Riders boss not getting caught up in stadium hype ahead of home opener

So there won't be a marketing job waiting for Chris Jones.

The man who is the boss of everything in the Saskatchewan Roughriders football operations department is not getting caught up in the stadium hype this week.

The historical aspect, the magic and aura of the first game in the Riders' new home is lost on Jones, who is only concerned about their second-week opponent, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter if we were playing them in the street," Jones said after Tuesday's practice.

"We've got a game to play against a team that is an arch-rival and a team that we need to go out and play well against."

Especially after a season opener in Montreal where the Riders came away with a one-point loss.

"We have just got to play smarter. There were a number of errors on all three sides of the ball. It's tough to beat a high-school team when you do those things," said Jones.

Not that the coaches are blameless.

Questionable strategy in the fourth quarter to pull quarterback Kevin Glenn in the red-zone in favour of a wildcat package led by Brandon Bridge, but Jones stands by the decision.

"I think it was the right decision, I don't ever second-guess our coaches," he said.

"You get paid to win games and you spend 80 hours a week in an office just to win the game, not to lose by one. So yeah, you lose a lot of sleep."

Week 2 changes

Receiver-returner Ricky Collins suffered a shoulder injury in Montreal. Jones says he will be out for a month.

That means their offensive game star in Montreal will be required to return kicks against the Bombers.

Nic Demski caught seven passes for 87 yards against the Alouettes, filling in nicely for the injured Rob Bagg.

Bagg, who sat out the Montreal game because of a foot injury, was back at practice Tuesday and appears ready to go.

"I've got a great relationship with Rob. I really consider him my mentor," said Demski on Tuesday.

"If it's working under him or working with him or working ahead of him, I'm game for whatever it is. I'm going to take my role on this team and I'm going to ride with it, whatever it is to help this team out."

Demski wouldn't mind a repeat performance against the Bombers, his hometown team, which passed on him in the 2015 CFL draft.

The Riders selected Demski sixth overall.

He says he's over the snub from two years ago but Saturday's game is a big one for personal reasons.

"I've got 25 people coming from Winnipeg to watch me," he said, so he wants "something to put on for them."

New faces

Bruce Campbell practiced with the Riders for the first time on Tuesday, more than a year after the team traded for him.

The six-foot-seven offensive lineman was acquired by Saskatchewan from Toronto in February of last year, but the 29-year-old Campbell opted to retire.

Campbell, who played 19 games in the NFL, says he didn't feel it anymore in terms of passion for the game.

But the itch to play returned by the time the football season was done.

"Having friends that still played, watching NFL, CFL, still talking to them, seeing them still having fun," said Campbell, who stayed in touch with Chris Jones throughout.

"I was at home working. The love was still there,I don't want to be that person who says 'what if.'"

Jones says Campbell will provide experienced depth on the offensive line.

"We've got three veteran offensive tackles now. If we have an injury we don't have to rely on a young guy to come off the [practice roster] and protect our quarterback."