‘”I’m excited about [the 2020 season]. Josh Allen has a lot of new toys to play with; and the thing for him is he’s going to have to manage those new toys. [Stefon] Diggs is going to want the football, [John] Brown, [Cole] Beasley, those guys are going to want the football. [Allen’s] going to have to be able to pick what guy isn’t being double-teamed, what guy is ‘the hot guy.’ I think as much as it is Josh Allen is going to have to manage that, it’s going to have to be the offensive coordinator that’s going to have to be the guy to get everybody involved.”‘
BillsBeat - May 28, 2020
Bills Today | Who is Buffalo's most underappreciated player?
‘Hyde drew some accolades (second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl appearance) in his first season with Buffalo back in 2017, but his body of work since joining the Bills suggests that we’re still underrating him when discussing the league’s best safeties. Over the last three seasons in Buffalo, Hyde ranks tied for fifth among all players at the safety position in overall grade (90.7). The move to free safety has pulled the best from Hyde after a solid, albeit unspectacular, start to his career with the Green Bay Packers in more of a slot/box role. He now serves as half of one of the better safety tandems in the NFL with teammate Jordan Poyer.’
BillsBeat - May 27, 2020
Sean McDermott on possibility of playing games without fans: 'We'll adjust'
‘“Let’s face it, from the time we’re just 6, 7, 8, 9 years old and we first start playing football … it was always nice to have the sideline packed, right?” McDermott said. “And then you take that to junior high into high school to college … and now to the NFL. That’s a big part of the environment and the atmosphere, in particular in Buffalo, for us. So it’ll be a challenge, it’ll be different, but I also know this: I know that we’ll adjust.”’
How Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott plans to use rookie AJ Epenesa in ‘perfect world’
‘“AJ, I think in a perfect world…” McDermott said thinking about his response. “We still have Trent (Murphy), we’ve got Jerry (Hughes), we brought in Mario Addison at the end position, we’ve got some young ends still as well in Darryl Johnson and Mike Love… In a perfect world, he’ll play a backup position the first season potentially to move inside on rush situations. That’s asking a lot at this point because, learning as you know, learning two positions just in your first season and adjusting all the while to life in the NFL is a challenge so we’ll just focus on one position for now, but the more he can do the better for us and for his future.”’
What ESPN’s Football Power Index says about Buffalo Bills in 2020 (Projected win total, playoff odds, more)
‘Here’s how close the margin is: Buffalo has a 41.0% chance to win the division while the Patriots are all the way down at … 40.9%. This division is a toss-up for the first time since we discovered fire.’
Dolphins’ LT Jackson vs. Bills’ DE Epenesa is going to be a thing. And Jackson must do better
‘And if you fast-foward to the draft in April, that awkward moment between Epenesa and the Bills now extends to the Dolphins. Because the Bills drafted Epenesa in the second round, with the No. 54 overall selection. And the Dolphins drafted Jackson in the first round, with the No. 18 overall selection. So if the plans concocted by the Dolphins and Bills manifest we will see Jackson versus Epenesa twice per season for years to come.’
ESPN Power Index gives Bills 10th best Super Bowl odds
‘Almost all regular season and playoff projections in the database have nearly the same odds for Buffalo and New England.’
Report says NFL head coaches may be returning next week, minicamps in June
‘According to Robinson, head coaches may be returning to team facilities as early as next week, with players reporting for minicamps in mid-to-late June. All of this would be dependent on state and local governments giving the go-ahead for all facilities to be open in their jurisdictions, as well as the NFL green-lighting teams getting back to work, as the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Bills Today | Where ESPN's FPI ranks Buffalo heading into the 2020 season
‘The Bills FPI is 1.9, while the Patriots FPI is 2.1 which is a reason why New England is ranked higher. Buffalo received a -0.8 for offense, 2.8 for defense and -0.1 for special teams. The Patriots received a -1.9 for offense, 3.6 for defense and 0.4 for special teams.’
BillsBeat - May 26, 2020
Which Bills' undrafted free agents have the best chance of making the roster?
‘Still, he plays a premier position and if the Bills’ training staff can get the best out of him physically, it’s possible Adams could sneak onto the back end of the roster based on potential alone.’
How John Brown's act of selflessness impressed Josh Allen
‘He said, ‘Josh, look at the scoreboard for me, it’s 28-14. I don’t care about any of that as long as we’re (a) winning football team.’’
Bills: New draft pick 'ridin' in style'
‘”Features, you know, we got adjustable mirrors here. We got five levels of AC. You know, we got traction work here, speed, turbo,” Davis said.’
