Article content continued

“It’s kind of a balancing act — we know every game matters so we want to do whatever we can to win. But at the same time, we have to see the big picture and make sure he doesn’t have some kind of setback. It’s encouraging, if you saw him today, it looks like nothing’s wrong with him. Obviously he’s not at risk of getting hit (when he’s throwing in practice).”

Tate was injured near the end of the first half in a Sept. 17 win in Montreal. He was slammed to the turf, injuring his shoulder and ribs, as well as getting a big laceration on his elbow. He was in uniform in a 29-9 loss in Winnipeg Friday night, listed as the No. 3 quarterback, with Ryan Lindley getting his first CFL start.

“(Tate) threw some today,” said Campbell. “He’s going to continue to progress. He’s making sure he’s not overdoing it. We have a more strenuous day (Tuesday) so we’ll see where he is. I would say there’s a fair chance he’ll play.”

While Lindley looked shaky at times, completing just 16-of-36 passes for 151 yards in windy, rainy conditions, Campbell said the progress will come.

“The thing about Lindley is he’s going to keep getting better, it’ll be noticeable game by game,” said Campbell. “If you count all the reps he’s had in practices and games, it’s very limited. It would be tough for any quarterback to step in and do well immediately.”

Criner (knee), who has been out since early July, would be a big addition.

“He’ll practice and he’ll play if he’s good to go,” said Campbell. “We’ll get him in the lineup as soon as is reasonable and that could very well be this week. He was a guy we were counting on going into this year. He’s a big target who can make some tough catches for us.”