‘“It’s good to have Matt,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I really appreciate, not only the way he played, but his work – his leadership on this football team – with Josh and (Tyree Jackson). That’s an important piece at the backup quarterback position. He’s done a real nice job to this point.”’
BillsBeat - August 18, 2019
Bills Mailbag: Does Christian Wade have a shot at making the team's active roster?
‘Give him a year to learn more about the game, and then we’ll see if he can contribute in 2020. Keep in mind that LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore and Senorise Perry are all in the final year of their contracts. There could be a spot for Wade down the road.’
Bills' Josh Allen on assessment by oddsmakers: 'Bet the over!'
‘Prop bets — wagers on events or nonevents that don’t necessarily affect the outcome of a game — are a rapidly growing segment of the rapidly growing sports gambling industry. And companies are competing to meet the demand, offering an ever-expanding menu of available wagers, ranging from those big-picture, seasonlong bets on individual players such as the Bills’ second-year QB, to granular options offered in-game, including whether a given drive ends in a touchdown or interception.’
How Josh Allen is finding Cole Beasley, dealing with challenges of the blitz
‘Attacking the middle of the field with Beasley will create open and easy throw almost all the time for Allen. Linebackers cannot play zone and allow him to catch easy passes in the holes underneath coverage. They also are not capable of playing man-to-man coverage on him. This is the quandary and the advantage he brings to the Bills’ offense. His skill set changes how teams will have to account for him, and if you don’t have a defender who can line up and cover him, he is going to be open on every play.’
Josh Allen wanted the ball first, Sean McDermott acquiesced, and away the Bills went
‘“Coach McDermott came up to me and I called the coin toss and I said, ‘We want the ball’ and he said ‘OK, let’s go get it,’” Allen said following the Bills 27-14 victory over Carolina. “From that point on we were ready to go.”’
Duke Williams thrives, Tyree Jackson struggles: 12 Buffalo Bills who helped or hurt roster odds vs. Panthers
‘Someone in Hollywood should probably start writing a script on Christian Wade.’
Buffalo Bills preseason 2019: 53-man roster projection following Panthers game
‘Through two preseason games, Tyree Jackson looks nothing like a NFL quarterback. He doesn’t belong on a roster at this time.’
Capaccio: Breaking down Cole Beasley's night in Carolina
‘I broke down each of those five plays from the formation to Beasley’s route to what Allen did at the snap and with the ball.’
Allen on Sweeney: “He’s answered when his number has been called”
‘“Tommy’s been fantastic. He’s answered when his number has been called,” Allen told reporters after the game. “Obviously, he’s been forced into a lot of action with the (first team). He’s made some big plays for us already, you know, the thing he comes to work every day, ready to learn, ready to work, doesn’t complain just put his head down and goes. So, I really appreciate what he’s doing, and the results are showing for it.”’
‘A’ to ‘B’: Allen to Beasley proving to be a great connection
‘“And, just having that open line of communication where when we get on the field, we’ve talked about this. If the (Mike linebacker) is playing a certain way, I know he’s going to do this move, whatever it is, because we’ve talked about it a lot. That’s going to only continue to get better.”’
Bills Today: Kevin Johnson shares a special moment with his father
‘“I think I just remain the same player that I am. I’m confident every day I go out there on the field.”’
BillsBeat - August 17, 2019
Bills, QBs have impressive outing in win at Carolina
‘But, for the second straight week, there was one glaring missing entity. Where was Ed Oliver, the first-round draft pick, taken No. 9 overall?’
Bills WR Cole Beasley quickly becoming Josh Allen's favorite target
‘The trip to the Carolinas was a productive one for the Allen-to-Beasley connection. The duo hooked up for three completions during each of the two joint practices with the Panthers, then continued building their chemistry Friday night.’
Bills QB Josh Allen makes impressive rebound in second preseason outing
‘On Friday night, however, Allen looked far more poised and in command. In completing nine of 11 passes for 102 yards, he was sharp on most of his throws. He showed good decision-making and stayed clear of mistakes.’
Roster battle at wide receiver gets tighter in Bills' win over Panthers
‘You’d think the Bills will want to keep either the quick McKenzie or McCloud as a backup slot option to Beasley. But Williams, the biggest wideout on the roster, is making the decision tougher.’
