Injury curse leaves Blue stymied

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/07/2012 (4827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE six injuries to Winnipeg Blue Bombers starters in a 25-22 loss to the Toronto Argonauts at Rogers Centre Wednesday evening had even veteran Bombers players wondering what has gone so wrong.

With six starters already out of the lineup before the game even started — seven if you count running back Chris Garrett — the Bombers doubled their trouble Wednesday when receivers Chris Matthews and Terrence Edwards, tailback Chad Simpson, tackle Brandon Collier, linebacker Dustin Doe and safety Ian Logan went down during the game.

Mercifully, Matthews, Simpson and Doe later returned to finish the game, but it all still begs the question: What’s up with all the injuries?

“It’s amazing to see,” Logan said after the game. “We started out training camp with almost no injuries and then all of a sudden it’s bang, bang, bang — everybody started to take a dive. Playing on the road hurt a bit, some of those travel days take a lot out of you. But at the same time, it’s chance. Sometimes these things just happen.”

On Thursday, head coach Paul LaPolice listed Edwards’ injury (left leg) as day-to-day, while Logan (leg) and Collier (shoulder) would probably miss the home opener, and possibly beyond.

“We’ll get better information (in the next few days),” the coach said. “Ian Logan will probably be out… he’ll probably be out for this week. Collier might be more serious long term.”

— — —

Bombers placekicker Justin Palardy was already walking out on the field in the second quarter to attempt a 48-yard field goal when LaPolice called him back and sent out punter Mike Renaud instead.

Palardy isn’t known for a particularly strong leg, but he had been hitting from mid-field in the pre-game warmup and did go on to finish 5-5 on the field goals Wednesday night.

So what about that decision to call you back, Justin? “I was hitting 55’s that way no problem,” Palardy said. “But like I said, it was the coach’s decision in the game and he went with it and Mike (Renaud) did his job.”

Renaud pinned the Argos on their one-yard line and the Bombers ultimately scored their only touchdown of the game on their ensuing possession.

— — —

Bombers cornerback Jovon Johnson — who got beat for a touchdown in the first half by the Argos’ Chad Owens and was the closest player in the vicinity when Toronto receiver Jason Barnes scored the game-winner late in the fourth quarter — said he felt pretty good about how the Bombers defence overall played in Toronto.

“We played a lot better. We were more like ourselves out there. We made a lot of plays and we had guys flying around. That’s the type of defence that we are and that’s the type of defence I expect from us every week,” said Johnson.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

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— with files from Adam Wazny

New hurts

Tailback Chad Simpson was believed to have suffered a cramp Wednesday that had nothing to do with the original injury he suffered in training camp that had kept him out of the lineup for the first three games.

Old hurts

On Wednesday, head coach Paul LaPolice seemed to suggest previously injured halfback Alex Suber and SAM Brandon Stewart might also miss the next game, at least… The Bombers brain trust hasn’t been enthused with the play of veteran guard Steve Morley lately and platooned him with Paul Swiston.