Training Camp practice 8/2

[Hapless Bills Fan]

3 hours ago, Warcodered said:

That's nice to hear, but I'd guess it's more them trying something that's not working than him struggling.

 

Errrr....apologies if this is very dense, but if the offense is trying something that's not working, how is that to be distinguished from the QB struggling?  I realize the receiver could be running the wrong route or running the route the wrong way, or the OL is allowing defensive pressure that hurries the QB...but don't all of those usually, for most QB, get chalked up to "QB struggling"?

 

We usually say "errant pass" not "errant WR" and "QB threw INT" not "WR ran bad route" - in fact, I've usually heard the latter described as "excuse making"

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Matt Parrino Article

 

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Who didn’t practice?

Jerry Hughes is still out with the strained calf and Dawkins is still on the Covid/reserve list. Boettger was out on the practice field but didn’t take part in practice,

which is a good sign that he’s progressed through the league’s protocols. Veteran guard Forrest Lamp missed practice and Sanders was dressed but didn’t work in team drills.

 

The rumors of Gabe Davis struggles may be exaggerated.  With Diggs and Beasley both back on the field, Parrino saying Davis led the way in targets AND that Allen completed 17 straight passes.  So Davis can't be dropping too many, or struggling too hard to get open.

 

I would like to hear more about how my boy Isaiah is doing though

 

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Allen had a throw away on his first passing attempt but then completed 17 straight passes throughout team drills. Beasley and second-year receiver Gabriel Davis led the way in targets, but Stefon Diggs got back into the action after missing the past two practices. Emmanuel Sanders was dressed but didn’t take part in team drills. Jake Kumerow continues to build some chemistry with Allen as he caught a few balls from the MVP runner up in 2020.

 

[YoloinOhio]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Matt Parrino Article

 

Beane did say this morning he expects Dawkins and Ike both back this week 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[NewEra]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Davis has had a very quiet camp. We've heard more good things about Kumerow at this point. Before camp there were some people on here saying that Davis would end up with more production than Sanders. Right now that idea seems dead in the water.

No offense brother, but pads aren’t even in yet. 

[eball]

Not good news for Horrible Harry (from Joe B. at The Athletic) :

 

One of the most up-in-the-air roster decisions will be all along the defensive line, and defensive tackle could be the most difficult choice of them all. Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips and Justin Zimmer will all need to play their way onto the roster in 2021, and there may not be enough room for all three of them when they decide on the final roster. As it’s been for much of camp, Zimmer has looked like the superior player  between him and Phillips. That was especially true on Monday, as Zimmer showed his ability to work up the field and get pressure on the quarterback. He whipped through offensive lineman Jordan Devey during one-on-one drills and provided some good pressure during his team drill opportunities as well.

 

Although Phillips is more of a one-technique in role only, his best contribution since joining the team has been as an interior pass rusher. Phillips hasn’t really found his way in that area to this point in camp, often struggling to disengage from the block and fighting his way into the backfield. He hasn’t looked like the same player who started the 2019 season well before his torn ACL. The game is also changing and getting smaller and more athletic all along the defensive line, and it makes you wonder if the Bills could look to trade Phillips to a team in need of some defensive line depth at some point. The coaching staff also loves Zimmer, and there is a deep respect for Zimmer’s work ethic inside the locker room. As of now, I’d say Zimmer is ahead in the chase for a spot on the 53.

 

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Zimmer has been one of the guys I said to look out for...he just works his tail off and has a lot of physical ability.  It would not surprise me to see him make this team and play meaningful snaps.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[NewEra]

41 minutes ago, eball said:

Not good news for Horrible Harry (from Joe B. at The Athletic) :

 

One of the most up-in-the-air roster decisions will be all along the defensive line, and defensive tackle could be the most difficult choice of them all. Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips and Justin Zimmer will all need to play their way onto the roster in 2021, and there may not be enough room for all three of them when they decide on the final roster. As it’s been for much of camp, Zimmer has looked like the superior player  between him and Phillips. That was especially true on Monday, as Zimmer showed his ability to work up the field and get pressure on the quarterback. He whipped through offensive lineman Jordan Devey during one-on-one drills and provided some good pressure during his team drill opportunities as well.

 

Although Phillips is more of a one-technique in role only, his best contribution since joining the team has been as an interior pass rusher. Phillips hasn’t really found his way in that area to this point in camp, often struggling to disengage from the block and fighting his way into the backfield. He hasn’t looked like the same player who started the 2019 season well before his torn ACL. The game is also changing and getting smaller and more athletic all along the defensive line, and it makes you wonder if the Bills could look to trade Phillips to a team in need of some defensive line depth at some point. The coaching staff also loves Zimmer, and there is a deep respect for Zimmer’s work ethic inside the locker room. As of now, I’d say Zimmer is ahead in the chase for a spot on the 53.

