The Winnipeg Blue Bombers started to prepare for Saturday’s showdown with the Edmonton Eskimos minus three key players.
Running back Andrew Harris and receivers Nic Demski and Darvin Adams didn’t take part in practice on Tuesday but head coach Mike O’Shea hasn’t ruled any of them out yet for their week 16 match-up.
“I would always give those guys the benefit of the doubt,” O’Shea said. “I would expect all three would be good to go. They haven’t shown me otherwise.”
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If Harris is unable to go after leaving their last game in the second quarter, Kienan LaFrance is expected to get the bulk of the workload. He ran for 23 yards on eight carries with a touchdown against Montreal after Harris left the game.
“The way I prepare every week, every practice going in is the same way whether I’m starting or not,” LaFrance said.
“For sure you take a little bit more workload to get the legs ready. But in terms of preparation, nothing really changes. You got to get ready and do your job.”
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“I see Kienan as a guy who can do a lot of things in his own way,” O’Shea said. “He doesn’t have to do it the way Andrew does it. He’s going to do it the way Kienan does it. We signed him for a reason and he’s certainly a guy that we feel can play.”
But there is some good news on the injury front. Despite leaving their last game with an arm injury, linebacker Adam Bighill was back at practice wearing an arm brace. And he said he’s alright after being removed from the game for precautionary reasons.
“I just never like coming off the field and not being with my teammates,” Bighill said. “It’s just one of those things it’s better to be smart than stupid at certain times, and it’s good to know everything is alright.”
Bighill would have left a huge hole on defence as the third leading tackler in the CFL.
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The Bombers (6-7) travel to Edmonton to face the Eskimos (7-6) on Saturday.
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