Big questions surround Bighill and availability for Grey Cup

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This article was published 14/11/2023 (931 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers might be without the heart and soul of their defence, but that doesn’t mean they’re planning to miss a beat when they take on the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday’s Grey Cup.

The Adam Bighill watch was in full-effect again Tuesday, as the Bombers took to Tim Hortons Field for the first time this week. It wasn’t a formal workout, with Winnipeg opting for a walkthrough practice rather than running contact drills, during which the intensity is much higher.

Bighill, who suffered what appeared to be a serious injury to his right leg in the first half of a West Final win over the B.C. Lions Saturday, was in attendance but dressed in street clothes. The Bombers middle linebacker wasn’t sporting the protective boot on his foot that he was seen wearing Monday, but he was walking with an obvious limp.

“Don’t count him out. He’s a tough player,” said fellow linebacker Kyrie Wilson, echoing what has become the party line this week. “Biggie brings that physicality, that toughness, that go-get-it mentality and never quit. He’s the heart and soul of the defence.”

The Bombers have taken the glass-half-full approach when discussing Bighill’s availability for Sunday. They’re acting as if he’ll be playing, though it’s clear that something dramatic would have to happen for him to be medically cleared.

Never say never. Winnipeg has a history in ramping up a player’s rehab in hopes of getting him back on the field well ahead of schedule. The Bombers worked on quarterback Matt Nichols’ severely injured ankle ahead of the 2017 West semifinal, bringing him to Calgary for the final regular season game and outfitting his hotel room into a makeshift hospital in order to continue his rehab, and then went to similar lengths with quarterback Chris Streveler during the 2019 championship run.

Just last week, receiver Nic Demski, nursing an ankle injury, wasn’t able to practice ahead of the West Final, only to wake up the day of the game feeling ready to go. Might that be Bighill this week, only time will tell.

“We got to act like he is there and that nothing has changed and act like we’re not skipping a beat and just move forward with the game plan. It’s all going to come down to communication and executing,” said linebacker Brian Cole. “He’s a leader on this team, he’s a veteran in the CFL, so a lot of guys listen to him, a lot of guys look up to him and the tape speaks for itself. It’s just a blessing to have him around and it’s just a blessing to be part of this team, to be in this situation.”

Head coach Mike O’Shea was asked for another health update on Tuesday, which also included the status of all-star receiver Dalton Schoen. Schoen, who led the Bombers with 1,222 receiving yards, has missed the last three games with an injured ankle and also wasn’t dressed for walkthrough.

“Dalton Schoen is continuing to rehab and work every single day and Biggie is starting that process’” O’Shea said. “If you’re in our room on a daily basis I say the same thing every day, I’ll never rule a guy out, you’ve just got to give him hope.

“Why would I dash that? Two pros, obviously. They attack every single day the same. Whether it leads to them playing or not, we’ll see.”

In the event Bighill can’t dress against the Alouettes, the Bombers have several options at linebacker, including Malik Clements, Cole and Shayne Gauthier. All three have years of experience playing in the system and while filling Bighill’s shoes is no easy — perhaps impossible — task, there’s confidence in the locker room that the replacement will come in and handle what needs to be done.

“I go up against these linebackers every single day in practice and seeing the work that they put in and seeing them fly around,” said Bombers running back Brady Oliveira. “Guys like Malik, guys like B. Cole stepping in and flying around and making plays has given us confidence going into this week, knowing that guys are very much capable of stepping in there and doing their job, and doing a good job and playing at a high level. Having Biggie out could hurt us but having Malik and B. Cole on our side, we’ll be just fine.”

Bighill suffered the injury late in the first half against B.C., forcing the Bombers to adjust for the third and fourth quarters. Clements took over and adapted seamlessly, as Winnipeg limited a prolific Lions offence to three points in the second half, including none in the final frame.

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The Alouettes, led by quarterback Cody Fajardo, haven’t been nearly as dangerous on offence this season. While the Lions were near the top in average offensive points scored (26) and net offensive yards (371), ranking third in both behind Winnipeg and Toronto, the Alouettes are in the bottom half in offensive points, averaging 21 per game, and are middle of the pack in net yards, averaging 330.

Montreal put up a combined six offensive points in the two games against Winnipeg during the regular season, off a pair of field goals. That was a long time ago, when the Alouettes were still finding their game, weeks before going on their current seven-game win streak.

“I feel like everybody on that roster knows what’s at stake with this game,” said Clements. “We got a great group of veterans and leaders on the team, and they make sure whoever is going to be up is feeling comfortable and knows their responsibilities. Whoever’s number is called I feel confident with that person being out there.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.