Niagara Gazette

‘“Luckily for me, there’s some carryover between what (offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s) running and what I was with last year with Sean (Payton) in Denver,” DiNucci said. “So for the most part, I mean, football is football. The plays are the plays. It’s just everyone’s got their little tweaks on terminology and what they call stuff.”’

‘“I want to win anything I ever do, every play,” Brady said. “But there’s also bigger pictures and some intentionality, in terms of hey we need to make sure some of these runs, or some of this type of thing versus these types of looks. In a game, it’s like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get a first down.’”’

‘On more than one occasion, McDermott was displeased with the efficiency of practice and let his team know about it. McDermott also reminded his team that training camp wasn’t over just because practices have moved from St. John Fisher University to Orchard Park.’

‘Quarterback Josh Allen said after the game that the Bills weren’t using their best plays and they never aggressively targeted Coleman. But there were a few moments where Coleman showed he needed to make adjustments.’

‘“I think some of the younger guys who haven’t been in our locker room and some new guys who haven’t been in our locker room who are veterans, they start to understand the standard is the standard,” McDermott said. “It’s the standard even in a preseason game. … There is a standard and an expectation when put (on) the colors of the Buffalo Bills to come out and play a lot better than we did and coach a lot better than we did.”’

‘There were some snap issues early in training camp, but McGovern and Allen both chalked it up to getting comfortable with each other. Those problems have been quelled over the last week, but McGovern sees playing in the preseason a chance to continue to refine their chemistry.’

‘Spector was in the mix to be the starting middle linebacker for the Buffalo Bills early in training camp last year and then a hamstring injury in the final preseason game put him on injured reserve until Week 6. He returned for two games, playing 28 special teams snaps, and exacerbated his hamstring, putting him on the shelf for three more weeks.’

‘It’s just an example of how competitive NFL practices can become, especially during training camp when players are fighting for a job. That’s also why, even as tackling has largely been eliminated and contact overall has been stripped down during practices, coaches don’t feel the need to play starters for long stretches during preseason games, if at all.’

‘Offensive coordinator Joe Brady says the playbook is mostly installed, with a few adjustments and tweaks done throughout the season based on personnel and opponent. Allen and the Bills offense seemed comfortable to start Wednesday’s practice after getting bested by the defense Monday for the first time during training camp.’

‘Nine Bills players have recorded a 100-yard game since Allen entered the NFL, but Diggs accounted for 21 of the 45 such games. Right now the Bills do not have a clear-cut No. 1 receiver, but the top-four has been consistent from the start.’

‘Grable walked on at Jacksonville State as a tight end, but while redshirting his freshman year, he put on 30 pounds. Jacksonville State decided to move him to offensive tackle, where he became a standout good enough to transfer to Central Florida, where he became an all-conference player.’

‘“He knows so much about what’s going on in the situations that he wants to communicate everything to everybody,” Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard said. “Having the mic, I’m the one that he’s talking to. And, you know, I’ve been in his room for the last two years, so I’m used to how he communicates and what he wants to get communicated.”’

‘McDermott acknowledged that the “main reason” Hardy was drafted in the sixth round out of Penn State was to be a returner. The Bills worked on kickoffs and kick returns during practice Sunday, with Andy Isabella and Darrynton Evans going as the first group of returners, followed by Hardy and K.J. Hamler.’

‘Both are now in their 30s, weathered by age and nearly a decade apiece in the NFL, but the relationship between the Buffalo Bills defensive tackle duo hasn’t changed much over the last 11 years, when they first met at Penn State. Jones was a senior, looking to establish himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the country, while Johnson was a freshman who wanted to prove he could compete right away.’

‘Bishop spent Thursday’s practice in a T-shirt and shorts, but had no visible brace or bandaging. During the first three days of training camp, Bishop, Edwards and Damar Hamlin alternated days with the first-team defense alongside Taylor Rapp.’