Some CFL pundits have criticized Chris Streveler for his passing ability but the veteran quarterback doesn’t seem at all affected by the outside noise.
“People are always going to say what they want to say, and it’s just not something that I pay attention to,” said Streveler after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the B.C. Lions at Princess Auto Stadium in Week 2.
“I care about what the people in (our locker) room think about me, and that’s the way I try to play the game: to honour them. I don’t care how many yards I pass for, I don’t care about any of that. I just care about winning football games. People are always gonna have things to say and I don’t even think about that.”
Streveler put on an impressive performance in the 34-20 win, completing 15-of-24 pass attempts for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Last season, he managed only 127 passing yards in his lone start while relying heavily on his legs.
Sometimes viewed as a run-first quarterback, the 30-year-old spent most of his team’s Week 1 win in the pocket, rushing for only nine yards. He doesn’t seem to have a preference between throwing or running the ball, provided his performance helps the Blue Bombers win the game.
“I’m OK with that — two carries, 20 carries,” said Streveler. “I’ve done it both ways, so it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that scoreboard.”
Streveler’s teammates were thrilled for him postgame.
“He’s seeing it like a quarterback,” said centre Chris Kolankowski. “Everyone expects him to run, but he sees it — he was airing out that ball, and it looked great. That deep pass to (Nic) Demski, that was a drop in a bucket. I love to see (Streveler) being able to throw the ball, too. He’s proven that he’s not just a running quarterback, he’s a CFL quarterback.”
“I thought he played great. He was seeing it really well, he was throwing it really well. He executed our offence exactly like you want to see him do — great command of everything, and just a great leader,” said receiver Dalton Schoen.
“He’s adjusted to the pace of the game up here again. Last year was different when he had been down south (in the NFL) for so long. He’s fully himself right now and he’s just seeing it really well. He knows what we’re trying to accomplish with certain schemes, and he’s getting the ball to the right guy. We know he’s a great player and he can make those throws.”
Streveler is expected to return to backup duties this week as Zach Collaros returns from his one-game suspension. After his performance in Week 1, however, fans in Winnipeg might sleep a little easier knowing he’s ready to run the offence if Collaros gets hurt in 2025.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0) will visit the B.C. Lions (1-1) at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, June 21 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
