3 Things We Learned From The First Week Of Buffalo Bills Training Camp
It's no surprise that everyone is watching Josh Allen as training camp opens for the Buffalo Bills. 2024 is different for the superstar quarterback because he's got a locker room full of new wide receivers.
The word you hear around this team is 'chemistry.' Will Allen be able to develop that with all those new wideouts? We got our first look at the Bills offense, and it looked excellent, and then it didn't. Buffalo had Saturday off and returned to the field on Sunday; practice in full pads will begin sometime in the next few days.
Allen Starts Bills Camp On Target
On day one of camp, Allen had chemistry with the new receivers, throwing a beautiful pass down the sideline to rookie Keon Coleman for a touchdown in seven-on-seven drills. He also hit Dalton Kincaid on a back-shoulder throw for a long gain.
Coleman has been working with the first-team offense since the first play of camp. He has two touchdowns in the first three days of camp. As the Bills' first wide receiver taken in the draft, he's got a lot of eyes on him. His teammates praised him after the first week of camp.
"He's physical with his routes, and his 50/50 catch radius is really good," CB Taron Johnson said. "He's gonna have a chance to catch that ball, even if a guy is on him."
Friday was a tough day for Allen and the offense. There was some miscommunication with his receivers, and he threw three interceptions in just four plays. Allen completed just one pass over three straight possessions.
The Bills Defense Took Over
The offense started well, but the Bills defense finished the week strong. In the 11-on-11 drills, the defensive line got into the backfield and put pressure on Josh Allen. The Bills are expecting a lot from defensive end Greg Rousseau this season, and he's been the best player on the field during the first week of camp.
The team picked up his fifth-year option in the offseason. He knocked down two Josh Allen passes at the line of scrimmage. Rousseau also forced Allen out of the pocket before defensive tackle Ed Oliver knocked down another Allen throw.
"I'm gonna keep saying it: Greg Rousseau, first off, is a great person who wants to be the elite of the elite. That's what he wants, so he's willing to put in the work," first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said.
Dawuane Smoot, an eight-year veteran the Bills picked up from Jacksonville in the offseason, also stood out on defense. Smoot is getting a lot of reps with the first and second-team defenses.
Bills' Defensive Play Caller
Another question is who will call defensive plays when the season begins. The Bills hired Bobby Babich as the team's new defensive coordinator in the off-season. Babich has been a defensive coach for the Bills since 2017.
Head coach Sean McDermott was the defensive coordinator last season. He says you'll see a mix during camp, with both of them sometimes calling plays.
"Bobby will certainly get his fair share, i'll call some, I have a pretty good idea where i'm going with it," McDermott said. "I just don't want to publicize it yet."
His father Bob Babich was a college and professional coach for 35 years, for the last three both worked for the Bills before dad retired.
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