 

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Zimmer has been one of the guys I said to look out for...he just works his tail off and has a lot of physical ability.  It would not surprise me to see him make this team and play meaningful snaps.

I just read that and came to see the discussion surrounding it.  
 

I was really hoping that Phillips (who looks like he’s in great shape from what I’ve seen) would take the starting 1Tech and run with it.   Any reports on how star looks?  I’d assume he looks like a typical 1T, stout and slow.  Comparing Zimmer to Phillips is a little unfair as they’ll be playing different positions, but you’re right, not good news for horrible Harry. Let’s just hope it’s not bad news either.  Joe B has been wrong before 

3 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

This play sucks.  Hodgins getting lots of separation on Jackson. 
 

Let’s go Dane!!  Need you to step it up son!!

[Rochesterfan]

4 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

 

Ahhh - Thad is back from vacation and the positive guy filling in is gone.  😂

[NewEra]

Loving the praise of the young pass rushers.  Seems as if Epenesa is an entirely different player (even if he is playing against bum tackles).  Seems as if Rousseau is a handful.  Basham is flashing. Obada consistently looking solid.  
 

On the other side of the coin…… I haven’t heard much positive talk about the OL other than how big the rookies are, Ford looking decent and Feliciano getting slightly dinged up today.  Let’s hope that the pass rush is only thriving because the OL isn’t playing well.  

[eball]

12 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I just read that and came to see the discussion surrounding it.  
 

I was really hoping that Phillips (who looks like he’s in great shape from what I’ve seen) would take the starting 1Tech and run with it.   Any reports on how star looks?  I’d assume he looks like a typical 1T, stout and slow.  Comparing Zimmer to Phillips is a little unfair as they’ll be playing different positions, but you’re right, not good news for horrible Harry. Let’s just hope it’s not bad news either.  Joe B has been wrong before 

 

I haven't read anything about Star.  I'm bummed about Harry and hope Joe is off on this one, or that we'll see something else when the pads go on.

[Warcodered]

2 minutes ago, eball said:

 

I haven't read anything about Star.  I'm bummed about Harry and hope Joe is off on this one, or that we'll see something else when the pads go on.

I think it's pretty hard to get a read on interior D-Line without pads.

[Rocky Landing]

3 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Loving the praise of the young pass rushers.  Seems as if Epenesa is an entirely different player (even if he is playing against bum tackles).  Seems as if Rousseau is a handful.  Basham is flashing. Obada consistently looking solid.  
 

On the other side of the coin…… I haven’t heard much positive talk about the OL other than how big the rookies are, Ford looking decent and Feliciano getting slightly dinged up today.  Let’s hope that the pass rush is only thriving because the OL isn’t playing well.  

I know what you mean. Read about how well Epenesa was doing, and then at the end of the article learn that all of the sacks were against a struggling Brown. It was fun to read that he stood up, and walked 320lb Doyle backwards, though.

 

On the other hand-- Rousseau vs Williams is no joke. If Rousseau is having some success against Williams this early in camp, I have to take that as a very good sign.

 

But, I think of all of the recent acquisitions on the D-line, I am most excited to see Obada. That dude is a beast. I think we're really going to be impressed with him this year.

[LeGOATski]

33 minutes ago, eball said:

 

I haven't read anything about Star.  I'm bummed about Harry and hope Joe is off on this one, or that we'll see something else when the pads go on.

I think he's off on his reasoning. Harry could be struggling to make the roster, but it's not because of Zimmer. And interior pass rush was not Harry's primary contribution. He was putting on weight last year and became a more stout run defender. We're continuing to see the evolution of Harry this year.

 

I bet thy keep him around at least another year as Star is getting older.

 

 

[John from Riverside]

First week of practice for Gabe Davis......come on you guys geez

Edited August 2, 2021 by John from Riverside

[Warcodered]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Errrr....apologies if this is very dense, but if the offense is trying something that's not working, how is that to be distinguished from the QB struggling?  I realize the receiver could be running the wrong route or running the route the wrong way, or the OL is allowing defensive pressure that hurries the QB...but don't all of those usually, for most QB, get chalked up to "QB struggling"?

 

We usually say "errant pass" not "errant WR" and "QB threw INT" not "WR ran bad route" - in fact, I've usually heard the latter described as "excuse making"

I just meant that maybe they were trying an offensive scheme that their defense dialed in on quick.

[BuffaninSarasota]

5 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

Is that a Kelso sighting ?

 

[HappyDays]

 

Weekly reminder that you should subscribe to the Athletic if you haven't already. IMO they have the best content in the industry. Well worth the price.

