Archives for August 29, 2021

‘“Shoot, we’ve got guys like E (Sanders) that keep the offense comfortable, because Josh has guys he can throw that ball to,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “It’s just showing. And it just shows the type of person that Josh is. He takes every rep that he gets in practice extremely seriously and it shows on game day.”’

‘Teams have particularly inquired about defensive ends on the roster, a position where the Bills are loaded.’

‘We interrupt this analysis for an annual public service announcement: The Bills were 0-4 the year they went to their first Super Bowl, 1990. The Detroit Lions were 4-0 in preseason the year they went 0-16 (2008).’

‘McKenzie, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury, was fined by the NFL this week for breaking Covid-19 protocols by not wearing a mask around the facility. Based off the language of the letter, McKenzie was not vaccinated at the time of his violation. The fine came the same week that four Bills players missed practice from coming in close contact with a staff member who was vaccinated but tested positive. The four players, wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis and defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Vernon Butler, were unvaccinated and tested negative. Had they been vaccinated, a negative test would have allowed them to remain with the team. Beasley also was fined for not wearing a mask at the team facility.’

‘Last year, Allen checked in at No. 87, making the catapult to No. 10 one of the biggest jumps across the league.’

‘Ultimately, there will be money from the NFL and money from the Pegulas in a deal. But if you’re struggling with the state making a contribution of, say, $1 billion, it’s really not that much when you put it into context of other things. The School Board in Buffalo gets $1 billion a year from the state. Not just once, but every year, and the amount of scrutiny into that isn’t anywhere near the scrutiny that goes into this, which is a one-time shot. I’m in favor of helping the Pegulas on this and doing it in the right way – and not letting it hang around forever. Just do it. I really think this is the time.’

‘But a football team isn’t the same as roads and bridges. The Bills are a large piece of our region’s identity – the story we tell ourselves: that we are a major-league city whose team’s quest for a championship feels like our own. Callers to sports radio shows talk about “our draft picks” or “our schedule” when they speak of the Bills.’