Harris cleared for more contact

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This article was published 26/09/2018 (2538 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was another day and another injured star player returning to practice for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Wednesday.

All-star running back Andrew Harris took a maintainence day Tuesday after leaving Week 15’s 31-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes before halftime with a lower-body injury. 

Following Wednesday’s workout at Investors Group Field, Harris said he intends to be in the lineup when the Blue Bombers travel to Edmonton for Saturday’s 6 p.m. kickoff.

“It was good to get back out there and get back into the swing of things,” said Harris. “I always get excited to play Edmonton and doing the things that they do.”

Preserving Harris’s 31-year-old body has been a priority for Winnipeg’s training staff.

“It’s crucial,” said Harris. “Any time you’re getting the ball over 10 touches a game, bumps and bruises accumulate and I’m staying on top of certain things, staying flexible and staying strong, just being smart about how you handle it week to week.”

Harris had 44 yards on seven carries and added a 10-yard touchdown catch before leaving Friday’s win over the Alouettes. He now has 1,028 yards, good for second place on the league’s rushing list and 113 yards behind leader William Powell of the Ottawa Redblacks. Kienan LaFrance replaced Harris in the Winnipeg backfield.

“After I got up, I just didn’t feel right,” said Harris. “I mean, Kienan’s definitely a very capable back… and I just felt that having someone else in the game was more beneficial than me being there.”

Is Harris concerned about defending his league rushing title?

“It’s in the back of my head,” said Harris. “The O-line will probably be more worried about it. For me, it’s about situating us for the best possible way to be going forward in the playoffs and if that means relying on the run more and accumulating yardage, so be it.

“I’m not really thinking about the rushing title. I’m thinking about getting wins right now.”

ADVANCE PLANNING:

The Blue Bombers face the Eskimos twice in their last five games — Saturday and again on Nov. 3 — to complete the regular season but the short turnaround time shouldn’t have much of an impact on what the playbook will look like to quarterback Matt Nichols.

“I think that we put in so much stuff that we never get to everything — in the first game anyways,” explained Nichols. “So, you’re always going to have those carryovers.”

FEELING THE HEAT:

Nichols doesn’t relish renewing acquaintances with all-star Edmonton defensive tackle Almondo Sewell, a former teammate. 

“It seems like every game he’s back there at least a couple of times, getting close to me and letting me know that he’s there,” said Nichols. “He’s a very talented football player and someone who, if you can, avoid being hit by — that’s for sure.”

NOTEWORTHY:

Slotback Nic Demski missed his second consecutive day of practice after leaving Friday’s game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Mike O’Shea expects him to be ready to play Saturday.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14