The Buffalo Bills have finished up their first week of training camp at St. John Fisher University in front of Bills Mafia. They will take Saturday as a rest day before getting back on the field on Sunday, July 28th. Overall, the Bills had a strong start to their training camp and will look to continue their momentum into the second week before they come back to Orchard Park for the return of the Blue and Red practice at Highmark Stadium on August 2nd.
The first week of training camp was finished off with a warm welcoming visit from Kim Pegula, who helped break down the team huddle on Friday. With the first three days of practice over, we take a look at three observations that fans should be aware of heading into the second week.
Ed Oliver picks up where he left off in 2023
The Bills’ rising star defensive tackle had his breakout season last year and will look to continue his momentum. His presence has been noticed immediately to the point where he is causing a great amount of disruption against the offense. Beat reporter Sal Capaccio mentioned that Oliver was continuously causing problems against the offense.
Ed Oliver once again with a burst through the line to disrupt a Josh Allen dropback
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) July 26, 2024
If Oliver can continue his dominance and keep putting pressure on the offense, it will be exciting to see what he can bring to 2024. The Bills just need to hope that he stays consistent with his performance.
Keon Coleman is lighting it up
The rookie wideout has not only been turning heads in the offseason with his outgoing personality, but his play is catching attention as well. According to Alex Brasky, Coleman has shined early on in training camp with even noting that Coleman has had “several” touchdown catches throughout camp.
Keon Coleman continues to shine at #Bills training camp. Many were worried if he could make an immediate impact, but those concerns are dissipating with every touchdown pass he catches — and there have been several #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/Xa5gSkTNSN
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 26, 2024
Coleman has an argument to being in the best situation possible out of any rookie wide receiver. Being able to have Josh Allen as your quarterback and having the chance to grow into Buffalo’s number one receiver is an opportunity that not a lot of players have. If Coleman can live up to his potential, this Buffalo offense can become dangerous as early as this season.
Josh Allen taking more control of the offense
There is no better connection than having your quarterback and wide receiver room on the same page. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady talked about how Allen has been able to step up and take “more ownership of the Bills offense” according to Alex Brasky.
Joe Brady says it’s been fun taking a step back and letting Josh Allen take more ownership of the #Bills offense. Says with the boatload of new faces offensively, it’s critical pass catchers know what Allen is thinking, more than just simply running a play. pic.twitter.com/ET7TYBjrTk
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 25, 2024
With Allen stepping up more, this shows us that he is in full control of the offense. It’s not that he wasn’t before, but Brady brings up a great point as to why there are more important factors than just knowing the play. With an almost brand new receiver room, it will be crucial for proper development within the offense.
As we continue on with training camp, it will be important for Bills fans to keep an eye on training camp battles and hope that no major injuries arise. The Bills are back on the practice field on Sunday at 9:45am.