Tim Brown set to return vs. Eskimos
Four weeks after some major Labour Day pain, Tim Brown is ready to be reborn.
At the time, it appeared the Calgary Stampeders returner's season was in jeopardy.
Now, the fifth- year CFL veteran is ready to make a playoff push for his second Grey Cup ring.
Back on Sept. 7, Brown was returning a punt when Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Jordan Lynch — who does double duty on special teams — rolled into Brown's leg, sending him flying.
It looked ugly, and immediately after that game Brown was placed on the six- game injured list.
“It felt really bad. At that moment it felt like it would be a long- term injury,” Brown said. "The trainers have done an amazing job. Rehab was coming along really well so I said to them, ' I can run. I can sprint and make cuts.'
“I got with Josh ( Termeer, head athletic therapist) and we came out here one day and I said, ‘ I think I can go.' He set up a doctor's appointment and he cleared me last Tuesday. It's a blessing.”
That might sound a bit simplistic, but consider Brown's occupation. He runs full speed into oncoming 220 lb. projectiles, so extra time spent rehabbing doesn't scare him at all. Within a couple of weeks of the injury, the 30- year- old was back at practice. He pushed hard to start running, and the Stamps had to let him.
Now he's returning against the same team that sent him out, and it's a first place showdown to boot.
“I thought it would be nice to get back for the Hamilton game, but I have to be back there against Edmonton,” Brown said. “It couldn't be a better scene. This is the team we're competing against for the number 1 spot. It's a crucial game for us. I'm just excited and ready to get out there.”
The Stamps have struggled on special teams in recent weeks, but more so in the coverage area than in returns, although there have been adventures trying to replace Brown's steady hands.
Against the Tiger- Cats on Friday, the Stamps were burned by a puntreturn touchdown from Brandon Banks — his fourth return major this season — and that compounded the recent struggles they've had covering kicks.
A week ago, Troy Stoudemire had a 41- yard punt return to get into range for a tying touchdown, and two weeks ago, B. C. Lions returner Chris Rainey had 103- yard kickoff and punt return majors.
Banks is a tough man to bring down, but that doesn't make the Stamps feel any better.
“For sure we need to clean that up,” said Stamps GM- head coach John Hufnagel. “Fortunately we recovered and for the next 55 minutes of the game we had good coverage. There all kinds of crazy things that were happening on special teams because of the wind, kicks going out of bounds. For the most part they played hard. We made a mistake early in the game on the first punt and it cost us.”
Throughout these struggles on coverage, the Stamps haven't picked up any big returns of their own, outside of a 63- yard missed field- goal return by Skye Dawson against the Tiger- Cats.