Bills Today | NFL.com charts this stretch as toughest part of Bills schedule
‘According to her research, the toughest pod of games will be from Week 10 to Week 14. Over those five weeks the Bills are away at Arizona, home against the Chargers, at San Francisco on Monday night and then home against the Steelers on Sunday night along with a bye in Week 11.’
BillsBeat - May 25, 2020
Governor urges state's pro teams to get training camps underway
‘The Buffalo Bills are continuing their virtual offseason program at the direction of the NFL, with meetings being held by video conference. Training camp begins in July at St. John Fisher in Pittsford, but given the need for social distancing and health and safety requirements for fans and the teams, it’s more likely the Bills would have training camp at their facility in Orchard Park.’
Cuomo: Sports teams able to start training camps as soon as possible
‘The Buffalo Bills usually begin training camp at the end of July, so this is a good sign that the usual start date should be unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Bills are technically the only professional football team that calls New York home – the Giants and Jets are both based in New Jersey. But baseball teams like the Yankees and Mets will likely be able to get their training going in anticipation for a season.’
Bills Camp. Don't doubt McDermott's love of Fisher
‘After 20 years of outstanding support it would be difficult to see the Bills bring the best team they have assembled in the last 2 decades to Pittsford and not have a packed house. And I would feel for Bills fans who love the “up close and personal” look at their team. But I think we know by now that McDermott’s sole focus is on what can make his team it’s best. And after months of having his players in some for of quarantine, the idea of getting them together at Fisher and controlling the environment has great appeal to the Bills head coach.’
Bills Today | New York State delivers this encouraging news for professional sports teams
‘”I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena — do it! Do it!” Cuomo said. “Work out the economics, if you can. We want you up. We want people to be able to watch sports. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It’s a return to normalcy. So we are working and encouraging all sports teams to start their training camps as soon as possible. And we’ll work with them to make sure that can happen.”’
BillsBeat - May 24, 2020
Devin Singletary's unique routine prepares him for second season
‘He does five reps, each consisting of five runs, for a total of 25 trips up the incline, followed by a jog back down. Once at the bottom, between each rep, Singletary does a cycle of hurdles, push-ups, sit-ups and single-leg hops five times with 15-20 seconds of rest between each cycle. Each session, which also includes spirals fired at Singletary from close range and at different angles while both he and his personal coach are on their knees, lasts about 90 minutes.’
Bills Mailbag: Where are the biggest remaining roster concerns?
‘Offensive line. I’ll continue to beat this drum until the season starts.’
Buffalo Bills have third best odds to make playoffs in AFC based on model simulation
‘No other AFC team came close to making the playoffs 97% of the time, but the Bills found themselves third on the list. According to SportsLine, the Bills made the playoffs 67.7% of the time in their simulations. In simpler terms, the Bills made the playoffs 6,770 times in SportsLine’s 10,000 simulations.’
Learning from the past
‘Bills rookie wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins looks to his father for advice. Hodgins’ father, James, played in the NFL for eight years. James had to earn his way onto a roster after being an undrafted free agent. From this experience, James taught his son it doesn’t matter what round you get drafted rather it’s the impact you make once in the league that has the lasting effect.’
BillsBeat - May 23, 2020
Kaare Vedvik hoping defined role helps him find NFL home with Bills
‘He will attempt to win the punting job from Corey Bojorquez, whose net average of 38.2 yards per punt was among the league’s worst, but whose 34 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line were among the league’s best.’
Bills DL Quinton Jefferson brings Super Bowl-caliber education from Seattle to Buffalo
‘“But if you’re talking about just playing the run, I feel like I can play the run at any position. I played the six (technique), I played the five (technique), I’ve played the three (and) I’ve played nose,” he said. “But (on) first, second down I like playing end. I like setting the edge. If I do have a double team between the tackle and the tight end, and it’s a pass situation on third down, I like kicking inside.”’
2020 Buffalo Bills Alumni Weekend of Events canceled
‘“The uncertainty of future events in the months ahead and the kinds of restrictions that will be placed on large gatherings of people this year has unfortunately caused the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation to officially cancel the 2020 Buffalo Bills Alumni Weekend of Events, which is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Edgerson said on Friday.’
