If the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats haven’t figured each other out by now, they never will. 

It isn’t often that two teams end up playing each other four times in the span of two months, but that’s what is happening for the Tiger-Cats and the Blue Bombers as they are to meet at Canad Inns Stadium on Friday the 13th.

This is already the fourth time Hamilton and Winnipeg have met.

The good news for both of these teams is that they would both be in the playoffs if they started today. The bad news is that they only have a combined four wins, just one of which has come against another team in the CFL.

So far in 2010, the home teams have ruled the day. The Bombers opened up the season with a shocking 49-29 upset of the Tabbies at home. Since then, Hamilton has won 28-7 and 29-22 at home.

The winning team will move a game ahead of the other. Should the Tiger-Cats spring the mild upset, they will have won the season series and the tiebreaker, effectively giving them a game and a half lead on Winnipeg for the last playoff spot in the East Division. The loser will drop back into the gutter in the division and be fighting for a crossover postseason spot.

Hamilton is still having major problems with its ground attack, which is putting all sorts of pressure on quarterback Kevin Glenn and the passing game. Glenn has thrown the second most passes in the CFL with 218, and he is second in the league in yardage with 1,886. Throwing 11 touchdowns against four picks is good for a 101.2 quarterback rating, the second highest amongst starters in the CFL.

Glenn would be nowhere without the play of receiver Arland Bruce III, though. Bruce is simply on fire right now. He leads the CFL by a country mile in receptions (43) and yards (680) and his four touchdown grabs puts him just one off of the league lead. Last week, Bruce had 11 catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks ago, he went for 272 yards and two touchdowns on 16 catches. Three of his six games have resulted in at least seven catches and at least 100 receiving yards.

As for that woeful running game, changes may need to be made. DeAndra’ Cobb has only rushed for 249 yards this year, putting him at dead last in the league for starting running backs and just barely in front of some of the quarterbacks. Cobb’s 4.0 yard per carrry average remains the worst in the CFL.

On the other side of the ball, the Bombers are going to be facing a defence which has allowed the second most points in the East Division. This could be the week that quarterback Buck Pierce comes back to the lineup after a brief absence. Statistically speaking, both Pierce and reserve quarterback Steven Jyles have comparable numbers, which could make for some controversy should the incumbent come back into the lineup and struggle.

Regardless of who is under center, running back Fred Reid is going to be a focal point for the offence. Reid is averaging 6.6 YPC this year, the second best in the CFL amongst running backs, and even though he has just two TD runs, his 451 yards on the ground is fourth in the league.

The Bombers have only picked off five passes all season long, which could provide a bit of a challenge against a solid Hamilton aerial assault.

The victory both SU and ATS for Hamilton moved it to 3-1-0 in both categories over the last four games with the Blue Bombers.

However, the trend to take note of might just be the ‘under.’ Bettors taking the low side of the CFL betting total are 11-4-0 in Winnipeg’s last 15 games played in the month of August and is 24-8-0 in its last 32 games played on Friday nights.

For Hamilton, the ‘under’ has also been golden, as it is 39-15-1 in its last 55 Friday games. Since the opening game of the year between these teams, both duels have stayed ‘under’ the number.

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If the old saying “familiarity breeds contempt” is true, then there should be a lot of contempt Saturday night when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats battle for a third time this season.

On July 2, the Bombers took care of the Tiger-Cats to open up the 2010 CFL betting season with a 49-29 win at Canad Inns Stadium. Just two weeks later, the Tabbies got their revenge at Ivor Wynne Stadium, pushing aside Winnipeg 28-7. Even though this is only the sixth week of the season, the two squads are already renewing ties for a third time on Saturday night in Steeltown. Just six days later, they will meet again at Canad Inns.

"Things look relatively grim for both teams at this point in the season, especially considering that each has one win against the other"

Things look relatively grim for both teams at this point in the season, especially considering that each has one win against the other. Hamilton is winless against the rest of the CFL and is tied for the worst record in the league. However, if the playoffs were to start today, the Tiger-Cats would be in a position where they were tied for the crossover playoff spot.

Winnipeg is 2-3-0 and is a game clear of the Tabbies for the last post-season spot in the East Division.

The winner of this grudge match will take third place in the East Division into Week 7, while the loser will be sitting in the gutter.

One would figure that the problems for the Bombers would be stemming from their offence. However, with 157 points scored, only Montreal and Saskatchewan have better tallies in the league through five games and that also accounts for the woeful seven-point showing against Hamilton back in Week 3.

