don’t know what they see.”

Bridge played Sunday because Collaros was still suffering from some of the effects from the Willis hit, even though he had passed all of the CFL’S concussion protocols.

Willie Jefferson, the Riders’ allstar defensive end, sounded frustrated when asked about the high hit on Bridge.

“Stuff like that is supposed to be called, playoffs or not,” Jefferson said. “If the quarterback gets hit in the head, they are supposed to throw that flag. There isn’t any doubt about it.”

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie weighed in on both headshots, albeit after the fact.

Ambrosie called the official’s response to the Willis hit “clearly inadequate.” The commissioner said that a roughing-the-passer penalty should have been called without the Riders having to use their challenge.

Ambrosie fined Willis the maximum allowable amount (half a game cheque) under the collective-bargaining agreement.

On Sunday, Ambrosie acknowledged that the officials missed the call that led to Bridge being forced out of the game.

Ambrosie noted that the official’s view was blocked, but feels the league needs to look at letting the command centre make calls on plays in those situations.

“We need to do more than admit an error,” Ambrosie said in a prepared statement. “We need to search for a solution.”

Jeffcoat will likely be fined for what he felt was just a football play.

“There was no malicious intent and I didn’t feel like there was any head contact,” Jeffcoat told reporters, adding he had yet to see a replay of the hit.

“I came in with my shoulder. My job is to sack the quarterback and hit him.”

Bridge remained on the turf while being tended to by the Riders’ training staff. He walked off the field and was seen talking to teammates in the locker-room after the game. Bridge wasn’t made available to the media.

Head coach and general manager Chris Jones didn’t have an update on the quarterback’s status.

David Watford came off the bench for the final play and attempted a Hail Mary pass that was intercepted by Anthony Gaitor.

“It’s unfortunate,” Jones said. “It seems like it’s part of football that physical plays happen. It’s an unfortunate thing that we’ve kind of revisited two times in the last two ( games). It’s an unfortunate event, but I guess it’s part of football in our league.”