THE CANADIAN PRESS
Part of what I love about the CFL is the flash in the pan quarterbacks. The guys who make their way north for a shot to improve themselves or be great. Some languish in obscurity for years, others get an opportunity before they are ready. Still, others find the right situation at the right time and make CFL magic from their surroundings.
Much of the CFLâs East Division has been playing a game of âClueâ with quarterbacks this season trying to find the right answer.
Kent Austin tried to ‘accuse’ Jeremiah Masoli at Commonwealth stadium in Edmonton with the completion streak. It didn’t last.
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At 29, Emmanuel Arceneaux is having his best season as a pro (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
Scott Milanovich believed he found the answer to his offensive woes with Drew Willy, at BMO Field, with young national receivers. That was short lived, at least in 2016.
Jim Popp tried just about anything to find a quarterback who could efficiently lead the Alouettes to the land of touchdowns and Wâs. He tried a veteran (Kevin Glenn), a young gun (Rakeem Cato), and an unproven college star (Vernon Adams Jr.). All of whom have great skill sets in the right system, but either could not or have not yet found their rhythm.
Meanwhile, the West has seen three quarterbacks find the perfect fit and the resulting production is undeniable.
Mike Reilly is a gunslinger, attacking all angles of the wide CFL field. Jason Maas has asked him to tone it down a little, limit turnovers and take the easy throw. The result is a season worthy of the record books.
Bo Levi Mitchell came to Calgary in 2012 as a talented motivated quarterback with pinpoint accuracy and a thirst for football knowledge. Realistically, Mitchell probably would have had success anywhere, but itâs undeniable his pairing with then-offensive coordinator now-head coach Dave Dickenson not only expedited the process but made Bo a much better player.
While both of these Alberta examples are impressive in their own right, I believe the greatest QB and coach fit in recent CFL history is happening right now on the Pacific coast.
Johnathon Jennings came from little-known Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan about two hours northwest of Sarnia, Ont. Before Jennings, the most famous alumni of Saginaw Valley State football was arguably Jeff Janis.
Youâll remember him as the guy who made those two ridiculous catches for the Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Arizona last NFL playoffs in the game where the coin didnât flip at the start of overtime. Needless to say itâs not the deepest of American collegiate football alumni bases.
So how did Jennings get matched with BC? How did he go from obscure small school quarterback to being ranked number two on this week’s CFL.ca quarterback power rankings and why is BC the perfect match for him?
The first answer is simply that someone in the Lions organization saw what they believed to be a diamond in the rough, kept a close eye and signed him as soon as possible. The next two answers are directly related.
Every good coach knows in order to have a great quarterback you must create a system which accentuates their skill set and puts them a ease in the offence. Tim Tebow could and should not run Doug Flutieâs Stampeders offence of the early 1990âs and Flutie should never have been asked to run the quarterback-led offensive sets which made Tebow a collegiate legend.
In BC, Jennings has been wrapped in a warm blanket with his favourite warm drink nearby and handed a playbook which would put any young quarterback in the driver’s seat.
The Lions under Head Coach Wally Buono use multiple âheavyâ sets. An extra lineman here, a fullback there and maybe a blocking slotback or two as well. By going heavy for the majority of the season on offence, the Lions have been able to run the ball to the tune of 22 touchdowns and 109 yards per game. Both of which lead the CFL.
When you can run the ball with a second-year pro quarterback, you allow great play action opportunities and isolated receivers due to the constant run threat. This would be enough for any quarterback to succeed, but Jennings is a different breed when it comes to arm strength and accuracy.
Even I could fake a hand off, bootleg and find a late releasing fullback in the flats. That’s day one quarterback stuff. If you canât do that you shouldnât be in the league.
What Jennings does goes far beyond that. His youth and mobility is perfectly complemented by his cannon of a shoulder and perhaps most importantly his ability to quickly process defences and anticipate — a rare trait in a wide eyed CFL pivot.
There’s been no sophomore slump for Jonathon Jennings in his second season (The Canadian Press)
Multiple times this season Jennings has made throws with a velocity and accuracy which made me rewind to make sure there wasnât a gas leak in the house causing hallucinations.
Every time I rewound the throw all I could do was shake my head. Simply put he is special.
In the CFL, we have a bad habit of looking for the next tweener or niche player in the college ranks who will turn out to be Warren Moon or Doug Flutie. Many looked at Vernon Adams Jr. after he went undated in the NFL this past spring and thought he was the perfect CFL quarterback due to his athleticism and scrambling ability. Jim Popp agreed and traded BC a first round pick for the right to watch Adams watch everyone else play until recently.
The CFL game requires more than psychotic randomness and quick feet to play quarterback. The game requires a certain level of athletic prowess, yes, but that skill-set can only be put on display when combined with an above average football IQ, an accurate hand and a willingness to wait for the perfect situation.
I believe Jonathon Jennings found his quicker than even he imagined and now we all get to sit back and enjoy the spoils of the offensive system which he compliments so well.
The sky is truly the limit.