Josh Allen almost perfect, first-string offense superb in Buffalo Bills' win over Panthers
‘The Allen-to-Beasley connection is real, and as I’ve been saying almost since the day the Bills signed the diminutive slot receiver in free agency, he’s going to be a major weapon for Allen. In four preseason possessions to date, Beasley has six catches and had one last week wiped out by a penalty.’
Bills’ Josh Allen shows poise, precision in near perfect outing vs. Panthers
‘Allen should have had 10 completions but running back LeSean McCoy dropped a pass on a quick screen play after getting the start and his first action of 2019. The former seventh overall pick finished his night with 102 yards passing.’
Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen is going to make a lot of the expert draft-niks look really bad (What they’re saying)
‘What did the national media think of Allen’s play? Here are a few reactions.’
Buffalo Bills’ Christian Wade is at it again! (What they’re saying)
‘Wade’s second act in the NFL was just as impressive. During Friday night’s game against the Carolina Panthers, Wade caught a short pass from Tyree Jackson and broke multiple tackles on his way to a 48-yard reception before getting tackled just shy of the end zone.’
Buffalo Bills win again, defeat Carolina Panthers, 27-14: 5 things we learned
‘The Bills defense didn’t have to deal with Newton but kept backup quarterback Kyle Allen in check. Panthers backup quarterback Will Grier through a pick-six interception to Bills cornerback Kevin Johnson, who’s flashed playmaking ability throughout the spring and summer after signing with the Bills in free agency.’
Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers preseason Week 2 wrap-up: News, injuries, lineup notes, quotes, more
‘At this point, it’s a pretty safe bet to say that Sweeney will be suited up for Buffalo in Week 1.’
Allen the highlight of Bills’ second-straight preseason win; Beasley, Wade, Singletary, Sweeney turn heads
‘“I was ready to go,” said Allen. “The first couple of throws, trying to find the rhythm… (we) made some first downs, and the offensive line held the pocket really well.”’
Allen shines as Bills first team offense finishes two scoring drives
‘Finishing tonight’s first quarter 9-for-11 for 102 yards and the two scoring drives, Allen provided Bills fans with something tangible to hang on to when in the midst of the ‘Josh Allen is actually good’ arguments. One of those entrenched in the argument, albeit not a Bills fan, is CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, who after Allen’s stellar performance tweeted out ‘Josh Allen is going to make a lot of the expert draft-niks look really bad’.’
Bills revamped wide receiver room taking lead of two new veterans
‘In short, it behooved the Bills to go out and get some veteran talent to help second-year quarterback Josh Allen make his way, and that’s exactly what they did when they signed Beasley and Brown.’
Bills impress in lopsided first half of Friday’s game against Panthers
‘Friday night in Charlotte, the Buffalo Bills came ready to play.’
Saturday's Carolina Coverage
‘Really maddening mistakes.’ Panthers found all sorts of ways to self-destruct (Charlotte Observer)
Analysis: Call the Panthers’ offense what it was in loss to Bills – just plain bad (Charlotte Observer)
Panthers’ Eric Reid sounds off on Jay-Z owning an NFL team: “Despicable” (Charlotte Observer)
Grading the Carolina Panthers in their preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills (Charlotte Observer)
As Newton sits, again, Panthers risking it all without a backup plan (Raleigh News and Observer)
Cam Newton difference ‘like night and day’ with new throwing motion (The Sporting News)
Eric Reid on Jay-Z ‘moving past’ protests, cozying up to NFL: ‘When has (he) ever taken a knee?’ (The Sporting News)
What to make of Carolina’s preseason loss to Buffalo (Panthers.com)
Rapid Reactions: Tough night for backup quarterbacks against Bills (Panthers.com)
Kyle Allen, Will Grier fail to separate themselves in backup quarterback race (Panthers.com)
Jordan Scarlett gets his first taste of NFL action (Panthers.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Panthers.com)
Photo gallery 2 (Panthers.com)
Photo gallery 3 (Panthers.com)
Photo gallery (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
He's done it again! Former rugby star Christian Wade lights up the NFL AGAIN with another sensational play as he closes in on roster spot with the Buffalo Bills
‘The Bills were leading the game against the Carolina Panthers 24-6 in the fourth quarter on Friday night when Wade collected the ball from quarterback Tyree Jackson just inside the opponents’ half and ran 45 yards.’