 

Here are some snippets from this article:

 

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Allen on fire during team drills
Quarterback Josh Allen already has had his best start to a training camp of his career so far, but simply put, Allen was on a heater Monday. When he had the average time to operate in the backfield, Allen was manipulating the coverages and taking what the defense gave him at all times. Although instant pressures were a slight issue and led to some sacks, Allen managed to go 17 for 18 and spread the ball around evenly. Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Dawson Knox, Devin Singletary and Isaiah McKenzie all brought in at least one of Allen’s passes, with Beasley catching six of the 17 completed attempts. Two of Allen’s throws were top-level down the field attacks. The first targeted Diggs where Allen threw from the right hashmark to the deep left sideline and let go of the ball before Diggs was out of his break. The ball had low-arc and flew out of his hands to hit Diggs perfectly in stride with no hope for the defender. On another throw later in practice, Allen saw Beasley read the defense and get behind the defender deep down the sideline. Allen looked off the safety and lofted the pass for Beasley to run under it and pick up more yards after the catch.

Allen’s lone misfire was his first throw, but even that was him avoiding a negative play and launching the ball out of bounds rather than taking a sack. After his big jump forward last year, Allen has totally looked the part of a franchise quarterback and instantly raises the level of offensive efficiency as soon as he takes a rep during team drills. The Bills offense has been well ahead of their defense, and in most places, the opposite is true early on in camp. We’ll need to see how this continues through the rest of the summer, but head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane must be thrilled with how good Allen has looked since he arrived at training camp.

 

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Epenesa pops for his best practice yet
You might have noted the brief allusion to some instant pressures in the backfield against Allen, and the player most responsible for it was second-year pass rusher A.J. Epenesa. On three separate occasions, Epenesa chopped through his initial contact with the blocker, was able to turn the corner and get into the backfield well before Allen released the ball for a throw. In these practices, sacks can be subjective because the defenders aren’t allowed to hit the quarterback and complete the play, but Epenesa couldn’t have done any more to position himself for a sack those three times. Then in one-on-one drills against the offensive linemen, Epenesa used a power approach and walked rookie Tommy Doyle into the backfield. Epenesa has had a good start to his training camp, but Monday seemed like one of his best practices with the Bills since his arrival.

 

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Without Jerry Hughes available during practice, the Bills haven’t had their best pass rusher available. But that has allowed them to give their young pass rushers ample time, and first-round pick Gregory Rousseau has looked ahead of schedule so far. Rousseau has been working against Daryl Williams most often, and the two have engaged in a fun back-and-forth battle over the first five days. Rousseau got the better of Williams twice during team drills Monday. On one attempt, Rousseau won the rush to the outside and used his length and fluidity to get in the backfield before Allen threw his pass. On a later rep, Rousseau crashed through the interior and fought past both Williams and Cody Ford for his second would-be sack of the practice. Williams got Rousseau back during one-on-one drills when the offensive tackle sniffed out one of Rousseau’s go-to moves to the interior and didn’t allow the rookie anywhere close. With Rousseau out of football for a full season, no one really knew what to expect, but the early returns have been extremely promising — especially working against an accomplished veteran like Williams.

 

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Spencer Brown having some struggles in pass protection
While it was an excellent day for Epenesa, it was third-round rookie Spencer Brown that allowed all three of those would-be sacks in team drills. Brown couldn’t quite deal with the power and speed combination from Epenesa well enough, and it led to him landing on the ground on a couple of those reps. In fairness, it did look like Brown might have been hobbling around a little bit, but he remained in the lineup throughout team drills when his unit went back on the field. Brown did have a good rep against Epenesa during one-on-ones, where Epenesa tried to beat Brown to the edge, but the rookie showed his quick feet to usher Epenesa well past the pocket.

 

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Dane Jackson showing some inconsistency
Jackson was partially responsible on the deep ball to Hodgins, and that was one of a few plays where Jackson was a step away from where he needed to be. On another rep, Jackson played a hunch and allowed Beasley to get behind him for a big reception on one play. Later on, Jackson was slow to react to a throw to the sideline to Davis and allowed a medium gain with some yards after the catch. But there have also been occasions where Jackson was ultra-competitive and made a good play on the ball. That inconsistent streak is who Jackson was in his limited opportunities on defense in 2020 as well, putting together some flashy pass breakups but getting caught out of position and allowing sizeable gains to his area.

Levi Wallace seems to have the lead in that area.

 

[YoloinOhio]

So excited to see the buzz on Epenesa. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

52 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

 

Another quote from Joe B's article, from Daboll's interview.  Sounds like Gabe Davis is earmarked for the #4 role:

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“I think it’s really helpful for him to watch guys like Stefon, Beasley and Sanders, and watch their body language and how they get in and out of breaks,” Daboll said. “He does a really good job of watching the guys ahead of him and then can emulate it. So we’re fortunate to have those three guys ahead of him.”

If that quote is any indication, it appears for now the Bills have Davis earmarked for that fourth receiver role as he was when the entire receiver room was healthy in 2020.