A day after the offense clearly got the better of the defense, it was much more of a stalemate at Buffalo Bills training camp on Tuesday, as players wore full pads for the first time.
Under blue skies and warm temperatures outside the ADPRO Sports Training Center, the defense had their share of wins throughout the morning, but the offseason still had some highlight plays.
Let’s start with the defense.
The play of the day from that side of the ball came when linebacker Matt Milano was covering tight end Dawson Knox. Milano was trailing, but in good position. Quarterback Josh Allen’s pass was just a bit underthrown, allowing Milano a chance to get up and bat the pass into the air just as it got to Knox’s hands. Safety Micah Hyde was in pursuit while the ball was in the air, then able to pull it in as it came down for an interception.
The team’s defensive length is really standing out, as well. The passing windows for the opposing offense really shrink, especially with certain personnel on the field.
Defensive end Efe Obada and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds both deflected passes, while ends Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa have shown to be tough to deal with when they use their hands.
Obada stood out specifically on Tuesday. In addition to the deflected pass that caused an incompletion, he also had one play that may have resulted in a sack, and another that forced Allen to step up and get rid of the ball much quicker than he wanted.
Allen had his share of great throws, but also some misfires, including an incompletion that fell between wide receivers Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs that appeared to be a miscommunication.
However, Allen also teamed up with Diggs and wideout Emmanuel Sanders for a terrific set of back-to-back plays.
First, Sanders did a great job to find an opening and sit. Allen rifled it in for a mid-range completion. On the next play, Diggs had a step on the secondary and Allen put a perfect ball into the basket as he strolled into the end zone.
There was another set of plays by the offense that also stood out, and this time from more unlikely sources.
First, fullback Reggie Gilliam got loose for a nice pass and catch towards the sideline. Then, running back Antonio Williams exploded through a nice hole in the line for a big run gain. After that, running back Christian Wade did a great job to turn the corner for another nice gain.
Williams and Wade have both looked good when given chances, but it’s hard to see either making the team ahead of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, or Matt Breida.
As far as participation goes on Tuesday, guard Jon Feliciano, who appeared to suffer an arm injury on Monday, was present but did not participate. Guard Forrest Lamp was back on the field after missing Monday's session. Guard Ike Boettger, who is still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list along with tackle Dion Dawkins, was also present but did to participate.
The team has Wednesday off, but will be back on the field on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. ET.
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