BillsBeat - May 22, 2020
Quinton Jefferson brings versatility that Bills covet on D-line
‘”People ask me what I play on the D-line and I just say, ‘I play D-line,'” he said. “I take pride in learning the whole defense, the whole front.”‘
John Murphy to exit weekday radio show, remain Bills play-by-play announcer
‘“This time of the year the show is so slow, I usually take off three weeks this time of year and come back in late June or July and get fired up,” said Murphy. “I just thought, ‘Why are we doing this?’ It was sort of a mutual decision, I guess.”‘
Quinton Jefferson won't be hanging with music stars in Buffalo, but that's OK
‘In Seattle, Morgan saw a player who was the very definition of the Swiss Army knife, someone who could perform a bevy of duties. And that came about because Jefferson knew, as a fifth-round pick joining an established playoff-caliber team, that he had to offer versatility as his main calling card.’
AJ Epenesa, Zack Moss, Gabriel Davis all have ‘chip’ that Buffalo Bills covet (4 thoughts on Bills: Embedded)
‘Buffalo wants players who come in and play angry for being overlooked at some point in their careers. Based on the draft alone, Epenesa, once viewed as a top-15 prospect, Moss and Davis should all come in with a “chip” based on where they fell in the draft.’
More than a season: Millikin athletic director Craig White reflects on his time with the Buffalo Bills
‘White saw action in 14 games that season for the 2-14 Bills and caught four passes for 28 yards but another injury to his ankle ended his pro career.’
Jefferson chose Bills because of "good energy and winning"
‘“One of the big reasons was Dan. We had a good relationship in Seattle, and then he came to Buffalo,” said Jefferson, who added he never really came close to re-signing with the Seahawks. “I wanted to play for a good organization. You guys have a great organization. Got a lot of good stuff going on. Definitely a good d-line with a lot of talent and, ah shoot, I figured, ‘why not come join that?’ It’s kind of what I left, so I wanted to join something good, as well, and see how I can contribute. You guys are a playoff-caliber team and I wanted to be a part of that.”’
Culture has become a big selling point to prospective Buffalo Bills players
‘”You get good coaches, good staff, man how you can just shift the culture of a place and the whole viewpoint of a place you know,” Jefferson said. “Now you ask guys about Buffalo their like, hell yeah I’ll come play for Buffalo. It’s a great team, great culture, great fans and I’m excited. It’s just crazy how things work.”‘
HBD Josh, Allen's best moments with Buffalo
‘In Allen’s rookie season, in a game where the Bills were heavy underdogs Allen set the tone early with his hurdle of Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr.’
Josh Allen's 2020 NFL Draft Kings prop bets
‘Over/under 21.5 passing TD’s.’
No more laughing: Buffalo's culture draws NFL free agents
”When you get good coaches, good staff and good players you can shift the culture of a place and the whole viewpoint of a place. Now you ask guys about Buffalo they’re like HELL YEAH I’ll come play for Buffalo.”‘
3 things to know | Quinton Jefferson
‘Jefferson will most likely play defensive tackle for the Bills, but he will rotate in at defensive end. The ability to rotate inside and out will allow Frazier the ability to plug and play Jefferson in order to win one-on-one matchups. With Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson not on Buffalo’s roster, Jefferson will add to the tackle and edge position with the experience he brings to the group.’
How a bond between brothers influenced the football career of Isaiah Hodgins
‘Hodgins’ brother, Isaac Hodgins is just 370 days younger than Isaiah, but the two have been joined at the hip throughout their childhood and their football careers.’
Bills Today | Where Bills fans can watch Josh Allen this weekend
‘”Going back and watching the good, the bad, the ugly from last season,” Allen said. “And finding out now that I’m talking with Coach Dorsey, we’re able to do virtual meetings and watch film, it’s like why are my eyes in this place? Why did I start to the left side when I knew it was cover 2, and I should have started to the right. So I’m trying to find ways to eliminate those and eliminate what the defense can’t be playing as opposed to trying to find out what they are playing.”‘
BillsBeat - May 21, 2020
Bills' Ed Oliver scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 11 on DWI, gun charges
‘Adderall is a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is banned by the NFL and is considered to be a performance enhancer by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). NFL players can use Adderall for specified medical conditions, but only if they apply for and are granted a therapeutic use exemption. It’s not clear if Oliver has petitioned the league for such an exemption.’
Inside the Bills: How this year's 'Embedded' came to be
‘“So we enlisted (Brandon’s wife) Hayley Beane,” Matthews said. “She shot footage for us on her phone of Brandon making the calls to our picks. That was huge for us from that end of things. Some of the audio you hear in there or any of the times where he’s on the phone calling one of our draft picks, that’s shot by Brandon’s wife.’
Pollock: Thoughts on Bills’ Oliver, Williams, preseason slate
‘This has to be McDermott’s worst nightmare. Two years ago he admitted that the time he worries most is the six weeks when they’re on their own between when players depart from minicamp and return for training camp. COVID-19 has forced a longer period of distance from the team, and this was the result.’