PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Here are my five thoughts on the end of the St. John Fisher University portion of the Buffalo Bills’ training camp Thursday and their preseason-opener against the Chicago Bears Saturday at Highmark Stadium:
1. Make no mistake. The Bills are taking a risk by starting Josh Allen against the Bears.
Any action for a franchise quarterback in games that don’t count and tend to have the sort of assignment breakdowns by those around him that can add to his vulnerability could be a recipe for disaster. The opposing defense will always have players looking to make an impact by delivering as hard a shot as possible on the QB.
Sean McDermott said he’s planning to play his starters for about a quarter, but the coach isn’t doing so for the sake of living dangerously. He has a legitimate reason. Allen needs the elevated game tempo with his overhauled group of receivers and offensive line that has two new front-liners.
“There’s a number of new faces on our offense, including his receiving corps, and so some of that is baked into this,” McDermott said. “But the biggest thing is, individually, we’ve got to get ourselves ready to go and go from there.”
2. The Bills are part of a short list of NFL teams that hold camp remotely. That continues to fit McDermott’s firm belief team building is best achieved away from home.
My sense is that things could change once the Bills are in their new stadium in 2026. The demolition of the current Highmark Stadium could create opportunities for the team to find more benefit in utilizing the space created, as well as what will be built within the footprint of the new structure.
In the meantime, though, St. John Fisher remains the best fit for the McDermott approach, particularly with a squad that has undergone considerable roster shuffling.
“I think (the need for team building) has grown and definitely coming to camp has helped facilitate it as opposed to staying at home,” the coach said. “But I would say that that needs to continue because of so many new faces. So, it’s not something that needs to end now. It needs to really continue and on into the early parts of the season.”
3. Despite Matt Milano’s full participation in camp practices, there is an air of caution surrounding his status in recovering from the tibia fracture that prematurely ended his 2023 season.
McDermott didn’t exactly sound as if he’s convinced the linebacker is fully back to the All-Pro form he showed before suffering the injury in an Oct. 8 loss against Jacksonville at London.
“You’re around injuries where it takes a year to really get themselves back,” McDermott said. “I’m not saying it’s going to take him a year, but I do think it’s him getting re-acclimated to moving at full speed, playing at full speed and then trusting that he’s back, right? So, there's just more than a physical component that goes into it, and he’s working through that.
“And I think every day he’s gotten a little bit better. I think it was (Wednesday) he had James Cook in the flat. And James is a tough matchup in space, and Matt did a good job there.”
4. If he hasn’t already made up his mind, McDermott seems closer to deciding whether new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will call defensive signals this season. That was McDermott’s role last year when he doubled as DC.
Babich will call signals Saturday, “and then,” McDermott said, “we’ll take it from there.”
McDermott, who made his coaching bones as a defensive coordinator, did exceptionally well calling signals last season. That, alone, would be a reason he’d be reluctant to relinquish the responsibility.
However, the ideal situation would be for McDermott to be able to put full trust in someone else to call signals, allowing the head coach to better pay attention to all aspects of the team during a game. It’s notable that during in camp practices, McDermott made a point of spending more time around the offense.
“Really, what I was doing was spending a little bit more time with watching the receiving corps and seeing how it was taking shape and watching Josh, of course, and then giving Bobby some space, right?” McDermott said. “He doesn’t need me looking over his shoulder all the time, and, you know, he needs to know that I trust him as well, and so some of that space comes from that.”
5. It’s fair to say that the Bills have yet to demonstrate they a dynamic group of receivers.
How could they? They said goodbye to one of the very best pass-catchers in the league in Stefon Diggs and parted ways with a more than solid No. 2 receiver in Gabe Davis. As McDermott recently said, there’s no replacing a player as talented as Diggs, and it isn’t something to even be attempted.
What McDermott pointed out Thursday, when discussing his current group of receivers, came off as at least a bit of a shot at Diggs’ me-first nature. Whether it could be classified as glowing praise of the newcomers at the position is another matter.
“I think more than anything, I like where the unselfishness is in terms of that position,” McDermott said. “Every day, I think if you charted it, there’s somebody different catching the ball. I’m talking about all through ones, twos, and threes. (The assistant coaches) have done a really good job … of making sure the ball gets spread around and (from) the quarterbacks, not just Josh, but also Shane (Buechele) and Mitch (Trubisky).
“(The receivers have) all worked hard, and I appreciate their effort. Blocking in the run game, those are some things that get overlooked at the receiver position. We take pride in our corners tackling and our receivers blocking.”
Of course, catching the primary function of receivers. For now, there are no obvious signs that the Bills are equal to or better than where they were in that area.
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