WINNIPEG — There is a way to really complicate things here and, as a result, possibly enter that dangerous ‘paralysis-by-over-analysis’ stage.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were back on the field Sunday following last week’s 20-16 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos, seeking answers to issues like poor production on first downs, an ineffective running game, the yardage yielded defensively, and a rash of penalties that kept pushing the team in the wrong direction.
But while there are always things to clean up in the X’s and O’s, the bottom line with the Bombers is simple: if there are a handful of plays that decide a game, as the old theory goes, then this team just hasn’t made enough of them at critical moments in a 1-3 start.
“But I think we’re very close,” said running back Andrew Harris. “Again, I’ve said this since Day 1 – we have a lot of tools here and this is a great team. It’s just taking some time to get rolling. We’ve just got to buckle down here and hold ourselves accountable and really just come together.”
Is Drew Willy’s confidence shaken and are the Bombers considering a switch to Matt Nichols?
Drew Willy works with Buck Pierce at Bomber practice (BlueBombers.com)
Mike O’Shea was asked after practice Sunday if Willy was ‘still his guy’ and the Bomber coach offered up a one-word answer in the affirmative.
“We were behind the sticks quite a bit and there are couple of throws he’d probably like to have back, but I think that’s every quarterback every game,” said O’Shea.
“Our production on first downs was not really good so we were always in long situations, which given the way their defence plays, they just sat back, tried to make you throw underneath and then rallied to make a tackle.”
Commenting on the calls for change at the position, O’Shea added, “I don’t think it’s ever one player, I really don’t. There are always a number of factors and that’s why football is the greatest game. There are 12 guys out there that have to be on the same page, doing the same thing, thinking the same way, executing at a high level, and playing a very physically demanding sport where people are trying to knock their heads off every time, and they’ve got to try and get it done within three seconds.”
Willy finished the night going 25 of 38 for 299 yards with one TD and two interceptions, both in the second half.
“I know I can throw the ball and all those things,” said Willy. “I just have to stay focused on the task at hand is really the big thing. And whether it’s a bad play, good play, let it go and move on to the next one.”