Fifteen offensive scores this year ranks second in the CFL behind just Saskatchewan. The Riders are also the only team in the CFL to average more yards per game than the Bombers, who currently sit at a lofty 8.5 yards per play.

Though quarterback Buck Pierce hasn’t played in two weeks, reserve Steven Jyles has stepped in admirably, completing 61.5 percent of his passes for 580 yards and two touchdowns to go with four rushing scores. Pierce, who has been injury prone in his career, has been sitting out due to a knee problem. He is listed as questionable to return for the third installment against the Tiger-Cats.

The play of wide receiver Terrence Edwards has been phenomenal this year. He leads the CFL in receiving at 545 yards and is the only man in the league with at least three receptions to average over 20 yards per catch (21.5). Edwards has four receiving touchdowns on the season as well, putting him in a three-way tie for the league lead.

Wide receiver Arland Bruce III tried his best last week to break all of Edwards’ marks in just one game. The CFL veteran had the best game of his career, hauling in 16 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for him, his Tiger-Cats needed all those passing yards because they were constantly trailing the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hamilton was defeated 37-24.

Quarterback Kevin Glenn has had an up and down season, but lately, he has been more high than low. He has thrown for at least 330 yards in three of his last four starts and has three touchdown passes in two of his last three. The two interceptions Glenn threw last week against the Riders were the first blunders he has made since the opening week of the season.

As a result, only Pierce and Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo have higher quarterback ratings this season than Glenn, who currently sits at a lofty 100.8.

Still, thanks to a poor running game which ranks dead last in the league at just 70.6 yards per game, the Tabbies are sixth in the CFL in total offence at 347.4 YPG.

Running back DeAndra’ Cobb has to be losing confidence in a hurry. He rushed for 1,217 yards last season, but is only on a pace for 727 this year. Cobb is averaging the worst YPC amongst starting running backs in the league at 4.0 and his 202 yards on the ground is easily the lowest amongst starting backs.

Dating back to last season, Hamilton is only 1-5 ATS in its last six overall. The team has only had two games in that stretch in which it held its opponents under 34 points.

The Bombers enter this game having covered the CFL spreads in back-to-back games as underdogs.

They’re pups once again on Saturday night, as the Bombers are 2.5-point underdogs. The ‘total’ has been set at 53.5.

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The Calgary Stampeders will be at home with the McMahon Stadium crowd behind the Stampeders, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have managed to cover four of the last five meetings.

The CFL continues its fifth week of CFL betting action on Saturday, as Winnipeg face off with the Stampedery on Saturday night.

"The oddsmakers are expecting the Stampeders to roll in this game, favoring them by 6.5 points on the CFL betting lines"

These two former West Division rivals now find themselves on opposite ends of the CFL world, as Winnipeg has since shifted East. The Bombers are a game and a half behind the Montreal Alouettes for first place in the East, while Calgary is tied for first in the West but hold the tiebreaker over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Winnipeg has a major problem at the quarterback position, as QB Buck Pierce is probably going to miss his second straight game due to a knee injury this week. Pierce actually has the highest quarterback rating amongst all starting signal callers in the league with a 108.3. He has thrown five touchdowns against two picks, completing 65.8 percent of his passes.

However, assuming that Pierce is on the shelf for the week, quarterback Steven Jyles will be taking over under center. Jyles hasn’t been a full time starter at any point during his CFL career. He did a decent job last week in a 47-21 win over the Edmonton Eskimos, completing 14-of-22 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He completed five passes for at least 20 yards on the game, stretching a very thin Edmonton defence. Jyles also used his fantastic legs, rushing for 63 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries.

Jyles, Pierce and running back Fred Reid have already combined to rush for 547 yards and seven touchdowns. Jyles leads the CFL with four touchdown runs on the season.

Defensively is where the Bombers have really made their mark this year. They are allowing just 307.2 yards-per-game, the best mark in the CFL. They have the second most efficient pass defense in the league, allowing just 7.4 yards-per-pass-attempt. Winnipeg is also third in the CFL in rush defence at just 102.0 YPG on the ground allowed.

The Stampeders are coming off of their biggest half of football of the season. A 33-13 second half against its rivals from Saskatchewan led Calgary to a 40-20 win at McMahon Stadium.

Even though quarterback Henry Burris did toss a pair of interceptions, his four touchdown passes were a season high. He went 21/31 for 279 yards. Burris has double the interceptions of any other quarterback in the league, as his eight is four higher than the second most in the CFL this year. The good news is that Burris has nine touchdown passes, which led the CFL coming into this weekend but is now second to Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo, who has 10.

