Buffalo Bills Training Camp: August 18th thoughts

The Bills and Browns finished their second of two joint practices at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y. on Tuesday night, escaping the bad weather that loomed ahead. On a day in which two more small skirmishes and injuries were featured, here is what you missed:

1) LeSean McCoy injury adds even less depth to running backs

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Yes, you read that right. LeSean McCoy injured what appeared to be his left hamstring on the turf of Fisher’s Growney Stadium on Tuesday after a rushing play against the Browns defense. He was barely able to walk back to the Bills’ locker room under his own power, but now this begs the question: Who’s left?

Fred Jackson has been held out of practice for two days (though Rex Ryan said he should be good for preseason game number two), Anthony Dixon has been hurt for over a week now, and Karlos Williams could be out close to a month with an unknown illness that he woke up with Monday morning.

Who’s up? Two guys by the name of Ricky Seale and Bronson Hill for Thursday’s game.

2) Bills cornerbacks struggling with deep ball

Numerous times today, Buffalo’s cornerbacks were beat down the sideline and a couple of times they were completed from the arms of Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown. Travis Benjamin burnt his man down the near sideline and ended up wide open in the end zone, but dropped the perfectly thrown ball from Manziel.

The Texas A&M graduate was then rewarded with a completion on a good deep ball, this time to Andrew Hawkins, who beat Nickell Robey on the far sideline.

On the positive side, the completions of 15 yards or less were few and far between, as Robey and Mario Butler shined by jumping routes and breaking up passes from Manziel and McCown.

3) Matt Cassel taking advantage of Taylor’s inconsistency

Tyrod Taylor has gotten the bulk of the reps with the top players this week leading up to his preseason start against the Browns, but he has not done a whole lot to take advantage of it. Tyrod was 2-for-7 in live drills Tuesday night, following his rough practice on Monday morning.

Enter Matt Cassel and his veteran’s mentality. During a sequence on Tuesday night, Cassel dropped a pass off to a running back and then dropped a dime in over the head of Donte Whitner to the hands of MarQueis Gray for a touchdown.

Cassel throughout camp has been the most consistent, which could land him the job.

News and notes from Twitter:

Deep ball by Johnny is almost intercepted by Darby. Looked up a second too late or he would've had it #BillsCamp
— Cameron Boon (@lilboon) August 18, 2015

Now Gilmore doesn't bite on the slant fake, breaks up fade in the end zone! #BillsCamp
— Cameron Boon (@lilboon) August 18, 2015

Jerry Hughes just blew up a play on a sack of Josh McCown. The QB didn't even finish his drop back #BillsCamp
— Cameron Boon (@lilboon) August 18, 2015

In the most Johnny play ever, Manziel scrambles to left sideline, then runs all the way to the other sideline before throwing pass away
— Cameron Boon (@lilboon) August 18, 2015

Next: Bills/Browns duke it out in heat

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