Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills have a bit of a different schedule once again this week, as they get ready to host the Denver Broncos this coming Monday night in prime-time at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
The Bills had another rough outing in their last game when lost 24-18 to the Bengals on "Sunday Night Football" in Cincinnati. The Bills' offense sputtered throughout in, yet, another important game, while the injury-riddled defense made some important stops but couldn't hang off the Bengals' attack.
To rub more salt into the wound, the Bills suffered a couple more significant injuries to the defense that could have implications for Monday night. Terrel Bernard was forced to exit Sunday's loss in Cincinnati due to a concussion, while safety Micah Hyde suffered a neck injury as the result of a stinger.
Despite the injuries the defense sustained last week, the players that were called off the bench stepped up to the plate, holding the Bengals to just three points in the second half.
"That was impressive. With the amount of guys that we had going down, we had quite a few backups coming in, and just the effort, the mindset. They were playing hard, and to hold, what I would say is a very good offense, to three points in the second half, we can win with that," said Bills head coach Sean McDermott during his weekly Friday appearance on WGR. "I think that same mindset has to continue, and we'll see what we have available to us this week. We have some of those guys still out at this point. Much will be expected going forward, and the standard doesn't change."
When the week of practice for the Bills opened on Thursday, running back Latavius Murray called a players only meeting with the offensive unit. McDermott held high praise for the longtime veteran stepping up and being a voice of reason for the group.
"Latavius and I spoke earlier in the week. He's one of our leaders, and just being here one year, sometimes you don't get the captain's patch voted on by your teammates because they don't really know you, to that extent yet. But I would say he's a great leader, and his influence is needed and very-much welcomed," McDermott said on the "Extra Point Show" with Sal Capaccio and Joe DiBiase.
A player on offense that has seen an up-tick in production in recent weeks is rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid. The 2023 first-round pick broke the Bills' rookie receiving record for tight ends last game, and has 40 receptions in his eight games played this year. McDermott is quite impressed with how quickly Kincaid has evolved.
"Coming out of college, maybe the narrative was [he was] a little bit more of a pass-catcher, a little bit more of a one-dimensional player. But when it comes to the run game and him blocking, he has not shied away whatsoever," McDermott said. "I think that just speaks volumes about who he is, and how important his job is to him."
Hear more from McDermott's appearance during the "Extra Point Show" available in the player below:
