Today’s Bomber Report

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/10/2010 (5805 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GOING HOME: Rookie WR Cory Watson continued to take starting turns in the slot position at Bombers practice, all but ensuring he’ll make his fifth start of the season Saturday. He’ll take over for veteran Brock Ralph, who settles into his new spot as a backup receiver on the wide side of the field.

It won’t be a new position for the Bombers’ first choice in the 2010 CFL draft, either. Watson told reporters he spent two years inside at Concordia and said the position switch is kind of like going home.

“I feel like guys are gaining my trust day by day,” he offered about his new place on the Bombers’ depth chart.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the quiet first-year receiver. Thrust into the starting wideout spot at the start of the schedule, Watson never really found his high gear, thanks to a nagging groin injury. A knee injury in an August visit to Montreal forced him off the field for a spell, but as it turns out, the time away was a blessing in disguise.

“The injury, what it did was it allowed me to recover a little bit,” he said. “When I came back, I was a lot fresher than I was. What it did was it gave me a lot of time to get in my books (playbook) and learn the entire dynamic of our offensive system.”

Watson, whose new-found speed has surprised the Bombers coaching staff, has nine catches for 149 yards this season.

WR Aaron Hargreaves will be the other non-import in the Bombers’ starting receiving corps Saturday.

BATTERED BODIES: The physical pounding of a long CFL season is starting to take its toll. A number of players sat out practice the last two days as the coaches try to keep the tanks full for game day.

DB Jovon Johnson, OL Kelly Butler and WR Greg Carr all returned to the field Wednesday. SB Terrence Edwards and DB Deon Beasley missed the workout.

Edwards, the Bombers’ biggest offensive threat this year, was sent home due to the flu, but the team expects him to be ready for Saturday. Beasley had his toe stepped on Tuesday and needed a day to recover. LB Merrill Johnson has been back practising this week after sitting out with a knee problem. If Johnson is healthy, he could replace Courtney Smith on special teams.

TOUGH ROAD: With little room for error in terms of a potential playoff berth, the question was posed Thursday about resilience. The Bombers have gotten off the mat a number of times after close losses this season, but surely there’s a point where the resilience well will dry up, no?

“It’s hard to keep getting beaten down and keep coming back,” head coach Paul LaPolice said.

“They’ve proven a mentally tough group, but we have to do that within the course of a game.”

— Adam Wazny

Rushing attack

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Saturday’s contest features the top two backs in the CFL. Toronto’s Cory Boyd, who will play despite a sore ankle, has 1,205 yards, and Winnipeg’s Fred Reid is at 1,150 yards. The Winnipeg back has had only 20 carries in the last two games, though.

Run defence

“For him to be getting 16, 17 carries, we either have to be successful on first-and-10 or we need to be converting on second down.” — Bombers coach Paul LaPolice on why Reid and his 6.3-yards-per-carry average isn’t getting the ball more.

Big hole

Good news for Reid and the Bombers O-line: The Argos will be without DT Kevin Huntley, who is still feeling the effects of a shoulder injury. Huntley has nine sacks and has been a force against the run all season.