The issue Calgary is still having offensively is at the wide receiver position. Though Romby Bryant has had a good season with 21 catches, 327 yards and a CFL-high four touchdown receptions, no one else has really proven to be able to step up and lead the way yet. Missing both Ryan Thelwell and Ken-Yon Rambo is preventing Burris from getting into his groove this year.

"The Bombers could be the way to go in this game. They covered four of the last five spreads in this series, including both last season"

Should running back Joffrey Reynolds have a fantastic day on the ground, he could take overthe CFL lead in rushing once again. His 6.3 yards-per-carry might not be one of the best marks in the league, but at 351 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Reynolds is well on his way towards another 1,200+ yard season.

The oddsmakers are expecting the Stampeders to roll in this game, favoring them by 6.5 points on the CFL betting lines. The ‘total’ has been set at 56.5.

The Bombers could be the way to go in this game. They covered four of the last five spreads in this series, including both last season. Winnipeg pulled a 42-30 upset at home last year over Calgary, while it stuck in front of the hefty 14.5 point spread in the last meeting of these clubs with a 31-23 defeat.

The home team has won eight straight games in this series and had covered seven straight CFL lines before the Blue Bombers covered the spread in the last clash.

Especially after a solid outing last week, don’t be surprised if Jyles leads the Blue Bombers to another cover against the CFL betting lines in Calgary.

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Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos are still in search of their first win of the CFL season. Will they get it as a pick ‘em on the road Saturday in Winnipeg?

Former West Division rivals duke it out at Canad Inns Stadium in the first half of a doubleheader of CFL betting action. This game will be shown live on the NFL Network.

The Eskimos are the last CFL team standing that is in search of its first win of the season. After losses to the British Columbia Lions, Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders to start the year, the Eskimos find themselves ranking dead last offensively in the league with just 53 total points scored. The defence hasn’t been significantly better, as the 82 points allowed is just third in the West.

Quarterback Ricky Ray is averaging 296.0 passing-yards-per-game, which ranks him third in the CFL amongst starting signal callers. Should he keep up at this pace for the rest of the season, Ray would have yet another 5,000+ yard season, a number in which he has gotten to three times in his career.

The problem Ray has right now is that he isn’t throwing touchdown passes. Only one in three games is absolutely inexcusable for an offence that has this many weapons. Coming into this week, Ray had the two best wide receivers statistically in the CFL. Though Kelly Campbell has a very impressive 21 receptions for 301 yards, it is Fred Stamps that is really stealing the show. He leads all receivers in the league with 24 catches and 399 yards. He 16.6 yards-per-carry average ranks him eighth in the league.

Running back Arkee Whitlock has the second most carries amongst running backs in the CFL with 44 and he has a total of 264 yards on the ground, third in the CFL. Whitlock is one of five players in the CFL that has a pair of rushing touchdowns on the season.

"The problem Ray has right now is that he isn't throwing touchdown passes"

The Bombers have two of those men with two rushing touchdowns, but both are quarterbacks. Backup Steven Jyles has two scores on the goal line on just nine total carries. Starter Buck Pierce only has 13 carries on the year, but he has absolutely made the most of them. Pierce has rushed for 192 yards, giving him an average of 14.8 yards-per-carry, tops in the CFL.

More conventionally through the air, Pierce has led a lethal offence this season. He is completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 774 yards and five touchdowns against just two picks.

Keep a close eye on wide receiver Terrence Edwards, as he is second in the CFL in receiving with 318 yards. On Montreal’s Kerry Watkins has more touchdown receptions (4) than Edwards on the season (3). Edwards is also fourth in the league in yards-per- catch average at 19.9, largely because of a 90-yard touchdown reception against Hamilton the first game of the season.

The Bombers enter Saturday one and a half games behind the Alouettes for first place in the East Division. They have the second highest scoring average in the East and the third highest in the league at 30.0 points-per-game. The defence hasn’t been great though, as allowing 31.0 point-per-game isn’t going to cut it to get Winnipeg into the playoffs.

Last season, the home team took both games SU in this series, but the Bombers snatched both victories against the CFL odds. Winnipeg won 27-17 at home as four point pups, while it also stuck in front of the number in a 19-17 defeat at Commonwealth Stadium late in the season.

Dating back to 2005, Winnipeg has covered seven of the last ten in this rivalry. The Blue Bombers are also 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing record.

