Two Bills Drive

‘“I appreciate Sean and his belief in me,” Babich said. “When someone shows confidence in you, it goes a long way. I’m very appreciative and very grateful. Now it’s my job to take advantage of the opportunity he’s given me.”’

‘Arizona used three tight ends on 11% of its plays – well over the NFL average of 3.4%. Look for the Cardinals to power up in two- and three-tight-end formations in Sunday’s season opener at Highmark Stadium.’

‘Here, in order from least desirable to most desirable, are The Buffalo News’ power rankings of the Bills’ 2024 road trips…’.

‘“Since the announcement of that contract, nothing has changed at Highmark Stadium,” he said. “We keep doing what we’re doing and what we’re known globally for doing. We want to show Buffalo everything we can do in this footprint, and it is challenging. But no time frame is going to change our mentality.”’

‘Diggs’ departure may be liberating for Allen, who admitted he emphasized getting Diggs targets early in a game. It has been on Allen since mid-April to on-board his new teammates to the Bills’ way and his way. Post-practice throwing sessions. Extra time in the meeting room. A throwing/bonding trip to Nashville, Tennessee. And during camp, Allen would often deliberate with skill-position players or McGovern in between periods.’

‘“The first thing is credibility. If you’re not a credible person who is trying to lead, no one is going to follow you. I think we’re seeing leadership traits in a lot of guys that were probably there already, but we had a lot of guys who had kind of already established themselves in that role, right?”’

‘Is it asking too much for Coleman to match Davis’ 2023 numbers (45-746-7) as a rookie? Can Samuel be more than a possession receiver? (He was for Brady in Carolina in 2020). Expectations are low for MVS since he eked out 21 catches with Kansas City. Can anyone besides Shakir win against good man coverage? If any of the top three get hurt, are any of the others reliable?’

‘“The No. 1 thing is, you want to have an efficient run game,” Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer said. “And we were the No. 1 efficient run game in the NFL. So you consistently can move the chains. That’s what we’re trying to do, consistently move the chains. If we make 10 yards, great, but we have to get 4. And with the combination of Josh’s ability to throw, run and control the offense, and James Cook and this offensive line and the receivers doing a good job blocking − that is the essence of winning consistently.”’

‘However, the overhaul of the Buffalo Bills’ receiving corps leaves it an open question. The Bills had 28 receptions last season on passes that traveled at least 20 yards past the line of scrimmage, 12th-most in the NFL. The Bills were ninth in yards on passes of 20-plus air yards and second in attempts. Thus, there was room for improvement. Allen had an NFL-best 34 deep completions in 2022. Furthermore, 19 of the Bills’ 28 deep completions went to players no longer on the roster.’

‘“He’s ready. He’s ready, he’s ready,” said Williams’ mother, Angela Mintz. “He hates that Matt is out. That’s someone that he really looked up to, is Matt Milano. He respects him as football player, but (also) as a great person.’

‘“It’s been a challenge just because, first of all, if you strip the injuries away, we’ve got some new players in there, which is exciting,” McDermott said last month. “It’s an opportunity to continue to evolve as a defense, as a secondary. With that comes time on task, with not only in the system, but with one another.’

‘Final Record: 11-6 (first, AFC East).’

‘Joe Burrow, Cincinnati: In his two full seasons (2021-22), he is 27-12 in the regular season and playoffs with 78 touchdowns.’

‘The schedule is tough. A 3-2 start would be pretty good (against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens and Texans). Buffalo visits the Jets in the sixth game. I’ll be surprised if the Bills start 4-2. I’m thinking the Dolphins and Jets both will be formidable. That means a 10-7 record for Buffalo and a wild-card berth.’

‘The NFL sells the rights to local broadcast channels when the games are on their cable or streaming packages to allow all fans in the TV markets of the participating teams to be able to watch them. This usually upsets Bills fans in Rochester, since broadcast stations there don’t get the opportunity to carry streaming and cable games.’