What do Bo Levi Mitchell, Drew Willy, and Zach Collaros all have in common, other than the fact that all won their first start in 2013 despite having very little experience? They all play on teams that have a former CFL quarterback on their coaching staffs. In Calgary, Mitchell, who threw for 376 yards against Winnipeg in Week 5 - the highest total of any QB to that point of the season - works directly with offensive coordinator Dave Dickenson, who played 13 years in the CFL and still holds the record for completion percentage in a single season. Mitchells head coach of course is John Hufnagel, who also played the position at both Penn State and the CFL level. If Willy in Saskatchewan has trouble learning a new concept, or understanding a new look on defence, he can lean on former Winnipeg Blue Bombers QB and 2001 Most Outstanding Player Khari Jones. And Collaros is surrounded by former quarterbacks when you consider on the staff in Toronto is head coach Scott Milanovich along with Marcus Brady and Jason Maas. Milanovich played in five different leagues at the position, Brady spent seven years in the CFL, and Maas threw for over 5,000 yards as Ricky Rays teammate in Edmonton in 2004. Collaros, Willy and Mitchell are three quarterbacks that, while it may have been just one game, accomplished something that just shouldnt happen: immediate success. History dictates that in order to completely understand the game at the pro level, you need to apprentice on a team for at least a few years, and if a young QB is forced into action early he should brace himself, try to survive the ordeal, and hope the team can win on defence that day. Most of the games best quarterbacks took years to become a starter and even when getting the keys to the offence took a couple of more years to actually start to realize some success. Anthony Calvillo, who has thrown for more yards than anyone in football on the planet, went through a couple of years of ugly before his star began to shine in Montreal. Calvillo Im sure has done everything he can to forget his bumpy start in Las Vegas with the Posse, followed by a dismal season in Hamilton as a young starter. And remember, after going through two nightmare years early on, AC eventually went to Montreal and played as the backup to Tracy Ham before figuring out what it took to be a successful starter. Friday night in Vancouver was just the second start for young Justin Goltz, who seems to have all the measurable and intangible qualities to be a successful QB. He stands 65 and can run. He seems to be able to stay composed in the pocket and has the arm strength to make all the throws. Also, he looks like a solid and humble young man that is willing to put the work in to learn, which will make him a good leader. However against the BC Lions and when he went head-to-head against Mitchell and the Stamps the week before, he looked like, well, an inexperienced quarterback in his first and second start. At times, he made throws that Im sure had Bomber fans up off their couches. Then at other times he missed an open receiver which ended a drive. For years it has been the story with young QBs. They have had moments of greatness only to follow them up with "what were you thinking?” moments. Prior to the Lions game, Goltz talked about the performances of Mitchell, Willy and Collaros, saying the three young pivots “have put a lot of pressure on all the young guys getting a shot because they played so well.” Goltz went on to say “versus Mitchell I thought I played a pretty good game but he was lights out.” Mitchell works every day with a guy that understands firsthand what a quarterback at the pro level goes through. Dickenson understands what it feels like to throw an interception and knows what you have to do to bounce back from it. He is not only a set of eyes on the field that sees it the same way as the starter on the field, he is also a buffer between the head coach and young QB who could easily become overwhelmed by the moment. Jarious Jackson, who is now the quarterbacks coach on the Lions staff, explained to me in Week 2 that he has worked as a buffer at times between Travis Lulay and offensive coordinator Jacque Chapdelaine. “There was one instance when we were having success from our short passing game and we went away from it for a couple of series,” Jackson said. “Travis could see that our OC was very busy on the sideline and came to me asking to return to the quick game, so I went to Chapdelaine and talked about it.” By being the go-between Jackson allowed Lulay to stay focused on what was happening on the field and still got his message to the OC. Goltz doesnt have that person to lean on in Winnipeg. Buck Pierce will be a pro and help as much as he can but it wont be the same because deep down he is a competitor and wants his job back. Gary Crowton is the offensive coordinatorin Winnipeg and will call the plays, but hasnt taken a snap as a starting quarterback in the CFL. So other than Pierce, who is still fighting for his job back, Goltz is on his own to find his way. Like Calvillo, and so many others, that could take a couple of years. Maybe this is all a coincidence and can be chalked up to beginners luck, but the teams that have a former CFL quarterback on staff in a roll other than head coach are Toronto, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and BC; all have had very consistent play from the QB position regardless of which quarterback gets the call. Edmonton and Winnipeg have young pivots and no mentor on staff, and both Mike Reilly and Goltz have looked good at times but inconsistent at other times. Even in Montreal and Hamilton, where veterans like AC and Henry Burris are at the controls, one has to believe that it would help to have a quarterback coach. Kent Austin is that guy of course with the Ti-Cats, and one of the best in the business at teaching the fundamentals of the game at the QB position, However he has a lot on his plate when he is managing