Rider looks to bounce back
PLAYING CATCH: Demski hasn’t forgotten his case of the drops against Redblacks
OTTAWA — Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Nic Demski hasn’t forgotten about Friday’s 32-30 overtime victory over the Ottawa Redblacks.
Demski was pleased with the overall result and that the Riders won their third consecutive CFL game to improve their record to 4-10-0.
The second-year receiver wasn’t happy with his own performance, which was marred by three drops during the game at TD Place Stadium.
“It was just one of those games,” Demski said after Wednesday’s practice at Carleton University. “Every player has one of those games, if it’s one in a season or in your career. Hopefully, I can limit those games and put it behind me. The reality is I wasn’t concentrating on the ball and not making the plays when the ball came to me.”
Not even a 10-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter was enough to make up for Demski’s dropped passes.
“If I had two touchdowns with three drops, I still wouldn’t be satisfied with my performance because I’m that type of player,” Demski said. “Even though I got the touchdown, I wasn’t too happy with my performance. There is still a lot to work on, but I can take my time and it’s all fixable.”
Markus Howell, the Riders’ receivers coach, studied video from Friday’s game and examined Demski’s drops. “We have to get back to basics,” Howell said. “It’s about concentrating on his eyes and whether they were good or bad and whether his hand placement was good or bad. Then it’s catch a lot of balls, get his comfort back, let him off the leash and let him play.”
Demski was targeted eight times while hauling in four passes for 29 yards and the aforementioned touchdown, which gave the Riders a 10-0 first-quarter lead after Tyler Crapigna’s convert. Howell felt that Demski did more than score a touchdown to atone for the dropped passes.
“It was the stuff that he did without the football like blocking, staying aggressive and that kind of stuff, that was positive,” Howell said. “There were just a few plays where he didn’t finish.”
Demski has an opportunity to rebound with four regular-season games remaining in the Riders’ 2016 season, starting with Saturday’s game in Toronto against the Argonauts. Receivers Jeff Fuller (thumb) and Armanti Edwards (hand) both returned to Regina to see specialists after being injured Friday.
The injuries may create more opportunities for Demski, who has 25 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns this season. Demski isn’t too concerned about the Riders having to adjust to another new group of receivers.
“We’re a good group so we all help each other,” Demski said. “(Quarterback Darian Durant) is pretty good at getting everybody on the same track and letting us know what he wants as the quarterback. We just talk, communicate and stay on the same page.”