Music: {allcanada} BOMBERS PLAYOFF HOPES SLIM AS BRINK STARTS VERSUS LIONS

WINNIPEG - With Winnipeg's slim playoff hopes riding on his shoulders, Alex Brink isn't showing any nerves about making his first CFL start.

The Blue Bombers rookie quarterback is replacing a healthy Steven Jyles as the struggling 3-10 team hosts the B.C. Lions today. The game can be seen live on TSN and TSN HD at 4pm et/1pm pt.

If the Bombers lose, they'll be mathematically eliminated from the East Division playoff race against Toronto and Hamilton, both 7-7.

Winnipeg needs to finish with more points than the Argos and Ticats because those clubs each won their season series against the Bombers.

A loss would also barely keep Winnipeg in the hunt for a crossover playoff spot in the West against the third-place Lions (5-8) and Edmonton (4-10).

Brink's debut will also be judged by head coach Paul LaPolice, his teammates and fans who want something to cheer about.

"I want to win, that's all there is to it," Brink, 25, said after Sunday's practice. "There's nothing for me personally to prove. I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong. I'm out here competing with my teammates and we need a win, and that's what it's all about."

The Bombers have lost eight of their last nine games. In their 10 losses, six have been by four or fewer points and another by seven points.

Last week, B.C. beat the Bombers 16-14 when second-year quarterback Travis Lulay engineered a five-minute drive capped by Paul McCallum's 19-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the game.

McCallum is sitting out with a hamstring injury and will be replaced by Sean Whyte.

It was Lulay's first CFL win and he'll get the start again Monday in place of a healthy Casey Printers, whose recent fumbles caused Lions head coach Wally Buono to give Lulay the nod last week.

"Any time you step on the field you feel like you have something to prove," said Lulay, who's 1-3 as a starter. "You just want to go out there and prove to yourself and to your teammates that you can get the job done."

And maybe continue to start for the Lions, who have won four of their past five games.

"I think the only way you can get there is by taking it one game at a time, so really that's the focus and I think that's the best way to be successful at it," Lulay said.

Brink hasn't started a game since 2007 at Washington State, where he left as the Cougars' all-time leading passer with 10,913 yards.

The Oregon native, known for his accurate passing and mobility, was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2008. He was a final cut in his first training camp and spent some time on the practice roster in his second. He had a tryout earlier this year with the New York Jets before signing with Winnipeg in May.

He's got into six games this season, mostly in short-yardage situations, and has completed two of seven pass attempts for 14 yards and carried the ball 12 times for 18 yards and one touchdown.

LaPolice's decision to go with Brink has been questioned and even seen as desperate, but he says the team needs to score more offensive points and protect the ball consistently.

Jyles has completed 166 of 267 pass attempts (62.2 per cent) for 2,296 yards with 15 TDs and five interceptions. His QB-efficiency rating is second only to Montreal's Anthony Calvillo, but Jyles has also fumbled seven times and his record as a starter is 2-6.

"This game isn't going to be about Alex Brink alone," said LaPolice, adding that he's prepared to give Brink some slack even if he makes mistakes.

"We're trying to put him into the position to be successful and also have the ability to not look over his shoulder the whole time."

Lions veteran defensive end Brent Johnson admits there's not a lot of film on Brink, but he expects the rookie will follow Winnipeg's tendencies to run the ball and throw it to some favourite receivers.

"The tough part is, what this guy is capable of we don't know that," Johnson said. "We're not going to know until we play."

Buono is aware a victory would help his team in the quest for a playoff spot, but he wants his squad to just continue to improve after its 1-7 start.

"We are getting better as a football club, so for us coming on the road and beating Winnipeg is just part of it," Buono said.

And it doesn't matter that Brink is behind centre.

"Our job is to confuse the quarterback, whether it's Brink or anybody else and I think our defence (can do) a pretty good job," Buono said.

NOTES -- Winnipeg running back Yvenson Bernard will play for the first time this season after being a healthy scratch ... Bomber defensive back Brady Browne takes the roster spot of James Green (torn biceps) . . . The Lions are dressing defensive end Angelo Craig, whom they signed on Thursday . . . Just over 23,000 tickets had been sold by Sunday afternoon.