Berg vs. Ferg: Does Pipkin deserve a longer look?

Berg vs. Ferg returns for another season on CFL.ca as columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate over some of the league’s most contentious storylines. This week they debate over the debut of Antonio Pipkin.

It appears that Antonio Pipkin will get one more chance, after all, to put his talents on display and prove he belongs in the quarterback conversation in Montreal.

With TSN’s John Lu reporting that Pipkin will start in Week 11, the 23-year-old will try to replicate an impressive first as the Als seek win No. 2 on the season against the Argos.

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It’s hard to imagine, at this point, that the Als would keep Manziel on the bench once he’s back. They put so many resources into acquiring him, while his window in the CFL could be short with a contract that expires after 2019.

On the other hand, Pipkin played better than expected for a quarterback who was released in camp and then asked to come in suddenly and start against a formidable opponent on the road. Pipkin scrambled well and threw the ball accurately, giving his receivers opportunities to make big plays while also limiting turnovers.

Does Pipkin deserve the opportunity to continue playing if he succeeds in Week 11? Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate.

BERG (6-5): THERE’S NOTHING TO LOSE WITH PIPKIN

Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg

Odds are the second Johnny Manziel is cleared to play again, the Montreal Alouettes will put him back to the top of the quarterback depth chart. The arguments for installing Manziel as the number one immediately are sound, but let me present you with a contrasting opinion. Knowing the injury Manziel is recovering from, the way his backup played over the weekend, and where the Alouettes are right now, giving Antonio Pipkin another shot isn’t a crazy idea.

First off, give Pipkin his due. The 23-year-old rookie had some flashes in Montreal’s 40-24 loss in Edmonton on Saturday night. He wasn’t incredible, but Pipkin made some big plays through the air, threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and did a decent job of keeping his team respectable in a tough game on the road. As far as rookie first starts with very little first-team practice work go, Pipkin did okay and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

I get it, Montreal gave up a great deal to acquire Manziel from Hamilton and they want to give him the chance to develop to see what they have. However, knowing how long the Alouettes have struggled to find a consistent quarterback since Anthony Calvillo’s retirement, they can’t put all their eggs in one basket here. Montreal has an opportunity to evaluate another young quarterback in meaningful game action this weekend, and I think they owe it to themselves to consider it.

The opportunity exists because Manziel is coming off a concussion. I understand why wanting to see Johnny Football back on the field is a priority, but waiting one extra week isn’t going to make a big difference to a team already sitting at 1-8. Delaying things allows Montreal to give Pipkin another look, which helps them down the road. At the same time, it allows Manziel a little more time to recover and get back up to speed as he continues to adjust to a steep CFL learning curve.

Again, I’d be surprised if the Als didn’t go right back to Manziel as soon as he’s medically cleared to play. But taking everything into consideration, I’m not sure that’s the best course of action at this stage of the game.

FERG (5-6): THE ALS ARE TOO DEEPLY INVESTED IN MANZIEL

Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh

Antonio Pipkin looked really good, he might even be the long-term answer for the never-ending question plaguing the Montreal Alouettes of ‘who is our future at quarterback’.

With that being said, the Alouettes cut Pipkin going into the 2018 season and only brought him back due to a variety of injuries. That’s not exactly a vote of confidence.

Manziel on the other hand was acquired from Hamilton for a package of players and draft picks before having the Montreal fan base sit through a four-interception debut just for the chance to watch Manziel play football live.

It may not be fair, but the reality is Montreal needs to start Manziel and let him work out the kinks on the fly for the remainder of the year. When healthy Manziel has already shown marked improvement which should continue as he continues to get reps.

You don’t trade what the Alouettes did to get him to start a guy the team cut. Montreal is deeply invested in Manziel for the next two years – for better or worse – and they will either sink or swim with him at the controls.

There is no other option.

DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!

While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s got to take it. Whose argument convinced you the most?

You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh.

The winner will be revealed in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.

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