If you’re looking for a ‘total’ trend on the game, keep an eye on the ‘under.’ It has cashed in three straight clashes of the Eskies and Bombers, and five out of six as well. ‘Under’ betters are 6-2 in Edmonton’s last eight games overall.

The CFL betting line features a pick ‘em. The ‘total’ has been lined at 54.

Courtesy of SBRForum.com.

It is time for the majority of CFL fans and media figures to grab their plates and get in line. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are serving up some crow.

As the 2010 CFL season approached, it was hard to find a non-Winnipeg fan that predicted the Bombers to finish any better than third in the East Division. Well, after Winnipeg’s 49-29 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this past weekend, fans and media figures alike are perhaps beginning to look at the Blue and Gold in a different light.

Heading into their opening week matchup with the Tiger-Cats, there wasn’t much

Pierce to Edwards, the new deadly duo in Winnipeg.

faith being placed in Winnipeg, even though they were at home. When a low majority of people pick a team to win at home in the opening week of play, that spells a lack of trust. At CFL Daily Dose, we certainly didn’t have faith in the Bombers. In our Week 1 Previews and Predictions, none of the writers picked Winnipeg to win.

This writer went so far as to say Pierce would succumb to injury on his first snap.

But Pierce did not fall to injury. He instead decided to put the Bombers on his back. The B.C. Lions decided to let Pierce go in the off-season, opting for Casey Printers to be there starter. In Week 1, Pierce performed better than Printers.

Based on his Week 1 performance, Pierce is beginning to show that it has been his injuries, not his skills that have prevented him from being a star pivot.

The healthy Pierce went 17/25 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. That’s impressive. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Pierce ran for 89 yards and a touchdown. When one thinks of a mobile quarterback, Pierce doesn’t usually pop to mind, especially with his injuries. His ability to run the ball in Week 1 showed Pierce is indeed healthy and willing to sacrifice for his team.

Of course, Winnipeg’s pivot had some help. This help came in the form of wide receiver Terrence Edwards. Edwards recorded 191 yards and two touchdowns. Tough it’s early, Pierce and Edwards could be the next star quarterback-wide receiver combo in the league. Edwards has got to be happy to have a solid pivot getting him the ball.

The most impressive thing about Winnipeg’s offensive performance was the fact that they didn’t need to rely on running back Fred Reid. Reid was only handed the ball 13 times, accumulating 98 yards. Those were good numbers, but last season the Bombers had to rely on Reid much more because of their poor passing game.

Considering the fact that Hamilton scored two special teams touchdowns, the Bombers were solid on defence. Joe Lobendahn, who is attempting to replace the all-star Barrin Simpson at middle linebacker, led the way with eight tackles and two sacks. Phillip Hunt stepped up as well with two sacks on the defensive line.

The Bombers did a good job shutting down Hamilton’s star players. Kevin Glenn had a 50% completion percentage and under 200 passing yards, De’Andra Cobb was a non-factor with 22 rushing yards and Arland Bruce III was limited to three catches for 44 yards.

Now, this writer still believes that the Tiger-Cats will finish second in the East. After all, Hamilton lost to the woeful Toronto Argonauts in Week 1 last season yet still finished second. They were rusty, but Hamilton showed some signs. The game did show that Winnipeg won’t be fighting for third with the Argonauts, but challenging for second and maybe first.

The Bombers won’t make things easy on Hamilton and the Montreal Alouettes this season.

Jonathan Hamelin is an aspiring journalist, who has a freelance contract with the Regina Leader-Post and is a veteran online CFL columnist. He can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

CFL spring training is done, and the regular season is about to begin. Now that all the preseason games are complete, we can much more accurately make predictions about the upcoming season.
There was plenty of drama to go around in the league last year, with most of the guilty parties no longer in the CFL. Only time will tell if the offseason changes will have a positive impact on their teams’ standings.
Let’s look at the East first and work backwards.

No. 4—Toronto Argonauts

The Argos are in better hands with Jim Barker, but the team is still one with a lot of question marks in key positions.
The quarterback position has the biggest question mark with Dalton Bell leading the way. Bell left the Saskatchewan Roughriders after realizing he wasn’t going to move into the No. 1 position ahead of starter Darian Durant. Moving to Toronto will give him a better chance at a starting job, but don’t count out Kerwin Bell to win a starting job.
The Argos have too many unproven youngsters pieced together to think that they will make the step out of the basement. Knowing Jim Barker’s ability to find talent makes me think there could be a step up to the No. 3 spot, but there are just too many new faces for me to think it will happen.

