WINNIPEG 鈥� Adam Bighill doesn鈥檛 think the scales are tipped heavily in Winnipeg鈥檚 favour because the Calgary Stampeders鈥� injured list is jam-packed.
The veteran Blue Bombers linebacker expects the Stampeders (1-2) will dip into their depth and battle when they visit IG Field Friday night to take on his 3-1 squad.
The Stampeders have 11 players on the six-game injured list and three on the one-game list. Nine of those players are on offence and five from defence.
鈥淭heir record so far and the games they鈥檝e played, it shows that they鈥檝e maybe had a little lack of continuity and consistencies,鈥� Bighill said after Winnipeg鈥檚 Thursday walk-through.
鈥淏ut at the end of the day, these guys are good players. It鈥檚 a good program, they鈥檙e well-coached. They鈥檙e going to be coming out here ready to execute their game plan so we鈥檙e definitely not taking it lightly at all.鈥�
Calgary鈥檚 running backs have been hit hard by injuries this season, with both all-star Ka鈥橠eem Carey (foot) and Peyton Logan (hamstring) on the six-game injured list.
Dedrick Mills continues to carry the ball for the Stampeders. He leads the CFL in average rushing yards per game at 88 yards, just ahead of the 81.8 by Winnipeg鈥檚 Brady Oliveira.
Calgary lost receiver Malik Henry after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a 29-26 overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 24.
While there will be nine changes to Calgary鈥檚 roster from its last game, one is real good news.
Star receiver Reggie Begelton (ribs) was taken off the six-game list Sunday following the club鈥檚 bye week and will play his third game of the season. Wide receiver Marken Michel is also back in.
鈥淗e has a really good knack for running routes, timing and being in sync with the quarterback and reading defences, so he is the go-to guy that their offence needs to count on, no doubt,鈥� Bighill said of Begelton.
Begelton had eight catches for 141 yards in his last game, a 26-15 win over the Ottawa Redblacks June 15.
鈥淚f I can play, and play to the best of my ability, then I鈥檓 going to play,鈥� Begelton said after arriving in Winnipeg Thursday.
鈥淭hroughout the year, everybody plays with injuries, so it鈥檚 all about if you鈥檙e able to tolerate your particular injury.鈥�
And can he do that with his injury?
鈥淢ost definitely,鈥� Begelton replied.
Bombers head coach Mike O鈥橲hea can鈥檛 recall if his team has ever had almost a dozen players on the six-game injured list, but said every team goes through a bad spell and Calgary is known for its depth.
鈥淎nd if they get Reggie back, he鈥檚 a sensational receiver,鈥� O鈥橲hea said. 鈥淢arken Michel is back. He understands what they鈥檙e trying to do so he鈥檒l step in very quickly for them.鈥�
Calgary head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said he didn鈥檛 expect to get Begelton back so he was happy about that. As for all the injuries, he鈥檒l just roll with it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e stretched a bit, but I鈥檓 not going to focus on that because it鈥檚 happened, it鈥檚 over,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he tough part is certain guys may be gone for the year. That鈥檚 a hard pill to swallow. But injuries cycle and, hopefully, we can grow and get more guys playing time.鈥�
Dickenson described Calgary鈥檚 overtime loss to Saskatchewan as a 鈥済ut punch鈥� but said they鈥檒l use it to try to refocus and get some extra energy for the match against the Bombers.
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier was intercepted in the end zone by Roughrider Nic Marshall to seal the victory.
Maier was heading into Friday鈥檚 game with a positive outlook.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be on the other side of those, too,鈥� Maier said. 鈥淵ou play enough games, you鈥檙e going to be on the side where you win a game or you steal a game late or whatever that may be.鈥�
While Winnipeg is coming off a 17-3 victory in Montreal, the team has a bit of pressure to play better at home than its last game 鈥� a 30-6 trouncing at the hands of the B.C. Lions on June 22.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 talked about it much, but you always want to play well in front of the home crowd,鈥� Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably something that鈥檚 in the back of everybody鈥檚 mind. We expect it鈥檚 going to be a great crowd, against a great opponent, so it鈥檚 going to be a lot of fun.鈥�
CALGARY STAMPEDERS (1-2) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (3-1)
Friday, IG FIELD
NOT FRIENDLY MANITOBA: The Stampeders have lost their last six games in Winnipeg. Calgary鈥檚 last win at IG Field was on July 7, 2017 (29-10).
LATE DECISIONS: Since 2014, the Bombers and Stampeders have played each other 20 times, with 16 of those games decided in the final three minutes. Calgary won 11 times.
ON A ROLL: Winnipeg placekicker Sergio Castillo tops the league in making all eight of his field-goal attempts this season. He has an active streak of 18 straight FGs going back to Sept. 16 last year.
BOUNCE BACK: Calgary quarterback Jake Maier has led the team to a victory after his last four losses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
