Bombers’ health a priority

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This article was published 02/11/2018 (2555 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have the luxury of playing a regular-season finale Saturday with nothing on the line except pride, a five-game winning streak and playing time for backups eager for their chance to shine.

Preserving the health of star players is a priority for Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea.

Quarterback Matt Nichols will probably step aside for rookie Chris Streveler and No. 3 Bryan Bennett, while running back Andrew Harris sounded like he didn’t expect to play. The same goes for veteran slotback Weston Dressler.

“Well, Matt’s going to dress, but how many snaps he gets is still debatable,” O’Shea said following practice at Investors Group Field on Thursday. “Probably not many if at all, really.”

Harris, meanwhile, is in the hunt for his second consecutive CFL rushing title and needs eight yards to pass Ottawa’s William Powell for top spot. Powell, who has 1,362 yards to Harris’s 1,355, is not scheduled to play in the Redblacks’ Week 21 game against the Toronto Argonauts.

“We’ll see,” O’Shea said in response to a question about Harris’s workload. “I guess the answer is I’m not going to tell you exactly what the plan is.”

Added Harris: “Yeah, I haven’t taken a rep in the last two days, so the writing is kind of on the wall there, but I’m excited to watch the other guys get in and make plays.”

But would the possibility of another rushing title warrant a few carries for Harris?

“I haven’t thought much about it yet, but I guess we’ll do some thinking as (offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice) puts together the call sheet,” O’Shea said. “Yeah, we’ll have to consider that I guess.”

GRAY GOOD TO GO

With the Bombers expected to sit a number of players for Saturday’s game in Edmonton against the Eskimos, the door is open for offensive lineman Geoff Gray to make his CFL debut.

Gray, a Winnipeg native who was signed to a three-year contract last month, has experience at guard and tackle. He doesn’t care where he plays, he said, with his focus more on delivering wherever he lines up.

“The reason I play football is to go out there and then do something physically to someone that otherwise you’d be arrested for,” said Gray, who was selected eighth overall by the Bombers in 2017, said. “You want to go hit the guy across from you, so who really cares about the standings at the end of the day? But first game, you just want to go out there and hit someone, make an impact.”

GAME-CHANGER

The Blue Bombers are expected to debut receiver/returner Charles Nelson on Saturday in Edmonton.

The shifty University of Oregon product made a brief appearance during training camp only to return late in the season and he’s primed to make a good impression.

Nelson was asked what he hoped to bring to the lineup.

“Just my speed and elusiveness,” said Nelson, who generated an impressive highlight reel from his career with the Ducks. “I’m a very versatile athlete, can do a lot of different things — with and without the ball. I’m just going to make whatever happens, happen.”

O’Shea is eager to see what might happen.

“Since he’s been here, obviously, you see his athletic skill set and you’d like to see what that looks like on the field as a returner and in other spots, too,” O’Shea said. “He’s not going to be limited to that role. We’re going to have him playing as many special teams as he can and if he can get in on offence, what he can do. Athletically, he’s pretty interesting.

“He seems to catch the ball well and seems to have learned well. It’s now put it in a game when everything’s going faster around him in a full-speed session… we’re confident he can show us quite a bit.”

AWARD TIME

Nichols and linebacker Adam Bighill have been named the CFL’s top performers for the month for October. Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris was the third player honoured.

Nichols is coming off his biggest statistical output of the season in Week 20’s win over the Calgary Stampeders when he completed 24 of 33 passes for 358 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. In three Winnipeg victories in October, Nichols threw for 778 yards, six TDs and no interceptions.

Bighill also had a sensational month for the Blue Bombers, including Week 19’s shutout win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The 30-year-old had eight tackles, three sacks and forced a fumble that led to a major.

Heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale, he leads the team with 104 tackles and has a league-leading four forced fumbles.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffhamiltonmike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14