Chris Jones stood by his man Tuesday.
Jones, the head coach-GM of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, reiterated to media members that Kevin Glenn is the starting quarterback of the CFL team.
That was the same message Jones offered after Saturday’s 27-24 victory over the host Toronto Argonauts, even though he had pulled Glenn after just four offensive possessions and replaced him with Brandon Bridge.
“Here’s the thing I think is important: How many games would we have won without (Glenn) early in the season?” Jones asked Tuesday at Mosaic Stadium, where the Roughriders are to face the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.
“He threw for about 70-something per cent, was very efficient running our offence and, in bad situations, was still able to handle it because of his experience and his calmness.
“He’s such a team guy that he can put everything aside and be the leader that he has been his entire career (to such an extent) that when I decide to put Brandon Bridge in the game, (Glenn) is standing right there next to his guy and coaching him.”
So given all that Glenn has done for the Roughriders this season, how tough was it for Jones to pull his starter midway through Saturday’s second quarter?
“It’s my job as the head coach — if somebody needs a little bit of help — to come to their aid, not to leave them out there struggling,” replied Jones, who added: “You go with your gut feeling and you do what you’ve got to do to win the game.”
On Sept. 29, Glenn got off to a slow start against the host Redblacks, but Jones left the 17-year veteran in the game. Glenn responded with a sharper second half and helped lead Saskatchewan to an 18-17, come-from-behind victory.
On Saturday, however, Jones pulled Glenn after he had completed just three of eight pass attempts for 29 yards. Bridge took over and went 20-for-28 for 292 yards with two touchdowns the rest of the way.
Jones said the decision to change quarterbacks in any game is “a situational type of thing.” The situations were different in Ottawa and Toronto, so the decisions were different.
The move Saturday didn’t catch Glenn off guard.
“I’ve been in this league long enough to know that nothing surprises me,” he said. “Anything can happen at any given time and I’ve probably been associated with everything that can happen to a quarterback, whether he’s a starter or whether he’s the backup.”
It’s not the first time in Glenn’s career that he has been removed from a game. As a result, getting pulled doesn’t bother him to the same extent that it might affect a younger quarterback who doesn’t know how to handle it.
Generally speaking, a quarterback may not agree with a coach’s decision to make a change, but Glenn noted that he will never go to his boss on the sideline and ask for another series or two in hopes of turning things around.
“If he makes that decision, he makes that decision,” Glenn said. “I’m a team player and as everyone has seen before whenever it has happened to me, I’ve supported the guy who has gone in.”
That was the case Saturday.
After the contest, Bridge noted that Glenn was “a true pro” who didn’t sulk after being removed and, instead, helped out his understudy. Bridge repeated that sentiment Tuesday.
“Throughout that game, it was his mindset but my legs out there,” Bridge said. “Every time we got out there, he was telling me what he saw, telling me what they were doing, to look for this and look for that. Then I just took that information, went out on the field and added my legs to it.”
Bridge has thrown passes in nine games this season, sometimes appearing in mop-up duty, sometimes in different packages and sometimes in relief of Glenn. Bridge also started one game.
So far, he has completed 60 of 86 pass attempts (a completion rate of 69.8 per cent) for 817 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. He’s more mobile and has a stronger arm than Glenn and those skills have been a changeup for defences that prepared for Glenn.
Glenn, meanwhile, has started 13 games this season. Thanks to his guile and experience, he has gone 276-for-402 (a 68.7 completion percentage) for 3,465 yards with 21 TDs and 12 interceptions.
On Tuesday, the 38-year-old quarterback said he won’t change his approach even though Jones has shown he’s amenable to switching things up. For Glenn, there isn’t any point in taking on an extra burden in an already-stressful occupation.
“You can’t track wins and losses every day in any other job, but in this one you do,” Glenn said. “That’s enough pressure as it is.
“For a young quarterback, it could be tough at times because you don’t know (if you’re going to get replaced). You could be thinking about it on the field and not worrying about the defence and what they’re running and trying to make plays to put your team in position to be successful.
“I’m not going to change my approach. I’ve been doing this long enough to know what I need to do in order to get prepared to play.”
