It’s a stat line every quarterback – gnarled old vet or fresh-faced freshman – dreams about every day, night, and all points in between.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers rookie pivot Chris Streveler made his Canadian Football League debut a memorable one in Friday’s preseason 33-13 win over the Edmonton Eskimos, as he was a perfect 10-for-10 for 140 yards – including an 80-yard touchdown strike to Myles White.
He looked comfortable in the pocket, made quick decisions, and delivered the ball on target, while also adding 37 yards rushing on four carries.
Not surprisingly, a media horde was waiting when he returned to his locker after the game. Streveler said all the right things by praising his protection, Paul LaPolice’s play-calling, and the work of White on a ball that was delivered to the right spot, but was a tad underthrown.
“It was just one of those things where once you start playing, it’s just football at the end of the day,” said Streveler, whose father and sister were at Investors Group Field to witness his performance. “We’ve been practicing for two weeks now and going really hard and once you get out there in a game and get your feet wet a little bit, it’s just football at the end of the day. I felt comfortable.”
Streveler, who lit it up over the last two years at the University of South Dakota, did make one mistake when he fumbled after an impressive 20-yard run in Eskimo territory.
“I think I just got a little excited. I was breaking some tackles and I thought I might score there for a second,” he said with a grin. “I felt like my ball security was OK, but I was a little disappointed. Coach harps on ball security so much and to have a good play that results in something like that is disappointing. That’s something I’m going to have to continue to work on.”
But here’s where everyone might want to tap the brakes a bit. Streveler’s performance, as impressive as it was, came against an Eskimo squad in name only. He didn’t have an Almondo Sewell up in his grill or an Aaron Grymes or Johnny Adams patrolling the secondary.
To that end, early Saturday morning a long-time buddy of yours truly – a diehard Bomber fan who now lives in Saskatchewan – texted with an intriguing question: ‘Is Streveler that good?’
It’s hard to know, given the circumstances and the teeny-tiny sample size. But the White TD, even if the receiver had to wait on the ball, was an encouraging sign. Streveler recalled the play after the game, saying he saw that White was being pressed in coverage on the boundary side of the ball. Knowing that, he had to hold the safety in the middle of the field before delivering a strike to his target.
“It wasn’t a perfect throw by any means,” said Streveler, “but Myles made a great play and he did the rest. He really put in all the work there.”
It’s a basic read for a quarterback, but not one everyone makes when the bright lights are on and opposition defensive linemen are trying to rearrange a guy’s spine.
It’s also the kind of play that undoubtedly helps a prospect’s cause, especially when Alex Ross – the other main combatant in the battle for the No. 2 spot behind Matt Nichols – finishes just 1-for-8 for eight yards on the night.
Asked afterward if he had any nerves pre-game, Streveler just shrugged.
“There’s a certain feeling before every game where you’re getting ready to go,” he said. “I wouldn’t call it nerves, it’s just that same feeling you get. Once you get out there and start playing, it’s just football.
“I was just really exicted because everybody’s been putting in so much work with two a days and camp and everything and so to play a game was exciting. Plus, with this being my first CFL game… it was just so fun to get out there with the guys I’ve been working hard with and play.”
More on the Bombers preseason debut in our weekly post-game collection of notes and quotes we call UPON FURTHER REVIEW…
MESDAMES ET MESSIEURS, LE DEUXIÈME ÉTOILE… JOHNNY AUGUSTINE… Bomber fans were first introduced to Johnny Augustine, the Canadian running back from the University of Guelph, during rookie camp. He’s a likable, respectable and driven sort who was a late addition to the camp roster only when it became clear that Kienan LaFrance wouldn’t be healthy enough to participate when practices started.
Augustine is an intriguing prospect, but given the circumstances – Andrew Harris is the clear-cut starter and LaFrance is a local product with 45 games under his belt over the last three years – he seemed the ultimate longshot.
So, the question now is this: how did Friday night’s spectacular performance by Augustine – he carried eight times for 81 yards and a TD, pulled in one pass for seven yards and chipped in with a special teams tackle – help his cause?
