‘“I knew watching the tape what he could do physically,” Babich said. “I wanted to see his mental processes – his ability to follow instructions in drills, his ability to get on the board and put him in the fire about teaching him the Bills’ defense that he had never heard before in his life. I would put him through exercise of, ‘What if this happens?’ or ‘What do you do here?’ He showed a mental capacity.”’
Archives for August 18, 2023
Sean McDermott sees ‘room for improvement’ at Bills middle linebacker competition
‘“Right now, I think there’s room for improvement, quite honestly,” McDermott said. “I think that we’ve got to do a better job with leading the defense. We got to do a better job with communication, execution. So, that’s an area of concern right now.”’
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to play in preseason game against Pittsburgh
‘“We took a little bit of a different approach last year, and this year we’re going back to what we’ve somewhat done in years past – other than the Covid (year) of course where we didn’t have preseason games,” McDermott said. “Again, just trying to do right by the players and get them ready to go for Week 1.”’
Risking Josh Allen’s health in preseason is a gamble Sean McDermott is willing to accept
‘“Simply put, it’s to get them ready for the season,” coach Sean McDermott explained Thursday before the Bills’ final practice of the week. “We took a little bit of a different approach last year, and this year we’re going back to what we’ve somewhat done in years past other than the COVID years of course where we didn’t have preseason games. Just trying to do right by the players and get them ready to go for Week 1.”’
Allen, other Bills starters to play quarter and a half vs. Steelers; Injury updates, including a Von Miller sighting
‘Last season, Allen attempted just three passes in his lone preseason start, the team’s second preseason matchup. He remained in the game for just one drive, finishing 3 for 3 for 45 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game with 4:51 remaining in the first quarter of a win over the Denver Broncos. Diggs was removed after the team’s second drive, during which he recorded two receptions, one from Allen and one from former backup QB Case Keenum, that amounted to 33 total yards.’
Bills lean into A.J. Klein’s experience with middle linebacker job still up for grabs
‘Klein’s greatest value has never been as a sideline-to-sideline marquee linebacker, considering he’s only started more than 10 games in a season once under McDermott. It’s his knowledge of McDermott’s defensive scheme and his ability to communicate with the other linebackers and the rest of the defense.’
Training Camp Observations: Josh Allen, Bills starters will play more than a quarter against Steelers
‘“You want to get them ready in as much dress rehearsals as you can put them in to make sure that they’re ready to go,” McDermott said. “… It’s what we feel like is the right thing for the team this year and where we’re at. It’s no different if you look at the military and what they do, they don’t just throw the guys out there. I’m not saying this is what they do in terms of the military, but they’re the best of the best in what they do and they have dress rehearsals also, so that’s what we do.”’
Damar Hamlin’s Pittsburgh homecoming holds extra meaning
‘It’s almost paradoxical that Hamlin keeps making national news and headlines for his perseverance, all the while competing to be back on the Bills roster and pick up where he left off last season when he started 13 of 15 games. Hamlin surely will have a packed fan section of family and friends for this one, from his parents, Mario and Nina, to little brother Damir, who has been like Hamlin’s shadow even going back to his days at Pitt.’
Bills’ Damar Hamlin has little more to prove in completing comeback, coach Sean McDermott says
‘“From my non-medical standpoint, I think he’s checked all the boxes as far as that goes,” McDermott said on Thursday. “There’s just been enough of a sample where you’re saying, he’s executed well and come out of that healthy.”’
Bills QB Allen basks in celebrity and football, while trying to maintain some semblance of privacy
‘And yet, there remain those few instances when Allen will draw the line on what he prefers revealing, as happened following a recent interview with The Associated Press. He made one simple request, asking to not publish the name of the actress he’s been linked to recently.’
Will Josh Allen avoid the Madden 24 curse?
‘Consider: 56% of past Madden cover athletes saw at least an 80-point decline in PPR fantasy production in the season they were selected. That’s greater than the percentage of games that Christian McCaffrey has played over the past three seasons.’
McDermott: Starters will play around a quarter and a half against Pittsburgh
‘McDermott wants to make sure that the players are going to feel game ready and in dress rehearsal’s once the regular season comes around.’
Bills Oliver is looking forward to proving himself all over again
‘Oliver said as far as he’s concerned, nothing has changed, “Going back to high school, just walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I feel like the first four years was one contract and the next is, that’s behind me and let me go out and prove myself once again.”’
Harty, Klein make big plays as Bills wrap up week
‘Klein made several big plays during the 11-on-11 portion of practice on Thursday outside the ADPRO Sports Training Center in Orchard Park.’
Buffalo Bills starters will play in Saturday’s preseason game against Pittsburgh Steelers
‘McDermott announced that the starters will play in the game and they will play for about a quarter and a half. This includes quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs who did not play in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts last week.’