Blue Bombers QBs looking forward to facing live bullets against Elks

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With four quarterbacks making the trip to Edmonton for Saturday’s CFL pre-season game against the Elks, it’s not clear how the reps will be distributed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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How much will No. 1 quarterback Zach Collaros play, if at all?

How much falls to No. 2 Dru Brown, who wants every opportunity he can get to go in and face live bullets?

And what will be left for Josh Jones and Tyrrell Pigrome, who have been competing for the No. 3 job throughout training camp?

There’s a good chance all four players will see action as the Bombers play their first of two pre-season games. The other is slated for June 2 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at IG Field.

One thing is certain — they’re all itching to have a chance to face a defence other than their own.

We practice pretty fast out here, but it’s different when you’re able to get smacked

Bombers QB Dru Brown

“Any time you get to get game reps at game speed, it’s good,” Brown said after the Bombers held their final pre-game practice this week.

“We practice pretty fast out here, but it’s different when you’re able to get smacked.

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“It’s good to see different things on defence than what our defence does. We’re in a good rhythm of what our defence does, we’re able to see it. It doesn’t look like that for everyone you face, so it’s good to see those pictures, mentally, when you’re out there and you can take that with you, moving forward.”

Brown has only started two CFL games in his career and he needs the reps more than Collaros does. Collaros, named the CFL’s most outstanding player the past two seasons, likely just wants to get a feel for the live action before starting the season opener on June 9.

Assuming Brown gets his chance on Saturday, it should be another solid learning experience for the 26-year-old out of Oklahoma State.

“I do think that your comfortability grows and that’s what you want to see,” he said.

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“Being on time, going to the right place with the ball, extending plays when you have to, making good decisions. Those are all things that you look for when you watch yourself and you evaluate yourself.

“Sometimes it doesn’t show up as completion percentage or touchdowns, but it could even show up as ‘How did it feel out there? How did you see it? Were you seeing it well?’ Those are things you can control. Putting the ball where it’s needs to be, whether it’s caught matters, but for you, that’s not something you can control.”

Jones and Pigrome are sure to see playing time at some point during the pre-season, and they’ve been working diligently to get ready for it.

“I’ve just been trying to soak everything in from Dru and Zach and hopefully I can just put it into play and have fun and enjoy it,” Pigrome said. “It’s just being calm, being patient, taking what the defence gives me.

“Hopefully in the game, all I’ve got to get used to is the hits. Get that first hit, see how that feels, and start out with that.”

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