Nic Demski has been around the game long enough to understand there are pros and cons of media attention.
And so when the cameras and reporters formed a semi-circle around the Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver following practice Tuesday, he knew fully what was coming.
To his credit, he stood there and answered every question about the Blue Bombers two-game losing skid that has dropped them to 2-6 as well as his two fumbles in each of the last two games in enemy territory.
Demski, for the record, leads the Blue Bombers in receptions with 33 and his 419 yards is second to Pokey Wilson’s 463.
“You focus on it. You focus on it a lot. That’s what I’ve been doing,” said Demski of the turnovers. “I’ve been dialling it down and making sure that I’m tucking the ball away, putting two hands on the ball.
“It’s going back to the basics. It’s a humbling feeling, it’s a humbling moment. But at the end of the day, in order to make plays and put this team in a good position to win, I’ve got to do that. I’ve got to go back to basics and put two hands on the ball and not make as much happen after the play. That just comes with it. It’s football.
“Sometimes you’re going to get the bounces, sometimes you’re not. Right now, I’m pretty sure that it’s obvious to see, I’m not getting the bounces. So, I’ve just got to go back to fundamental football.”
The Blue Bombers have lost their last two games by a combined 12 points and were in position to win both if not for the litany of errors and turnovers, finishing -7 in the turnover margin over the losses.
Demski is hardly alone in his role in that and while owning up to his mistakes did the only thing any player can do now by getting back to work. But the mistakes can eat away at a guy, too, if he lets the negative linger.
“You’ve got to let go of it,” he said. “When you look at pros and cons of a short week, that’s kind of one of the pros. The quick transition, you’ve got to forget and move on. But at the end of the day, you’ve still got to remember the mistakes you did make and clean up the mistakes that you made.
“That’s what practice is all about. That’s what this weekly prep is all about. Just making sure that you’re putting in that extra effort of making things right.”
More notes and quotes from today’s media session…
OUCH UPDATE: The Blue Bombers had their one full practice in a short week on Tuesday and it was closed to the media — meaning who might go where and the status of WR Drew Wolitarsky and OL Pat Neufeld will remain a mystery until the depth chart comes out Thursday morning.
For what it’s worth, Wolitarsky and Neufeld were listed as questionable on the daily injury report, along with LBs Tanner Cadwallader and Max Charbonneau, while DB Jake Kelly was listed as available.
Injury Report: July 30, 2024#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/i6lMsSg0Ic
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) July 30, 2024
Demski on the injury to Wolitarsky:
“It’s tough to see anybody go down, especially Wally. He’s such a vocal leader on this offence and on this team as well. He works so damn hard, too. Just to have that unfortunate event happen to him, he’s still with us and his vibes are still in the room. I know he’s going to be with us every step of the way until he gets back.”
Wolitarsky’s status, again, won’t be known until Thursday morning, but the team has already lost Dalton Schoen for the season while Kenny Lawler has been out since Week 1 and is expected to return within the next few weeks.
That potentially leaves Demski and Pokey Wilson as the only two members of the opening night receiving corps still in action.
“That’s what it feels like a little bit right now,” said Demski when asked if he felt like the last man standing. “We’ve got great guys who are in their first year in the league and they’re making tremendous strides. They’re working hard, too and they want to be leaders on this team as well. It’s all about the next man up and everybody understands that. We’ve got good guys for that in this room.”
NO NEWS IS… NO NEWS: The short turnaround between Saturday’s game in Toronto and this meeting with the Lions on Thursday has also kept the Blue Bombers tight-lipped on the potential return of Rasheed Bailey after he was released by the Argos late last week.
O’Shea reiterated again on his Coach’s Show on CJOB on Monday night that the club likes its group of receivers in house. And Demski, when asked if he was doing any ‘recruiting’ of Bailey:
“You know what, I talk to Sheed. He’s in a place where he’s trying to figure it out right now,” Demski said. “I don’t really know where his head’s at. I know he wants to play football. I also know that he has a lot of figuring out to do.
“I’m going to give him space. But at the same time, it would be sweet to see him put the jersey over the pads again.”
LOST IN THE LOSS: There’s no shying away from the turnovers the Blue Bombers spit up last Saturday, but lost in the loss was another solid effort by the defence and the sensational work of the kick-cover units in limiting the damage of ace return man Janarion Grant.
Here’s O’Shea when he was asked about how exasperating it was to review game film of the loss, knowing they essentially beat themselves:
“I’d say we did. But there’s lots of positives, too. I think our defence and special teams played very, very well. Special teams doing very well against Janarion Grant, who has been on fire.
“Defence, in terms of the totals and yardage and stuff and the amount of times they got the ball back. Offensively we did extremely well, and just let go of the football. But everything else adds up to being a pretty damn good three-phase football game, minus some giveaways. You take away one of those giveaways or you make a field goal or you make a yard, the game’s a different story. But there’s still things you’ll always want to clean up, for sure.”
O’Shea also revisited his decision to gamble on third-and-one from the Toronto 22-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in a 13-13 tie, rather than trot out Sergio Castillo for a field goal. Streveler was stopped, although he maintains the spot was iffy.
Post-game, O’Shea called the decision ‘greedy’ but that he would do it all over again.
“It’s greedy, yeah. I like being greedy,” he said. “Here’s the point. If you have a choice of keeping the football or giving it back to Janarion Grant and an offence with time, you’re going to always bet on Streveler and the O-line, something that’s been perfect. And I would make that decision again. But there is another option.”
ICYMI: Our latest episode of The Huddle featured a visit with DB Deatrick Nichols. You can watch it here: