Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been known to put up top-five NFL numbers at his position.
He also wears his heart on his sleeve to display his passion and emotions.
Sunday in London, where the Bills came up short against the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-20, was no exception.
Diggs put up a season-high 121 yards receiving on eight catches with a touchdown. He also showed a display of emotions from trying to lift and fire up his teammates when LB Matt Milano went down with a potentially season-ending injury on hard turf, to slamming his tablet in frustration at something he saw in a replay.
The Jaguars’ social media team took full opportunity to poke fun at the instance after the game.
Will the real Josh Allen pls stand up?#JAXvsBUF | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/ACYObQsLwx
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 8, 2023
Diggs does hate losing, and those feelings were on display.
He also felt there was something missing in the teams’ spirit on the trip.
“I felt like we did have a little – I’m not gonna say (we were) lackadaisical – but we were kind of just (didn’t have that) let’s go get it, let’s get after it, (attitude),” Diggs said during his postgame press conference. “We were trying to figure it out but that lack of sense of urgency, it showed.”
The spark or spirit the team seemed to be missing was noticed by the receiver because, normally, it’s something they do have.
“We have it in practice and you try to build off of it in the game. It’s supposed to be easier,” he said. “You work hard in practice and it’s (supposed to) carry over,” he added.
That being said, he also pointed out that there was that spark in the fourth quarter.
“When we get in that mode of not necessarily rushing but more so OK, we gotta score, you saw that,” Diggs said.
The Bills’ offense only had seven points through three-quarters of play thanks to the Diggs TD via Allen, Despite success in recent weeks, the offensive unit gained fewer than 20 yards on six of their first eight drives. This was followed by a fourth-quarter run that simply was too late to complete the comeback bid.
The WR1 made no excuses when asked if the travel, timezone change, and jetlag were a factor against a Jags team that had already been in London playing a game against the Falcons a week earlier.
“It’s easy to say that after the game,” Diggs pointed out. “Like if we won I would what would you have said? Like yeah, we were tired, or yeah we were this, or yeah we were that, but you know it’s easy to use an excuse I’m not a big excuse guy so I won’t say it.
Tired or not, or whatever, you’re going to get up to play a football game you know? I’m saying you get up to do the things that you love and play this game cuz it’s a blessing. Also, prayers for the guys we got hurt, but I won’t ever use the excuse.”
Personal responsibility and not making any excuses is a Bills hallmark under HC Sean McDermott’s leadership. It was a sentiment echoed by Bills QB Josh Allen as well, who went 27-of-40 with 359 yards and three total touchdowns, two throwing and one rushing, with one interception.
“They were ready. We weren’t,” Allen said.
And Diggs made his stance clearly aligned with the team as well.
“You know I feel like we could play better, we will be better and we must.”
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