News » within the team that need

Drew Willy may have been named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week following his clubs 45-21 victory over the Toronto Argonauts, but the quarterback got strong support from both his offensive line and another eye-opening surprise in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offence. Nic Grigsby was superb in his CFL debut in Week 1, and the 25-year-old feels hes just getting started. "As the game went on my game started to come back," said Grigsby, who ran for 122 yards on 21 carries and added a pair of catches for 17. "It got a little slower. I still got a lot of stuff to get better on — just some little things and detail that coaches got on me about to be a better player and have a better game." The Bombers O-line opened up some wide lanes in the run game against the Argos. Winnipegs young tailback has history with one lineman in particular, who pulled from the right tackle spot to be the lead blocker on a couple big Grigsby gains up the middle. "Me and (Dan) Knapp, we went a long way (back)," said the University of Arizona product of his new favourite blocker. "We played against each other in college. He went to Arizona State, my rival, so when we got here in camp we bumped heads a little bit — not bumped heads — but just, you know, the rivalry-type stuff. But now were on the same team. Were in the same boat, and hes pulling for me and everything. I love them guys up front." The head coach isnt taken aback by Grigsbys impressive debut in the slightest. "Nope, didnt surprise me. Hes been steadily getting better all the way through camp," said Mike OShea. "My concern maybe early on was, he might not have taken advantage of every hole that was there, and now hes through it. It was just a matter of him getting comfortable with his vision, with his reads, and the CFL field — the size of it, I think. But hes done well." OShea is enamoured by Grigsbys ability to adapt and pick things up quickly. That goes double when youre protecting a lead late in the game. "One of the things thats impressive is, when were running that last three minutes and we have the ball and youre asking a guy to stay in bounds and slide, you know? For years and years and years American tailbacks come up here, they get in their first game and run out of bounds when we want that clock to run. You tell them and they still do it. But right away, I tell (Grigsby) once, he was sliding in bounds all the time making sure that clock kept running. Obviously hes an intelligent football player and took that instruction, basically in a three-second conversation, and applied it." With running back Will Ford still working to get back into game shape after a hamstring pull, and Paris Cotton out for a few weeks with a knee injury (hes been wearing a heavy brace in light on-field workouts during practice), Grigsbys fight to stay healthy enough to play has also impressed the coaching staff. "Its as good as its going to get right now," scoffed Grigsby playfully. "Everybody is banged-up and bruised. Nobodys at 100 per cent, I dont care who you are, (even) if youre a quarterback. Its day-to-day of getting better. Get your body in the cold tub, getting the therapy, and come ready to play. "You know youve got to be durable in this league. Its all about growing and depending on yourself to actually do the extra little things thats going to keep you on the field." This week sees another challenge, in that the Blue Bombers will try to prepare for their Week 2 opponent — the expansion Ottawa Redblacks — having minimal game film to study. Ottawa had a bye in Week 1. "Were going out there blind to the eye other than what the base preseason games are. And a lot of teams keep preseason really base," said Grigsby of the "vanilla" offence the Redblacks have shown. "Our coaching staff did a great job putting (video) cut-ups of the (Redblacks) coaches that they have now and what they did in the past, so were going to use that to our ability. Come game time there is that adjust-on-the-fly and be ready to go." NOTES: Eleven-year CFL veteran Korey Banks asked the team for his release this week after not securing a job in the teams starting lineup. The club has placed him on the suspended list indefinitely and flown him home to Atlanta... Mike OShea says he doesnt want to tinker too much with a lineup that looked pretty solid in Week 1. National cornerback Donovan Alexander may be ready to return following a calf injury, but Matt Bucknor will continue to start at field corner... Tailback Will Ford (hamstring) may be ready to go as well after missing both preseason games, but Nic Grigsby will start with the ball... Defensive backs Alex Suber (hamstring) and Marty Markett (high-ankle sprain) both still need time to recover and are again out this week... Slotback Cory Watson suffered a hamstring injury in the first half Thursday night and didnt return to the game. The 30-year-old will miss a week, at least, and it appears fellow national receiver Julian Feoli-Gudino, who hauled in a touchdown pass in Watsons second half absence, will start in his place... Defensive tackle Zach Anderson has missed some significant practice time this week with a heel contusion. OShea says he should be ready for the game... Another defensive tackle, Bryant Turner, has been excused from practice this week for the birth of his daughter. The 2013 Eastern All-Star is expected to play against Ottawa. If either Turner or Anderson are unable to go Thursday night, Kashawn Fraser is an option to come off the practice roster and dress. Penny Hardaway Jersey . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt. Nikola Vucevic Jersey .com) - The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are ready to put all the talk and hype surrounding their meeting at Dodger Stadium behind them. http://www.magicbasketballprostore.com/kids-grant-hill-magic-jersey/ . However, it wasnt a problem on Monday night. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves for his 56th career shutout in the New York Islanders 3-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Terrence Ross Jersey . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste. Aaron Gordon Jersey . The 29-year-old Mills started three games for Oakland this season, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.41 earned-run average. He opened the season appearing in 14 games and making 12 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers triple-A affiliate in Nashville, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.As I left the broadcast booth at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night, I took an elevator down to the main level with a family of four. They were energetic, full of smiles and happy with how their evening had gone. The teenage son turned to me and asked where I was from. I explained my reason for being there and he immediately wanted to know if I was surprised at the 3-0 defeat suffered by Toronto FC. His eyes widened when I said I wasnt. "I dont know too much about soccer but I was told tonight I was coming to see Salt Lake play the New York Yankees of MLS," he said. Minutes earlier, they were a part of a crowd that chanted overrated towards the opposition. Real Salt Lake fans know, more than most, what a competitive, perennial MLS Cup contender should look like and the jury in Utah was in. The verdict? Pretenders not contenders. For now. However, it is hard to think the management at the club didnt see this coming. It is, after all, only three games into the season following a massive overhaul. Just as expectations soared to ridiculous heights following the opening game win in Seattle, the reaction since this loss has been equally irrational. The biggest issue with Toronto FC through three games is not squad depth (this can be an issue for all in a salary cap league, plus Andrew Weideman was their fifth forward before Bright Dike got hurt and Kyle Bekker is their fourth central midfielder). The biggest issue with Toronto FC is not Doneil Henry, who was criticized in some quarters for giving away a first half penalty. He would go on to shine once again following the error. The two biggest issues with Toronto FC as March comes to a close is cohesiveness and a lack of tactical versatility. The first point can only come with time. Once again it was another new starting XI on Saturday and the team has yet to play back-to-back games with the same lineup from the start, and because of that, relationships within the team that need to gel for the collective to succeed, will take time. The second point, however, is one worth following closer than any other story around this team at the moment. Formations Real Salt Lake not only presented a good test as a unit on Saturday for the visitors, but also tactically in the shape they play in. Ryan Nelsen has said the formation is only really how you line up at the start but being a manager who wants to play two up top, he got a different look at how a 4-4-2 diamond works against his team. The Game Jeff Cassars RSL get their full backs forward more than most. I said that in the pre-game show on TSN and Nelsen certainly was aware of this heading into the game. This is how they get their width. However, it was the intelligent decision-making and movement from their midfield four that allowed them space to run into. Javier Morales ran the game for the home team. His lateral movement was magnificent drifting into pocketts of space unoccupied by TFCs midfield.dddddddddddd He made the move into the space to help ignite the play for the second goal. And then on a quick break for the third goal, he again found the space to send the ball over the top for Saborio. Nelsens team has struggled in possession through all three games and that is fine when you can transition and counter as effectively as they did in the first two games. However, against a midfield diamond, the outlets couldnt be found. Alvaro Rey and Mark Bloom were passengers during the first half while the two strikers never got any service. Yes, it can be said they needed to pass the ball better when they got it but the 4-4-2 shape they played really hurt them. Playing two quick, mobile strikers up top means they demand service. Michael Bradleys intelligent balls over the top caused RSLs centre backs some discomfort but the wide players (including full backs) just didnt get into advanced positions to provide crosses enough. Many funds have been given to Gilberto and Jermain Defoe and when they are fit, they will play, but the game was screaming out for an extra central midfielder to make up the numbers and here is the biggest conundrum the coaching staff has at the moment. Games are won and lost in transitions and in Bradley, they have a superior man for that role. However, when he, or his central midfield partner, started one in this game it often began with two wingers and two strikers 30-40 yards away. Defoe and Gilberto will not be left out and can cause massive issues when the game dictates it, matching up 2vs2 in areas, but the use of the wide midfield players can be modified. Bloom and Justin Morrow, just like Salt Lakes full backs, can get forward (it should be noted Bloom did just that when moved back there late in the match) to provide width and away from home, specifically, Toronto would be much better suited playing a narrower 4-4-2 diamond, giving Bradley more outlets around him. The American international is a real difference maker at this level and cannot be regularly concerned about the space in behind him because it pushes Toronto deeper and deeper. Yes, it is part of his job but not at the top of the list. Defoe and Gilberto are also not strikers that feast off crosses, although the Brazilian did excel in a number of aerial duels on Saturday. Bradley, of course, missed his midfield partner Jonathan Osorio on Saturday but the brilliance of Morales, combined with Torontos shape, meant little would have changed had the Canadian played. Once fit, against the leagues strongest teams, Osorio and Bradley should play just ahead of a more defensive-minded midfielder allowing them to have a much clearer job defensively and in transition. In the end, it was just one loss in March but as the club goes through a transition off the field, they need to find a way to ensure they can transition better on it. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '