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Ready or not: Blue Bombers head to Calgary

By: Paul Wiecek

Posted: 09/12/2012 2:51 PM | Comments: 0

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce at practice Wednesday at Canad Inns Stadium. Pierce will be given the start Sept. 21 against Hamilton. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers SB Jade Etienne at practice Wednesday at Canad Inns Stadium. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers held their second -- and final -- full practice at a windy Canad Inns Stadium Wednesday afternoon and will now head to Calgary to take on the Stampeders Friday evening without the benefit of a full week of practice and still nursing the wounds -- physical and otherwise -- of a narrow loss to Saskatchewan in last Sunday’s Banjo Bowl.

The Bombers will fly to Calgary and hold a light workout at McMahon Stadium Thursday afternoon before taking their three-game losing streak into Friday night’s game against a Calgary team, who have won their last three in a row.

The Bombers have not won a game at McMahon Stadium since 2002 and the combination of all these factors -- Winnipeg's losing streak, Calgary’s winning streak, the short practice week and Winnipeg’s 0-5 road record this season -- have the bookies in Vegas pegging Calgary as 10-point favorites.

"Daunting? It is," Bombers safety Ian Logan said after practice Wednesday. "They’re a big strong and physical team. They’re a good team, they’re well-coached and it’s tough to win in Calgary...But maybe it’s the challenge we need. I don’t know, other than just to play football the way I’ve always played football."

"It’s my profession. This is what I do for a living. And I’ve been on other teams where this has happened. We lost a lot of games in 2008 too (those Bombers, like these ones, were also 2-8) and came back to get a playoff spot. We’re still fighting for that. There’s always hope."

There was some news Wednesday on the Bombers injury front. Slotback Clarence Denmark left practice early after suffering what head coach Tim Burke later described as a "slight hyper extension" of his knee. Burke is hopeful Denmark can still play in Calgary. Rory Kohlert took Denmark’s first team reps in practice.

Meanwhile, with non-import running back Carl Volny going on the roster this week and import running back Will Ford coming off, Burke said the team will shift Ford’s designated import tag to import wide receiver Isaac Anderson. Anderson, who took some first team reps in practice and was also part of a six-receivers package, will give the Bombers more speed at the position, Burke said.

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