Allen, Johnson Lead Bills Past Newton-Less Panthers 27-14
‘”We won the coin toss, and from that point on we were ready to go,” Allen said.’
Bills take down Panthers with a 27-14 win
‘The Bills starting offense had quite the day in their two drives, scoring 10 points and looking in sync in their limited time.’
Capaccio: Bills at Panthers Arrow Up/Arrow Down
‘The Bills second year quarterback was calm and poised in the pocket. He made good decisions, and was on target. Just a really good game overall from Allen, who finished 9-for-11 for 102 yards. Of the two incompletions, one was a drop by LeSean McCoy and the other was essentially a throw away that landed at the feet of the target as he was heading out of bounds.’
Bills beat Panthers 27-14 in second preseason game
‘Quarterback Josh Allen and the rest of the Bills starters only played two drives and capitalized on both, giving the team a 10-0 after the first quarter. Allen completed 9-of-11 passes for 102 yards while LeSean McCoy, who made his preseason debut after he sat out in week one, carried the ball four times for six yards and a touchdown. Cole Beasley led all wide receivers with five catches for 44 yards while tight end Tommy Sweeney, who is taking advantage of extra on-field time due to injuries, had two catches for 47 yards.’
Josh Allen shows poise & progress in Bills win
‘After a few steady days of practice, Allen shined in the Bills second preseason game, completing 9 of 11 passes attempted for 102 yards. His day included two pretty passes to tight end, Tommy Sweeney for 47 yards. The first completion was floated perfectly over a defender, dropping right into Sweeney’s breadbasket. On the next drive, Allen and the rookie tight end connect again — this time on a laser up the seam. The completion set up the eventual one-yard touchdown from running back LeSean McCoy.’
New Bills Offensive Line Coach Changing Culture
‘“We have some colleagues in common. To watch and listen to how they describe Bobby is exactly what I’ve observed,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “You watch how he designs the running game, he’s a tireless worker.”’
From rugby to the NFL: Christian Wade proves talent can be found anywhere
‘”I have great appreciation for what he’s trying to accomplish here and that attitude hasn’t changed,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. “His energy, his smile, he’s got great joy, and I think that’s infectious.”‘
Offense & defense shine in win over Panthers
‘Kevin Johnson highlighted another strong defensive showing, returning an interception for a touchdown as Buffalo extended it’s lead to 17-0 in the second quarter.’
Allen & Beasley shine Vs. Panthers
‘Allen wrapped up his second preseason outing gong 9-for-11 for 102 yards and connected five times with Beasley, who finished with 40 receiving yards.’
4 Observations from Bills at Panthers
‘Josh Allen looked sharp and led the Bills first-team offense to pair of scoring drives. The Bills quarterback finished the game 9-11 passing for 102 yards. Allen and Cole Beasley seemed to be finding a rhythm during the team’s joint practices against Carolina and carried over to the 2nd preseason game. The duo hooked up 5 times for 44 yards and 3 first downs.’
Bills end Carolina trip with a preseason win
‘Tommy Sweeney stood out playing as starting tight end, with 47 yards on two receptions. He rounds out a largely injured tight end corps.’
Game recap | Bills dominate Panthers in second preseason game
‘Deon Lacey was active on defense, finishing with seven combined tackles and Levi Wallace held his own against the Panthers’ speedy Cutis Samuel. But, the defense was strong as a whole. The Bills didn’t allow a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter and coasted to victory.’
Top 3 things we learned from Bills at Panthers | Preseason Week 2
‘“Coming here coach McDermott came up to me before the game and said, ‘I called the coin toss. We want the ball.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And we won the coin toss and from that point on I was ready to go,” Allen said. “The first couple of throws we were still trying to find a rhythm. Ball placement a couple of times. I wish I could front pad Cole there on the underneath route and let him run and get some more yards. He caught the ball and made the first down. We made some first downs. Offensive line held the pocket really well. It was good to see looking at the pictures and having a clean pocket. I made sure they knew I appreciated that too.”’