‘Spain injured his ankle in the team’s 24-20 preseaon win over the Lions Friday night. He was carted into the locker rom for evaluation. When McDermott was asked for a prognosis, he said, “we don’t really know right now. It’s too early. So we’re just taking it one day at a time right now.”‘
Archives for August 2019
Roster battles heat up as regular season approaches
‘ “Going into year three, that’s what you want. You want tougher decisions this time this year, then it was last year at this time or the first year at this time,” McDermott said. “So, if those decisions become tougher then that’s what we want. That’s what Brandon and I both want and that’s a sign that our roster, the quality of our roster is improving across the board.”’
Bills players staying positive ahead of roster cuts
‘“I can just control my efforts, my energy and how I play on the field,” said Isaiah McKenzie. “When it’s Saturday and time for cuts, it’s something I can’t really think about, nothing I can really say or do.”’
Quick Hits: Tough decisions ahead as roster cut deadline approaches
‘“Going into year three that’s what you want,” McDermott explained. “You want tougher decisions this time this year than it was last year at this time or the first year at this time. So, if those decisions become tougher than so be it because that’s what we want. That’s what Brandon [Beane] and I both want and that’s a sign that the quality of our roster is improving across the board.”’
Bills Today: Versatility helps in wide receiver competition according to McDermott
‘“Probably similar to what I’ve mentioned after the game, I thought it was good work for us to go against Matt Stafford a good quarterback,” McDermott said. “You know, field position wise, we had some short fields, and I thought the defense did a good job, took the ball away at the end of the game. I thought those were some of the positives. Then we’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of some of the other areas as well in terms of playing better fundamentally communicating better, recognizing formations. Better, and just overall continuing to grow in our system playing more physical. So lot of work to do over the next couple weeks here.”’
Josh Allen wishes he ‘was a little smarter with the football’ in Bills’ third preseason win
‘Unlike the Carolina game, in which Allen displayed superb patience in looking to work short passes to Cole Beasley underneath coverage and finding openings to deliver to tight end Tommy Sweeney, the quarterback seemed overly anxious. On multiple occasions, he looked out of sync with his receivers on shorter routes. There was an overthrow intended for Zay Jones to kill a third-down conversion on the Bills’ first drive. There also was a ball that sailed behind Beasley to cause their second possession to stall.’
Bills red zone defense continues to rise to challenge after turnovers
‘“Coach (Sean) McDermott talks about being smart football players and knowing the situation, and so we work those drills in practice and just want it to carry over into the games,” defensive end Trent Murphy said.’
Plenty of tough cuts in latest Bills’ 53-man roster projection
‘The battle for the final spot at wide receiver will go down to the wire. McKenzie gets the nod here based on his ability to back up Beasley as the slot receiver. The toughest cut earlier this summer would have been McCloud, but Williams has moved into that position after making touchdown catches in back-to-back weeks. Williams is the Bills’ biggest target, and got a chance to showcase his skills with the first team Friday night. Jones playing into the second half caught the attention of some, but McDermott said that boiled down to wanting to get him more work after he played sparingly in the first two preseason games. We’ll take the coach at his word. It seems premature to suggest Jones or Foster could be in jeopardy after what they accomplished last season.’
Is Zay Jones’ spot on the 53-man roster secure?
‘To Jerrel’s question, I don’t think Williams has done enough at this point. There is still a week to go and one more preseason game, though, and he has definitely come on strong lately. I expect the decisions at wide receiver will go right down to the wire.’
Prices soar as speculation swirls around potential Bills stadium downtown
‘But others are trying to get into the game, too. The Pegulas have been buying property near KeyBank Center. And existing property owners have been trying to cash in by listing commercial buildings for sale at asking prices far above their assessed value.’
Is it possible that Zay Jones and LeSean McCoy are battling for Buffalo Bills roster spots?
‘Still, it makes you wonder whether the Bills were perhaps showcasing McCoy for a possible trade. Probably not, but it’s fun to speculate. I’ve said since the end of 2018 that I won’t believe McCoy and his $9 million salary will be on the roster until I actually see him warming up at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8.’
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen knows he must eliminate risky throws on the run
‘“I wish I was a little smarter with the football tonight. And there was one play in particular, we got bailed out there, but (that’s) something that I just can’t do,” Allen said. “And I know I can’t do that, but I’m glad it happened in preseason. It’s just a little reminder of what I can and can’t do. I understood that we wanted to run the ball and I wanted to take a shot, and I can’t go with that mindset, so I got to be smarter with the football there.”’
Duke Williams, Ryan Bates stand out: 11 Buffalo Bills who helped or hurt roster odds vs. Lions
‘Williams once again used his size to make plays in the preseason. He finished last night’s game with three receptions. One of his catches resulted in a 16-yard touchdown where Williams simply plucked the ball out of the air and pushed his way into the end zone.’
Bills’ Duke Williams gets work with Josh Allen
‘I was so glad to see Duke Williams get first team reps in the first quarter with Josh Allen. Allen never threw him a pass, but Williams had some very good blocks springing Frank Gore on a 27-yard run and running his man five yards deep into the end zone on Devin Singletary’s nine-yard touchdown run.’
Bills-Lions Arrow Up/Arrow Down
‘What a warrior Gore is. The ageless wonder got loose for huge 27-yard run, but then got hit late and had to come out of the game with a leg injury. You’d think that would be the end to his night, but there he was just a few series’ later taking handoffs again. Gore finished with a game-high 57 yards on the ground, averaging 7.1 yards per carry!’