ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Stefon Diggs is no stranger to the Buffalo Bills.
“I got a lot of love for him, I still do," Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. "The things that he did for me in my career and the things he did in a Buffalo Bill uniform won't be forgotten any time soon, especially from me.”
Added Bills cornerback Taron Johnson: “We won a lot of games and him and Josh had a really good connection and I just feel like he helped us a lot.”
Then there's Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard: “His explosiveness, the things that he does, the energy that he brings to the game, you can feel it on the tape. It'll be fun. I’m sure a lot of us will say 'what’s up' to him, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
Diggs spent the last four years with the Bills recording over one thousand receiving yards each year bringing in a total of 37 touchdowns and 445 receptions.
Now in Houston, the four-time pro bowler is second on the Texans with 25 receptions for 233 yards.
“He has his attributes that're different from other receivers that we have faced but we focus on our technique, fundamentals," Bills cornerback Christian Benford said. "Do what we need to do. Play smart, fast and physical.”
Added Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas: "He's a competitor. He's going to get up, he's going to compete. He probably wakes up with a little bit more juice than a regular game, but Stef is Stef. He's a competitor. He's one of the best receivers."
Bills players now facing Diggs for the first time since the blockbuster trade this offseason say that although it’s nice to see a former teammate during the year, it certainly hasn’t been the singular focus during their Week 5 preparation.
“It’s just like any other game," Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa said. "I honestly just didn’t think about it too much and don’t want to put too much emphasis on that."
Added Allen: “We’re just trying to focus on what we can do in this building and the guys that are here. That's just how it is every single year. We understand the NFL is a business and there's decisions made all the time about things of this nature so were just trying to control what we can control right now.”
The Bills' Week 5 focus remains on the job at hand this Sunday in Houston at 1 p.m.
“The No. 1 goal is just to go 1-0 on Sunday afternoon, so just focused on that,” Bills cornerback Cam Lewis said.