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November 8, 2017

Need to Know | Western Semi-Final

It remains a bit of an unsolved mystery, a cliff-hanger that will keep everyone who watches the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Canadian Football League gnawing their fingernails and sitting upright on the edge of their seats.

Quarterback Matt Nichols, who missed last week’s regular season finale in Calgary with a calf injury, stepped onto the practice field Wednesday afternoon and did more than just play the idle spectator.

The Bombers Most Outstanding Player took snaps, handed the ball off and even threw a few passes with the club’s No. 1 offence early in the session before replacing his helmet with a tuque and watching Dan LeFevour and Dom Davis share the remaining reps.

But there will need to be a few more days of evidence before anyone seems ready to absolutely confirm he will take the first snap in Sunday’s West Division Semi-Final against the Edmonton Eskimos.

“I believe he’ll be playing. But again, I always give the player the benefit of the doubt because I see how important it is to them that they have the opportunity,” said head coach Mike O’Shea after Wednesday’s practice. “So to not give that guy an opportunity too early is not the right thing to do.”

That answer set off an exchange with the assembled press corps, determined to get something more substantial from the Bomber boss. And it went like this…

O’Shea: “I think he’ll be healthy enough. I really do.”

Reporter: “Based on?”

O’Shea: “Just being around him on a daily basis, the amount of work he’s putting in with our trainer Al (Couture) and the progress he’s made.”

Reporter: “Can you guarantee to fans that he’ll start?”

O’Shea: “Can I guarantee it to fans?”

Reporter: “Yeah… promise them…”

O’Shea: “I think that’s a dangerous thing to do. We’ve watched guys (get injured) before in practice. It happens all the time.”

Reporter: “So if he doesn’t get hurt in practice the rest of the week can you guarantee that he’ll be your starter?”

O’Shea: “I think that’s a little premature.”

The fact is, Nichols simply being on the field for the first week of practice has to be at least seen as progress. He pulled up lame on a non-contact play in the first quarter of the loss to the B.C. Lions on Oct. 28th before dressing last week as the third stringer in Calgary.

But Wednesday marked the first time in 11 days that he had work of any kind on the field. O’Shea said it’s not necessary for Nichols to get any practice reps this week to start against the Eskimos.

And when asked to rank the toughness of his QB and his desire to get back on the field, added:

“He’s right up there. He’s real fiery. He’s bound and determined to be playing. He’s a redhead, so he has a high pain threshold.”

If in the worst case scenario where Nichols can’t go, LeFevour would once again get the start. The 30-year-old vet made his eighth career start against the Stampeders last Friday – improving to 3-5 – and completed 13 of 17 passes for 91 yards with no TDs and no interceptions, fumbling once.

“I thought he did a good job,” said Bombers offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice. “Once we got the big lead in the third quarter my goal wasn’t to throw the football… we were going to run the ball in certain scenarios.

“But, I tell ya, every throw he made in the game, he was on his reads and recognized things well. Protecting the football in that crowd, in that place was a really big thing.”

More on some of the news and notes on the Bombers’ first day back at work in this week’s installment of Need to Know

SICK BAY REPORT

Left guard Travis Bond was at practice on Wednesday, but spent most of the workout watching as Patrick Neufeld continued to work with the No. 1 offence. Bond has been out since early in the loss to Toronto on Oct. 21st with an ‘upper-body’ injury, but O’Shea did indicate he “should be available.”

Meanwhile, WR Darvin Adams was also on the practice field, although he was not participating. Adams injured his shoulder against B.C. on Oct. 14th but remains doubtful to return this season.

“It’s good to have him back,” said O’Shea. “If you were outside you would have heard him chatter at practice. I think the guys were pretty excited to have him back around the building.”

THE PLAYOFF PUSH

Here’s LaPolice when asked about the extra work put in at this time of year:

“We don’t get a lot of opportunities to play football together. Our room… we just want to spend as much time together for three more weeks as possible. We want to win, but love the process of being together for three more weeks. We just don’t want it to end. So do everything you can to help your teammates to win the game.”