Put it this way: it sure as heck didn’t hurt.
Augustine spoke to the media for a long spell following the game. And after the press had exited, took a deep breath to reflect again on the difficult road he’s travelled over the last year.
A star at last year’s national combine in Regina, he surprisingly didn’t hear his name called on draft night and bounced from Edmonton to Saskatchewan to Winnipeg.
In short, he had been through a career’s-worth of disappointment in just over 13 months.
“You’ve got to seize the opportunity,” he said. “You know, people see us in the game. They see the flashy moments. They see the touchdowns. What they don’t see is us training behind the scenes, or me being up until three in the morning studying my playbook.
“We go through so much and people only see us on the field and if we score or not. It’s the little things that matter and I’ve really been working on my craft.
“I wouldn’t tell Andrew this,” added Augustine, nodding toward Andrew Harris’ locker, “but when I’m not taking physical reps, I’m taking mental reps. Every time he runs, I’m watching and taking the mental reps.
“Those runs tonight… I saw them coming because I’ve been practicing in my head, too. I’m not going to lie, I’m back in my dorm room every night studying and I’m operating on not a lot of sleep right now.
“I mentioned it to you earlier in rookie camp, but what the last year has taught me is to never ever be satisfied. What makes a true man is how you respond to adversity. I’ve been at the lowest and, at this point, I’m ready for anything because I’ve already experienced everything.”
ONE MORE ON AUGUSTINE, WHO PUSHED, PULLED AND DRAGGED DEFENDERS AS IF HE WAS PLAYING HIS LAST GAME… Afterward Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea, who generally tones down his enthusiasm for individual performances, did seem thrilled for the young tailback.
“You see the reaction of the guys on the sideline (for Augustine)… they’re fired up,” said O’Shea. “Certain guys, teammates really rally behind. Somehow, they get to know them or get a feel for them a little better in camp earlier on and they rally behind him. Johnny was having fun out there and guys were having fun with him enjoying his success.
“Near the end there was one (run), where I don’t know how many yards he had – it wasn’t many – but he took a real solid hit in the hole and almost ran out of it… it was good contact in the hole by the Edmonton backer and Johnny powered through it. It was pretty neat to see. Whatever number of yards he ends up after that, it was negligible, it was good for his teammates to see that.”
ONE OF MANAGEMENT’S GOALS OVER THE WINTER… was to surround Matt Nichols with more weapons to go along with Darvin Adams, Weston Dressler and Andrew Harris. Nic Demski led all Bombers receivers with three catches while Adarius Bowman reconnected with Nichols for two catches for 46 yards and a TD.
Said Nichols afterward: “I told him after the game that almost every ball I threw was heading in his direction. That wasn’t by plan or anything, but it was nice to test drive the new toy for sure.”
The Bomber offence didn’t exactly burst out of the starting blocks, but seemed to find a rhythm as the first half progressed.
“It’s just nice getting out there, going seven months without being in a live game and getting those reps in,” said Nichols. “I felt like we were moving the ball well, did some good things and we’ll be ready to go.
“I mentioned it during the week about throwing with adrenaline for the first time in a lot of months. The ball that did sail on me a little bit (his interception) I was probably just a little pumped up. You don’t get to throw with those feelings in practice all the time, so to be able to get the adrenaline under control for a game… you get right back into it and remember how that feels.
“You’ve definitely got to get out there and knock some of that rust off. We did some great things, had a couple of plays we’d like back, but overall, I felt like we did well.”
AND, FINALLY… the natural reaction after a game like that is to downplay the result. It’s pre-season, after all, and the Esks only brought five projected starters with them from Edmonton.
But O’Shea also offered this take afterward.
“We did put it in perspective,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what anybody says, winning is not always easy. I know how much work these guys have put in during training camp and how much time the coaches put in making sure these guys are ready and how much time the coaches put in when the guys aren’t even here.
“To discount that and say it’s not worth smiling about or being happy about and enjoying this with your teammates… that would be a shame. It isn’t easy. Everybody works extremely hard to get to this point. Smile and have fun with it.”
