Need to Know | Banjo Bowl Week

And while doing all that, there's also the wide-angle look at where this team is at 6-6 and in the dogfight for playoff positioning in the Canadian Football League's West Division with a third of the regular season left to play.

As Canadian rock legends Triumph put it, 'the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting long. Feels like we're running out of time.'

So, then, just how critical is this rematch with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the weekend, Nic Demski?

"Critical. Yeah, with a capital 'C'. Very critical," said the veteran Blue Bombers receiver after practice on Wednesday. "Any game you go against the West but right now at this point of the season and especially since this is the last time we play Saskatchewan this is a big game to go in there and win."

The Blue Bombers overtime loss in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday prevented the club from moving into a second-place tie with the Riders. As it is now, they're squarely in the middle of the West, looking up at the Edmonton Elks (9-3) and Saskatchewan (8-4) and with the B.C. Lions (also 6-6) and Calgary Stampeders (5-7) right there with them.

There was some potentially good news from the Blue Bombers infirmary on Wednesday with Demski -- who missed last week's game in Regina -- and veteran safety Redha Kramdi, who has been out since the OT win in Ottawa back mid-July, both back at their posts.

"It's hard to watch any game but Labour Day Classic, that definitely had a little bit of emotions to it," said Demski, who made the trip to Regina along with Kramdi. "I just tried to be there for my teammates in any helping hand way I could be there.

"You never like to be away from any game but especially one of that high impact and environment. You definitely want to be out there. It was tough to be on the sidelines but I'm working to get back this week."

Demski's potential return could be massive for a Blue Bombers offence that purred and then sputtered on Labour Day -- rallying for a game-tying score on the final play, before stalling out in its lone possession in overtime.

Ditto for Kramdi, whom defensive coordinator Jordan Younger said Wednesday was one of the best communicators he's ever been around.

"He can communicate at a high level at every level of the defence," said Younger. "He can talk to the guys at the front end, he can talk to the guys at the second level, and he can communicate with the guys in the back end.

"Most importantly, he knows when to because you don't always get to talk to all three. So, based on each call you may want to prioritize your communication and that ability makes us a better football team."

"It feels like I haven't played football for a while. I hope to be able to play this week, but we'll see," added Kramdi, whose last snap of the season was the knock down in Ottawa that ended the game.

"It's part of the game. Injuries come with it. But you feel powerless. At the end of the day, the direct impact you have as a player to contribute to the success of the team and the only quantifiable and tangible way is to make plays and be on the field. So, when that's taken away from you it's like, what can you do to help. You just feel powerless."

More notes and quotes from the Blue Bombers return to the practice field on Wednesday in this week's edition of NEED TO KNOW...

HIGH PRAISE: The Blue Bombers were thrilled to see both Demski and Kramdi back on the field on Wednesday, but veteran receiver Pokey Wilson was not participating and was listed in the daily injury report with a hand injury.

Dorian Singer worked in his spot for a spell during practice in the wake of his sensational debut which saw him not only latch onto the game-tying touchdown to send the game into overtime but finish with five receptions for 62 yards and with two of his catches resulting in second-down conversions.

"Dorian works very hard. He's in here every day working hard," said Demski of the young receiver. "He's in here even on days off. That's a guy that stood out to me during training camp when you get your first glimpses of some of the new guys that come in here and who do the right things and he's definitely doing all the right things. His hard work definitely shows out here on the field.

"I'm happy that he got to go in there. He's very coachable. He listens to everybody around him and you can tell because it shows on game day.

"He's a guy that was waiting for his opportunity and he's a perfect example of making the most of his opportunity, especially in a league like this that is a next-man up league. A lot of injuries happen in football, and he went in there and did his thing and in a high-pressure moment he came out and made a huge play for the team so you can't really ask much more from a guy like that."

TO GO FOR TWO, OR NOT GO FOR TWO: Head coach Mike O'Shea when asked Wednesday about opting to have Sergio Castillo kick the convert to send the game into OT last week rather than keep the offence on the field and go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt from the Saskatchewan three-yard line.:

"When it doesn't work, you wish you did it a different way and if I went for two and we didn't get it, I'd feel the same way; I'd feel just as crappy," he said.

"We drive down and score and there is momentum and there's the other side of me that generally thinks just keep on extending it, let's get more opportunities rather than a one-shot deal.

"It happens. It unfolds that way and like every other scenario, every other decision it just gives me more information to look at and go back and study and think about and ruminate over. It should serve its purpose."

ICYMI: We held another live episode of The Huddle on Wednesday with our special guest former Blue Bombers QB-turned-rising TV star Chris Streveler, who spoke about his new gig at DAZN as an NFL and CFL analyst, the 2026 Blue Bombers and more.

Check it out here -- The Huddle