No. 3—Winnipeg Blue Bombers

New head coach Paul Lapolice made some big strides in his value, as some solid play calling in the playoffs brought the Riders to within seconds of winning a Grey Cup.
Even though Winnipeg fans will be much more understanding with Lapolice because he isn’t Mike Kelly, fans weren’t hugely fond of Lapolice when he was the Bombers offensive coordinator. Hopefully for Lapolice, he is somewhat successful; if not, he can only hope that the fans are more forgiving.
The Blue Bombers are looking more stable than they were at the beginning of last year, and even though the quarterbacks aren’t bona fide No. 1s, Buck Pierce and Steven Jyles have seen success. The only knock against Pierce is that he hasn’t been super durable
Winnipeg has made big strides, but not quite enough to pass the Als or Ti-Cats.

No. 2—Hamilton Tiger-Cats

It’s too soon to say that Hamilton is a Grey Cup contender, but the pieces seem to be in place for a team that could dethrone Montreal very soon.

The most important part of this team’s success—and I have been saying this for years—is the offensive line. A unit that had been weak for years, the deep front five is going to be a piece of the puzzle that makes this team strong for the next decade…if they can keep them that long.
With a strong O-line, the rest of the offense will be that much better, especially at quarterback. Even though Quinton Porter showed hints of success, Kevin Glenn is the man Hamilton needs at No. 1 to be successful this year. The running backs, Cobb and Summers, will also be much better with some good hogs to block.
With a decent defense and a good offense, the Tiger-Cats have the definite potential to fight for No. 1, at least next year if not this year.

No. 1—Montreal Alouettes

The Grey Cup Champions are getting old, but not retired just yet. Bryan Chiu was the first of a long line of potential Hall of Famers to call it a career and the rest, notably Anthony Calvillo and Ben Cahoon, shouldn’t be much further behind him.
That being said, they are still Alouettes, and with both stars looking to solidify a few CFL records, you shouldn’t see any of them letting up this year. The Als are still very strong on both sides of the ball, and even though they will have more competition inside their division, they should have enough to finish on top of the East.

"My advice for the other seven teams in the CFL: Don't even try to beat Winnipeg, they are too good."

Look out CFL, Winnipeg may be a force to be reckoned with this season.

One of the most shocking results in the CFL’s opening week of regular season play was Winnipeg’s 34-10 trouncing of the Montreal Alouettes, the defending Grey Cup champions. The game was never close. It wasn’t just a blowout, it was a massacre. Winnipeg devoured Montreal and then used their carcasses to sweep the floor of the dressing room.

All the question marks for Winnipeg seem to have been answered after week 1.

Those who had faith that Buck Pierce could be the starting quarterback were definitely rewarded. Pierce went 6/10 for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also led Winnipeg on a 11-play, 104-yard touchdown drive. After the first quarter, Pierce either was tired or the Bombers felt so comfortable with their lead that they decided to play three other quarterbacks for the remainder of the game.

A genius move, as it turns out. These three quarterbacks, Steven Jyles, Adam DiMichele and Alex Brink combined for 20 points.

Winnipeg’s defence, meanwhile, stymied a usually potent Montreal offence. They limited the Alouettes to 202 yards passing, 34 rushing yards and only one touchdown. Last season, Montreal averaged 288 passing yards a game, 120 rushing yards and 33 points.

Kavis Reed, the new defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, is a defensive genius!

Winnipeg’s success could have something to do with Montreal’s head coach Marc Trestman’s foolish decision to bench almost his entire starting roster. Trestman, who was named coach of the year last season, decided not to play quarterback Anthony Calvillo, running back Avon Cobourne, slotback’s Jamel Richardson and Ben Cahoon, wide receiver Kerry Watkins and countess other offensive and defensive starters.

Is Trestman’s success getting to his head? Will he go out in equipment and face the next team all by himself?

Oddly enough, Winnipeg seemed to bench a fair number of starters as well. This decision, however, was almost certainly made because the Bombers were so confident about a victory.

This game will surely be the first chapter in Winnipeg’s eventual Grey Cup winning season. It is time to plan the parade. For a team that hasn’t won the Grey Cup since 1990, it is long overdue. Because of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Grey Cup victory in 2007, Winnipeg is now the team that has gone the longest without winning the Grey Cup.

That should change this season. Just look at the logic. If Winnipeg beat Montreal, who won the Grey Cup last season, it means the Bombers should win it this season.

Oh and is it too early to name Paul LaPolice the Coach of the Year? Definitely not. LaPolice, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Riders the last two seasons, has already improved the team greatly.

Under the leadership of former head coach Mike Kelly last season, Winnipeg averaged 200 passing yards a game, 119 rushing yards and 21 points. This season, under LaPolice, Winnipeg is on pace to average 238 passing yards a game, 187 rushing yards and 34 points.

And it is only week 1!

My advice for the other seven teams in the CFL: Don’t even try to beat Winnipeg, they are too good.

Oh crap, my bad… that was a pre-season game.

Better postpone the Grey Cup parade. In fact, why don’t you just go ahead and disregard everything just said in this article.

CFL Daily Dose can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a fan of the CFL, and would be interested in writing about the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, B.C. Lions, or the CFL in general, contact Chris.

Pierce would be a front runner for the starting job if not for his recent history of injuries.

The starting quarterback race in Winnipeg should be an interesting battle to follow early in the season.

With the Bombers signing free agent quarterback Buck Pierce on Monday and beleaguered quarterback Stefan Lefors retiring on Tuesday, Winnipeg now has four pivots aspiring for the job: Adam DiMichele, Steven Jyles, Buck Pierce and Ricky Santos. Out of this group, two quarterbacks are unknown commodities, one is a veteran battling through a recent history of injury problems and the other is eager to claim a starting role that has eluded him throughout his career.

Which quarterback will get the nod?

Adam DiMichele

After excelling at Sto-Rox High School, DiMichele went on to have a successful career at Temple College. He threw for 5,024 yards (fourth on the Owls’ all-time list) and 40 touchdowns while rushing for five touchdowns. He was named the teams MVP in both 2007 and 2008.After brief stints with the Calgary Stampeders and the Philadelphia Eagles, he spent part of the 2009 season on the Bombers practice roster, before being signed to a contract during the off-season. DiMchele has not seen any playing time at the professional level and he is perhaps the most unknown of the four quarterbacks.

Steven Jyles

Jyles has been a career backup in the CFL. After spending his college career at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Jyles signed on with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2006. He was acquired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a trade in 2008. Jyles has a career 1,085 yards, five touchdowns and 11 interceptions, being used primarily as a short yardage quarterback in his career. No one really knows what Jyles could achieve a starter.

Buck Pierce

During his five year career with the British Columbia Lions, Pierce threw for 8,734 yards, 48 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. However, it has been his recent injury problems that have followed the pivot around. Pierce has had off-and-on injuries since 2007. He shared playing time in the last two seasons, mainly with Jarious Jackson, and failed to cement himself in the starting role. Though he is Winnipeg’s most proven quarterback, his history of injuries is a big concern for the club.

Ricky Santos

Like DiMichele, Santos has had a polished college career. During his time with the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, Santos led the team to a 37-14 record. Santos was a three time All-American selection and finished third on the NCAA all-time career passing yardage list (13,212) and third on the touchdown passes list (123). After a brief stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, Santos began his CFL career with the Montreal Alouettes in 2008. He was traded to Winnipeg the next season. Santos did not throw any passes last season, but contributed in the short-yardage game, rushing for 24 yards and a touchdown. Last season, there seemed to be a lot of Bombers fans who wanted Santos to get the start. He could get his chance this season.

And the winner is…

Steven Jyles

Jyles has been longing for a starting quarterback job in the CFL. Now is the time to go out and get it. There is not much flashy about his numbers, but Jyles does have a 60.5% completion rating in his career. Jyle should benefit from having Paul LaPolice, who served as the offensive coordinator in Saskatchewan during Jyles last season, as head coach of the Bombers.

It seems unlikely that DiMichele will claim the job. He had an impressive college career but this does not always translate in success in the CFL. His inexperience at the pro level will also hinder his chances.

Santos is also an inexperienced quarterback, but his college accolades were so impressive that he may win the backup quarterback job. Many Bomber fans were anxious to see him get playing time last season and they may get their wish.

Pierce will provide the biggest challenge for Jyles. While Pierce has the most experience of all four quarterbacks, his injury problem is a major concern. If he remains healthy, which is a big if, Pierce could make it a close fight for the starting role. If Pierce does not remain healthy, the Bombers will not throw him into action.

When it comes down to it, if Jyles can not win the starting quarterback job against this batch of quarterbacks, maybe it is time he stop trying.