B.C. Lions playing waiting game with Nathan Rourke injury, hoping rest leads to Saturday start
B.C. Lions fans looking for a silver lining in Nathan Rourke's injury status can point to the fact that the quarterback was willing to have a little fun talking about it on Tuesday.
'That's why we're taking it day-to-day and evaluating on a day-to-day basis. How many times can I say day-to-day?' Rourke joked to reporters after practice at the team's Surrey headquarters.
Tuesday marked the Lions' first on-field workouts since Thursday's 34-20 road loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Rourke left that game early in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury. He talked Tuesday about how he got hurt on the second-to-last throw for him of the game.
The Lions (1-1) have a return match-up with the Blue Bombers (1-0) on Saturday at B.C. Place, and Rourke took part in the walk-through portion of Tuesday's practice, where the offence goes through plays step by step. After that, Rourke went to the sidelines, going through various rehab drills with team staff. He did throw, but over short distances and seemingly quite gingerly.
'I want to play, and especially because we don't play these guys again for the rest of the regular season,' Rourke, 27, said of Saturday's match-up with the Blue Bombers, who have become arguably B.C.'s biggest rival during the past few CFL seasons. 'I don't feel like I played my best the other night, so it means a little bit more.
'Obviously, I also think we have the guys who are capable of winning without me. It's a long season. This is a one of those things that could turn into a longer injury if it's not handled right.'
Jeremiah Masoli, the 36-year-old veteran that B.C. signed this winter as a free agent to back up Rourke, was getting the first-team repetitions Tuesday and would start Saturday if Rourke cannot play.
The Lions, it seems, are willing to see what rest can do for Rourke. Thursday will be a week since his injury. That would be a major checkpoint, although coach Buck Pierce sounded Tuesday like he would be willing to draw this out as long as possible to see if Rourke can go.
'We don't need to know until game time,' Pierce said. 'We're going to give Nathan or any of our players opportunities to get feeling well, and we'll see where we are at closer to game time.
'I'm okay with time, seeing how he feels after every day and seeing how he reacts to certain things.'
Masoli has played 12 seasons in the league. He has made 59 career starts, including going 3-6 all-time versus Winnipeg. If he is asked to pinch hit on Saturday, he would have seen the situation at various junctures.
He was 7-of-10 for 84 yards, with one interception, in that fourth quarter against Winnipeg. Last season, Masoli got three starts with the Ottawa Redblacks, and he was 102-of-150 for 1,149 yards, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
'You show up to work every day prepared to be the guy,' Masoli said Tuesday. 'It's business as usual.
'It was good to get in there and get some reps with the starters. I haven't had many reps with those guys, but they make it easy or me.
Rourke admitted Tuesday that he was 'feeling pretty sore,' and that 'it's an injury that affects a lot of things that I do.'
'The doctors have said that it could clear up in a couple of days. We're hoping that's the case,' he said.
Rourke said he was hurt trying to find some extra power on a throw with a Winnipeg defender wrapped around his left foot and trying to pull him down.
'Then the play after it set in that I didn't have much power and obviously a lot of pain,' he said.
Rourke was 12-of-27 for 249 yards, with one touchdown and one interception against the Blue Bombers. He rushed six times for 58 yards, wth one touchdown.
In the 31-14 triumph in the season opener versus the Edmonton Elks, Rourke was 27-of-36 for 324 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed five times for 54 yards.
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Bombers 34, Lions 20: Nathan Rourke suffers apparent injury in road loss
B.C. Lions: Buck Pierce returns to Winnipeg for first time as visiting coach
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