This week without Kevin Glenn Winnipeg was completely inept which again demonstrated that most CFL teams are impotent without their star QB.The Argos have ceased to be an offensive threat since Allen went down with an injury.This reveals a downside of the CFL that most teams cannot compete without their first string QB.This fact has been long demonstrated.For example the Alouettes were demolished in the season when Calvillo was injured.It appears that most teams in the CFL stop being an offensive threat when their top QB goes down.There are exceptions!Some teams like the BC LIons seem to be able to find good secong string QB's-Casey Printers and Buck Pierce are examples.A few years ago Edmonton played Montreal with a raw rookie named Henry Burris-you know the rest! Later Edmonton came to play the Als without Mass their star QB and Ricky Ray creamed the Alouette defence.It does appear that teams with extremely good scouting can find QB's overlooked by the NFL.However a team with two outstanding QBs can become divided and develop a malaise when two huge egos rub against each other.Also,the average CFL team cannot afford to have two marquis quarterbacks! What to do? I believe the CFL should begin paying attention to Canadian QBS,have their scouts look for these guys then assign coaching to develop these players.One of the outstanding CFL QBs in the CFL was a Canadian-Russ Jackson who was the star of the old Ottawa Roughriders back in the sixties.He could throw better than the American QBS in the league and was a real threat as a runner.Canadian boys can be developed into good QBS but the American coaches have no use for them. For example, last year Matt Bertrand, a passer from Laval University,lasted about two weeks in the Als training camp.Edmonton picked him up but turned him into a blocking fullback and special teams player.THe Alouettes had no interesting in giving Bertrand the opportunity to compete for a backup QB position.THis was unreal when you consider who made the back up position-TED WHITE! Ted was without doubt the most inefficient backup QB ever.He could not even be counted on to make a yard to establish a first down for his team.Without doubt Bertrand has proved his worth in the CFL and would have been able to make these first downs plunges for the Als.White was great at throwing interceptions and the other quarterback to make the Alouettes was Taveris Bolden who in three years might have played one or two ineffective series.Give me Betrand[whom I followed in his Laval days] over White any time.Come on CFL,begin scouting our Canadian QBS and coach them developmentally.I am certain that with adequate scouting and development these players would be able to make qood contributions to the CFL!
"A few years ago Edmonton played Montreal with a raw rookie named Henry Burris-you know the rest! "
Huh??? No please go on with the rest.
I look at the problem of injured quarterbacks from a different viewpoint. There are no fewer good quality QBs now than in years past, it's just that in the past we'd see less of them.
QBs have remained the same size over the years, about 180 to 200 pounds. Linemen on the other hand have gone from being naturally large men to ginormous steriod monsters, and they're getting bigger every year. I don't have to name any names because there are very few linemen who aren't juiced. Many of them are larger than body-builders of the pre-steroid days. I really think that the answer to the injured QB syndrome is to have a permanent and effective zero-tolerance policy for steroids. If the players do recreational drugs those results are none of the league's business.
The idea of nurturing Canadian QBs as been around a long time. The difficulty is that QBs can only be trained and mature in the position under game conditions. Canadian University ball is about on a par with NCAA tier 2 ball and the game conditions of NCAA2 are not sufficient to prepare a QB for the CFL. The CFL game has progressed to the point where only the NCAA tier 1 can adequately train QBs under game conditions.
It's no suprise that a team suffers without there starting QB as it's a pass heavy league. In the NFL its probably just not as apparent due to the running game.
I agree, and think that this should be looked into.
Games in the CFL are usually pretty close games most of the time. And when games are out of reach, many teams refuse to give up and use their backup for a solid 5-10 mins. at the end of the game. Or they refuse to take out their starter after leading by 3 or so TDs.(there are obviously teams that take exception to this). Therefore, most teams backups hardly EVER get any playing experience. When it comes time to throw them into a game, they are completely horrible b/c they have never had any game experience. Some starting QBs in this league are beginning to get on in age. Hopefully some new talent will be ready to fill their roles.
Give backup QBs some more playing time!
Buck Pierce has done a great job as a backup QB, b/c he got a lot of playing time in a few games last year(and now this year as well). Spergon Wynn struggled this year, but that was b/c this was his first time getting any significant playing experience. Eakin did well last year, but didn't do so well in the game he started this year after getting none or next to no playing time previous to his start in '06.