the game as the teams head coach. And while Burris has put up some nice numbers, one has to believe that it wouldnt hurt, and in fact could help, to have another former QB like a Danny McManus on the sideline talking each series with Hank. Montreals current situation is more up in the air with regards to the midseason coaching change and just having added Ryan Dinwiddie, but Als fans dont have to look back far to when AC was tearing it up working with Milanovich and Brady on the staff under Marc Trestman. It seems like a no brainer that the quarterback position, which is the toughest to play in all sports, would have an assistant coach working strictly with those players, and yet not all teams have specific coaches for the position. Teams have defensive line coaches, defensive back coaches, and in some cases even kicking coaches and yet no quarterback coach. Could you imagine an NHL team without a goalie coach or a golfer without a swing coach? Quarterback coaches should be mandatory in football, and it has to be someone who played in the league; and also not the teams head coach. Or maybe it is all just a coincidence. Trent Alexander-Arnold Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Kyle Walker Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. http://www.englandsoccerpro.com/Harry-Maguire-England-Jersey/ . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Fabian Delph Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Dele Alli England Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady walked off the field under his own power. Several teammates didnt think he was hurt badly when he grabbed his left knee after being knocked down. Yet the possibility that the New England Patriots might lose their star quarterback caused a scare at the teams joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday. A person with knowledge of the injury said an MRI was negative and Brady was day-to-day with a left knee sprain. Asked if Brady might play Friday night in an exhibition game against the Buccaneers, the person said he didnt know. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Patriots didnt make an announcement. The two-time league MVP had a season-ending injury to the same knee in the 2008 opener. Brady was injured midway through practice Wednesday when left tackle Nate Solder was pushed into him by Tampa Bay defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Brady, entering his 14th NFL season, fell, rocked backward on the ground and held his left knee. He went to the sideline then returned for a few more plays before talking with coach Bill Belichick and leaving the field toward the teams indoor practice facility next to it. "Youve always got to stay away from the quarterback (in practice)," Clayborn said. "You got a guy on his heels and my instinct is to keep going, so thats what I did." The contact came just as Brady threw a long incompletion down the right sideline toward rookie Aaron Dobson. "Were always working to protect," Solder said. "Ill have to see what happened on the film. I screwed some things up here and there." In 2008, Brady tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The Patriots missed the playoffs that season. He has played every game since then and the team reached the playoffs in all four seasons. New England is favoured to win the weak AFC East for the 10th time in 11 years. Losing Brady would have made that much tougher. After Brady left the field, third-year pro Ryan Mallett played with the first offensive unit and Tim Tebow, on his 26th birthday, played with the second team. Mallett threw an interception soon after taking over. "Im just trying to do my job," Mallett said. "Im sure Tom will be fine and wwell just go on.dddddddddddd" In his first series after Brady left, Tebow completed three of seven passes and looked fairly sharp. One of his passes was dropped. Tebow left practice without speaking with reporters. "Anytime anybody, especially a teammate, goes down its a dark cloud. Its unfortunate," Patriots running back Shane Vereen said. "He went back out there, but well see." Running back LaGarrette Blount was optimistic. "He walked off," Blount said. "Im sure hes cool. Im sure hes fine." But shortly before Blount spoke, a black helicopter landed on a field adjacent to the one where Brady was injured. Cameramen, apparently concerned that Brady might be airlifted to a hospital, rushed to record the landing. "The helicopter has nothing to do with Tom," Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft said on WBZ-FM. Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano said he and Belichick stress to their players to rush the passer but let him throw the football and go past him. "I didnt get to see" the hit on Brady, Schiano said. "I saw him laying there afterward. ... I hope hes OK." Losing Brady would leave the Patriots without a proven starting quarterback. Mallett has thrown just four passes in his first two seasons and has been inconsistent during training camp. Tebow signed as a free agent on June 10 and has struggled with his throwing mechanics, a problem hes had since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round in 2010. "The big thing is just his familiarity with the offence, the way we do things -- the play calling, the reads, formationing, just general things we do," Belichick said of Tebow. "The quarterback has to have a good understanding of all that. The more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it and the better you can execute it. I think thats no different, really, than any other young quarterback or quarterback coming into a new system." In the Patriots 31-22 exhibition win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night, Mallett completed 9 of 18 passes for 97 yards. Tebow went 4 for 12 for 55 yards with three sacks and ran four times for 31 yards. Brady completed 7 of 8 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown and left after the first two series. ' ' '