Bills notebook: Josh Allen prepares to face Stefon Diggs; Taron Johnson returns to practice
Diggs spent four seasons with the Bills before he was traded to Houston this offseason. His ending in Buffalo was tumultuous, but Sunday’s meeting, roughly six months after the trade, has taken a business-like tenor in Buffalo.
The plan for Josh Allen is to find Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs before the game on Sunday.
As the Bills head to Houston, Allen hopes to say hello to his former teammate.
“Hopefully, yeah, I’ll say what’s up, and hopefully the favor’s returned – I’m sure it will be – so we’ll see,” Allen said Wednesday.
Diggs spent four seasons with the Bills before he was traded to Houston this offseason. His ending in Buffalo was tumultuous, but Sunday’s meeting, roughly six months after the trade, has taken a businesslike tenor in Buffalo.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott, left, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs stand for the national anthem before a game last season.
The Bills (3-1) face Diggs and the Texans (3-1) on Sunday in Houston. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Allen said it’s part of the business of the NFL. He downplayed the drama of going up against Diggs, noting that he and Diggs won’t actually take the field at the same time, and that his focus was on the Texans’ defense. Plus, they’re not the first pair of former teammates to face each other.
“I think this thing happens from time to time, and you know, I’ve got a lot of love for him. I still do,” Allen said. “The things that he did for me in my career, and the things that he did in a Buffalo Bill uniform won’t be forgotten anytime soon, especially from me.
“So, that’s how I look at it. At the same time, going into year seven, I understand the business, and the aspect of what this league is, and again, I’m just trying to focus on what we got going on in this building.”
The general chatter around the Bills’ locker room Wednesday was that facing Diggs has been boiled down to just the next opponent, and not an emotional meeting.
Diggs’ impact is amplified by a Houston offense that boasts multiple receiving threats. So far this season, Diggs has 25 catches for 233 yards, both second-most on a team that has Nico Collins, who broke out last season and also has a league-leading 489 receiving yards on 30 catches this season. That also can open more things for Diggs.
“Stef’s playing at a high level, he was a really good player here and competitive, as you guys know, and he’s highly competitive on tape, as I watch, and playing at a high level,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “So, it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
The Bills’ defense can glean some things from having faced Diggs in practice for four years, but cornerback Rasul Douglas noted some limitations.
“They use him differently than we used him here,” Douglas said. “But he’s competitive, you know. So, you just know he’s going to get everyone to compete. 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.”
While the goal in Buffalo is to move forward without Diggs, McDermott and Allen both noted what Diggs had done for the Bills.
“We respect Stef, we love Stef, and like I said, he was a very good player for us and a highly competitive player,” McDermott said. “What I see on tape, he’s doing the same thing. So, our focus really needs to be there, and we move forward. That’s really where we’re at on it, and it’s going to be a highly competitive game between two teams, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
Injury report
The Bills were without left tackle Dion Dawkins (hamstring), wide receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle), defensive tackle Austin Johnson (oblique) and safety Taylor Rapp (concussion protocol) for Wednesday’s practice.
Dawkins’ injury stemmed from the loss to the Ravens, and McDermott said the injury was “somewhere in between” playing it safe and a concern for Sunday’s game.
“Probably a little bit of both. Somewhere in between,” McDermott said of Dawkins. “He’s getting treatment, won’t practice today, so anytime someone doesn’t practice, you are concerned. Came up in the game naturally. And so, we had to manage things a little bit there. But I’m proud of what he was able to do in the game and push through it like he did.”
Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) were limited. It was the first practice for Johnson since his Week 1 injury, and he participated in a red noncontact jersey. Johnson said after practice that he “felt pretty good,” and was “taking it one day at a time” as far as his game status.
Johnson said he suffered a fracture and it was “getting better for sure.” He did not feel the padded wrap on his arm was holding him back, though quipped he would maybe carry an interception with his left arm.
“I’m able to pretty much do everything as far as like moving my legs and stuff like that,” Johnson said. “A lot of everything, pretty much all of what the guys are doing out there.”
Bernard didn’t wear a red noncontact jersey for the first time since his Week 2 injury. His status is still up in the air for Sunday.
“I still got a lot of things I have to do, tests to clear, but this is a big step,” Bernard said. “Just being back out of practice and being with the guys. So, I’m taking it day by day, and we’ll see what happens.”
Allen (left hand), fellow quarterback Mitch Trubisky (knee) and tight end Quintin Morris (shoulder) were listed as full participants.
For the Texans, running back Joe Mixon (ankle), defensive end Derek Barnett (shoulder), tackle Laremy Tunsil (ankle) and running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) did not practice. Wide receiver Tank Dell (chest), linebacker Jake Hansen (back), defensive end Jerry Hughes (hip), center/guard Juice Scruggs (hip) and safety Jimmie Ward (groin) were limited.
Von Miller has been suspended for four games by the NFL. Mark Gaughan and Katherine Fitzgerald discuss why the league acted now and what Miller’s absence means for the Bills going forward. Mark and Katherine also take a close look at the upcoming game in Houston. The Bills will face an improving team that now includes Stefon Diggs. It is a matchup that fans have been looking forward to but Mark and Katherine believe the Texans have plenty of other players the Bills need to focus on as well. The PlayAction podcast is fueled by Picasso’s Pizza
Logue joins locker room
New Bills defensive tackle Zion Logue is doing everything he can to catch up fast. Logue, a rookie, was signed to the Bills’ 53-man roster on Tuesday off of the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.“It was a great first day,” Logue said Wednesday. “Guys were very open, guys were very great, helping with open arms, just getting me to meetings, practice, just whatever it took to make this day successful.”
Logue was taken by the Falcons in the sixth round of the 2024 draft before landing on their practice squad. A Georgia graduate, Logue is leaning on some familiar faces in the locker room: former teammates James Cook and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.
“Those guys, we go way back, so being able to lean on those guys,” Logue said.
