Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) – There’s no word yet if Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is going to play in preseason game No. 2 on Saturday in Chicago against the Bears. Allen spoke on Monday and he said he hasn’t been told yet.
“I’m still waiting to find out," Allen told reporters on Monday. "Whatever decision coach [Sean McDermott] makes, we’ll roll with it and go from there.”
If the decision was up to Allen, he said he’d play.
“I love playing, and I want to be out there with my teammates," Allen explained. "But again, if I don’t get to, I’ll sit back and watch my teammates make some plays.
“Every time you step on the field, you want to execute and you want to make the right decisions. If and when I do play in the preseason, it’s not going to change.”
Allen said preseason games are good for him, because it gets him up to speed.
“I like having the preseason to get some of those kinks out and get back into the groove of things, maybe take a hit or two just to feel that and feel what it’s like because its been so long," he said. "But it is what it is. So if I play, I play. If I don’t, I don’t.”
With no preseason games last year, Allen hit brand new wide receiver Stefon Diggs on eight passes for 86 yards on opening day.
“Having no preseason last year wasn’t a problem for us," Allen said. "The guys we have on this team, they work their butts off in practice and we have our timing down before we go out there anyways.”
Dion Dawkins was able to take some reps on Monday for the first time at training camp. Allen enjoyed having his left tackle back out there.
“It’s been good," Allen said. "With him moving around, I know he’s getting back in the swing of things just trying to get his body right. It took a toll on him (having COVID-19), but he’s good now and he’s out here and he was very focused today.”
Probably the most impressive receiver in training camp has been Aaron Rodgers’ favorite Jake Kumerow. The 29-year-old has been with the Bills, then was picked up by the New Orleans Saints, and now is back with the Bills.
With Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders and, to a lesser extent, Cole Beasley missing time with injuries, Kumerow is getting a lot of time out there. Kumerow’s one reception with the Bills last season was a 22-yard touchdown from Allen against the Denver Broncos in Week 15.
Allen loves having Kumerow here with the Bills.
“He’s my favorite receiver. One-for-one and one touchdown, 100%.” Allen said with a laugh. “'Kume' comes to practice everyday and he just puts his head down and he works. He doesn’t talk a whole lot, but he’s the definition of a gamer. He gets into the game and does whatever it takes, and he’s finely crafted with his skill and he understands different routes and press-jam techniques to get off. He’s just a guy that you root for.”
Allen and the rest of the quarterbacks, Mitch Trubisky, Davis Webb and Jake Fromm, seem to have a blast together. Allen said the friendships were immediate in the quarterback room.
“We jell well together, we find humor, I mean by we I mean I," Allen explained. "I try to keep the room light, upbeat and as fun as possible. I’ll tell you, I’m leading all the fine boards in our room. I’m going to be the heaviest fined quarterback in the league in our room, so I’m looking forward to that. So we have a good time. We’re all about ball, but we can turn it off and just be regular dudes hanging out with each other. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”
Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei opted out of last season due to COVID-19, and then he didn’t play in preseason game No. 1, as Sean McDermott sat quite a few starters.
“I’ve played, for the most part, in every preseason game throughout my career, but I don’t feel like I absolutely need to take a bunch of reps," Lotulelei said on Monday following practice. "I’d like to have some reps in the preseason, but I don’t feel that an overload of reps is necessary.”
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been in camp helping McDermott, his former defensive coordinator, coach up the linebackers. Lotulelei was teammates with Kuechly in Carolina for five seasons.
“I love Luke, that’s my guy," Lotulelei said. "I spent the first five years of my career with Luke, and I feel like he’s a great source for Tremaine [Edmunds] and even Matt [Milano]. They’re both Boston College guys (Kuechly and Milano), but anybody in that room can learn so much from Luke, like how to be professional, how to be great at his position, technique things. "He’s such a smart player, how he saw the field. They can learn, so I’d take advantage of it if I was anybody in that room.”
With Lotulelei back, it only stands to reason that players like Harrison Phillips and Tremaine Edmunds will benefit from it.
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