Olean Times Herald

‘Buffalo’Ss first seven games are brutal with a capital ‘B’.’

‘Still, cornerback is Buffalo’s most vulnerable position, by far, at least early.’

‘If White’s return is delayed, next up is Pittsburgh in Orchard Park, at Kansas City and, after the bye, home with Green Bay, meaning matchups with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Packers’ Aaron Rodgers. It’s a stretch where a team desperately needs its top cornerback, especially one who’s among the best in the league.’

‘It’s near impossible to conjure a more devastating public relations gaffe for a team that over the years has endured its share of image management issues (aligning itself with the ethnically insensitive phrase “Bills Mafia,” for instance).’

‘Did Baltimore and the Buccaneers know something the Bills didn’t?’

‘But for the fans, there was little to criticize in Buffalo’s 10th straight preseason victory. Well, one thing. With the Bills’ offensive dominance, they only punted once, that honor going to incumbent Matt Haack. Thus, “Punt God” Matt Araiza, the rookie who unleashed an 82-yarder against the Colts, was limited to holding for extra points.’

‘The game provided one major cautionary tale. If Bills quarterback Josh Allen should be injured, given Keenum’s performance, Buffalo’s offense is toast. Third-stringer Matt Barkley performed better, albeit against Indy’s scrubs, hitting 18-of-24 passes for 224 yards with an 86.1 rating but he also threw an interception and had a two-point conversion attempt picked off.’

‘McDermott continued, “Some people say, ‘run first team,’ ‘pass first team’ and that’s how it kind of takes shape, ‘we feel like we want to run the ball outside, run the ball inside,’ that’s how coaches’ minds work. You try to identify your strengths more than anything this time of year but those can ebb and flow throughout the course of the season as well.”’

‘“I think you have to move on … it’s so important this season to what we’re trying to accomplish that you’re locked in and focused on what we’re doing in 2022,” he said, more in resignation than avoiding the question. “This season, there are so many variables that will come up along the way and if you’re distracted in any form or fashion it’s going to detract from what you’re trying to accomplish now.”‘

‘First, Buffalo is one of only six of the 32 National Football League teams that still holds at least some of training camp off-site; the others opt for their own training facilities. The Bills, after a two-year Covid-related absence, are back at St. John Fisher University, and four other teams also opt for camp at a college: Pittsburgh (St. Vincent, Latrobe, Pa.), Carolina (Wofford, Spartanburg, S.C.), Kansas City (Missouri Western State, St. Joseph’s, Mo.) and the Rams (UC Irvine). Dallas utilizes a site in Oxnard, Calif.’

‘But the burden he will carry for the rest of his career is the final 13 seconds of regulation in the 42-36 overtime divisional playoff loss at Kansas City. What actually happened on the Chiefs final possession has been cloaked in secrecy by the team since that night. Did McDermott call for the deep kickoff after the Bills took the lead? Special teams coordinator Heath Farwell was seemingly scapegoated as he was let go shortly thereafter, then immediately hired in Jacksonville.’

‘Back in the days when the media had much more access to the locker room, it was clear how much the players idolized Abe and were secure in the knowledge that what they said in the training room stayed there. He was not about to betray their confidence.’

‘Clearly, Poyer is unwilling to have his contract situation become a distraction to a team that many prognosticators see as the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.’

‘Pro Bowl corner Tre’Davious White is recovering from knee surgery and is questionable to return by the beginning of training camp. Last season’s other starter, Levi Wallace, went to the Steelers as a free agent. That leaves the spot opposite White to first-round draft choice Kaiir Elam, the presumptive starter, though he’ll be learning on the fly. Most of the time, the Bills start three cornerbacks and Buffalo has a quality one in nickel back Taron Johnson, who isn’t about to change positions. That leaves a group of youngsters — Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, Cam Lewis, Tim Harris and Nick McCloud — hoping to fill the void in the team’s weakest position.’

Running back: Starting with minicamp, the candidates will be microscoped. Devin Singletary, a third-round pick in 2019, has teased us with his speed and elusiveness, but has been decidedly inconsistent. Zack Moss, a third-rounder a year later, hasn’t shown much and the Bills rolled the dice again in April using a second-round pick to take James Cook, a back who supposedly owns superior pass catching skills. That’s a lot of draft capital spent on three players at virtually the same position. Also in the mix are free agent Duke Johnson and special teams standout Taiwan Jones. What concerns the Bills is that Allen has been the team’s second-leading rusher in yards and his average of eight rushing TDs per season is the same as Singletary and Moss combined.’