Scary landing, but no injury

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This article was published 11/07/2010 (5929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of the scarier moments in Friday’s loss to Toronto — outside of the special teams coverage — came in the third quarter, when Bombers wide receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris remained on the turf with an apparent injury to his left knee.

After making a tough catch, he was taken down awkwardly by Argos DB Evan McCollough and his foot seemed to be stuck in the turf as the weight of his body folded back on the tackle.

"Almost a season-ending one right there," he smiled. "Actually, it wasn’t my knee, it was my hip. I just got pulled down on it. As you can see, I got back out there and it was fine."

The next series, Jeffers-Harris hauled in a 60-yard pass for a touchdown — his first pro score.

The rookie from Georgia led all Bombers receivers with seven catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also earned the coaches’ trust on special teams, taking most of the kick-off return chances. Judging from the way he’s being mixed into the attack, it appears Jeffers-Harris is getting more comfortable in Canada each week.

"It’s a quick game — it caught me a little by surprise the first week," he said. "Not having that extra down really makes a difference in how teams attack, I’ve noticed. I like it."

One thing Jeffers-Harris is still working on — one of the biggest adjustments for a rookie import receiver playing in the CFL — is his motion at the line of scrimmage. His "waggle" (as it’s referred to) was a disaster in training camp but it’s coming around, Jeffers-Harris says.

"My coach is still on me about it, but it’s getting there."

WALKING WOUNDED: Head coach Paul LaPolice said injury updates will come on Monday. Safety Ian Logan (hamstring) and defensive tackle Dorian Smith (knee) both left the game and did not return.

LaPolice said losing the two defensive starters had a significant impact on how his club handled the Argos’ attack. Smith is an effective run-stopper in the middle of the defensive line, and his absence allowed the visitors to rush for 131 yards and control the tempo of play on the ground in stretches.

Not having Logan, who serves on the special teams coverage unit, created double the trouble for Winnipeg.

"When Logan got hurt, we had a bunch of guys play positions they had not been in," LaPolice said. "But we have to find a way to fight through that, because everyone’s going through injuries."

BAD MEDICINE: In a season of firsts for LaPolice, Friday’s loss was his first as a head coach.

The rookie boss doesn’t subscribe to the idea that his club will take a huge lesson from the loss, however. "There’s learning from it, but I’m not real happy with it," he said. "I’d rather learn the other way, with two points."

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca