Tag: Cody Ford

Bills shuffle offensive line, Cody Ford benched vs. Texans

#Bills shuffle offensive line, Cody Ford benched vs. #Texans:

The Buffalo Bills made a notable change to their offensive line in Week 4 against the Houston Texans.

Announced as the team’s starting lineup was an offensive line that did not include Cody Ford. It appears he has been benched.

In place for Ford was an interesting twist as well.

Starting at right guard is Daryl Williams, who slides over from right tackle. In Williams’ place is rookie third-round pick Spencer Brown on the outside at tackle.

At left guard is Ike Boettger, who’s starting in place of Jon Feliciano, who was ruled out due to a concussion.

Still starting at left tackle and center, respectively, are Dion Dawkins and Mitch Morse.

Ford was a second-round pick of the Bills in 2019.

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PFF: Below surface, Bills offensive line still struggled vs. Dolphins

PFF: Below surface, #Bills offensive line still struggled vs. #Dolphins:

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After the Buffalo Bills’ season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the problem was pretty obvious. The Steelers’ elite front-four changed the game.

The Buffalo offensive line didn’t help quarterback Josh Allen much, as he was sacked three times. They also took a slew of penalties which derailed any momentum.

In the Bills’ rout of the Miami Dolphins last week. Much better, right? Maybe not.

Better, yes… but still some concern which Pro Football Focus shed some light on. According to the football analytics outlet, the Bills’ offensive line allowed a double-digit number of QB pressures in Week 2:

It was not a stellar performance from the Bills offensive line, as it allowed 12 total pressures but kept the pocket clean enough for Allen to find his receivers. Daryl Williams allowed the only sack for the game.

Moving forward, things aren’t going to get easier for Buffalo, either. En route next is the Washington Football Team. Their pass rush is highlighted by talented players such as Chase Young and Montez Sweat.

The Bills are putting what they believe is their best foot forward in terms of their offensive line. However, O-line talent in the NFL has always been scarce.

It doesn’t just grow on trees so the Bills will internally have to figure out ways to give their quarterback time to work.

Last week the Bills did decide to use Cody Ford extensively at right guard instead of rotating in Ike Boetter, as was the case in Week 1.

Regardless, O-line issues rarely come down to one player. Even the QB has to give a helping hand as well.

A daunting test does await the Bills, but there’s no reason to just write them off just yet.

Washington’s front-four haven’t flown out of the gate in 2021 either, despite how good they look on paper.

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Bills’ Sean McDermott on potential O-line changes: ‘We’ll see’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott on potential O-line changes: ‘We’ll see’

Bills head coach Sean McDermott is keeping his offensive linemen on their toes.

Heading into his team’s second game of the year against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo’s coach did not slam the door closed on changes coming to those blocking on offense. Notably in Week 1 during the Bills’ loss to the Steelers, the O-line struggled.

“We’ll see, we’re going through it,” McDermott said via video conference on Wednesday. “That’s true every week, though. We want to compete during the week, see where we’re at.”

The Steelers managed to pressure Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen consistently. Not only was play poor, so were the numerous inopportune holding penalties taken by the Bills.

There were seven, in total.

The lone offensive lineman to not take one in the game for Buffalo was Cody Ford. Still, the guard was replaced briefly by Ike Boettger in the first half so that’s not a positive sign.

Breaking this one down, McDermott did not outright say there will be any changes.

But he was asked specifically about the possibility of making a switch. In his answer, there is an opportunity for the coach to say no. He did not.

McDermott’s comment also echoed those of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. On Monday, Daboll said he would make playing time for offensive linemen a “week-by-week” operation.

While the alarm bells might be ringing for some when it comes to Buffalo’s offensive line, it might be a bit premature. The group should certainly be on notice moving forward, but if there’s one grain of salt to take from Week 1, it’s that the opponent was the Steelers.

Few teams in the NFL have a front-four pass rush like Pittsburgh. Buffalo will have to be better but it simply is a positive that the Steelers will not be on the other sideline for the rest of the regular season.

And for what it’s worth, in an unsurprising fashion, Allen is confident in his offensive line still.

“By no means has anybody lost any confidence in them,” Allen said via video conference. “There’s no loss in confidence.”

Bear in mind, i’s not like he was going to say anything else about the guys protecting him.

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Bills vs. Steelers: 9 storylines to watch for this week

#Bills vs. #Steelers: 9 storylines to watch for this week:

It’s Wednesday so the Buffalo Bills are now turning their attention to their next opponent. This week, it so happens to be their first of 2021.

After a successful preseason run, the Bills will host the Pittsburgh Steelers to begin the year.

With that, here are nine storylines to follow as Week 1 approaches:

Sean McDermott remains non-committal on Bills offensive line

What #Bills head coach Sean McDermott had to say about his team’s O-line heading into the opener:

Who is going to be the starting five on the Buffalo Bills offensive line when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town? Your guess is as good as anyone’s.

In that area of the field, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott remained mum on Tuesday. Last week, the coach said the position battle at guard continues heading into the regular season which begins on Sunday.

With the opener now only days away, it’s still ongoing. McDermott said via video conference that those two spots are down to Jon Feliciano, Cody Ford and Ike Boettger.

As far as naming two starters out of those three? McDermott won’t be doing so before Sunday, as he even suggested that a rotation is not off the table.

“We’ll see. There’s good competition there, as I said last week,” McDermott said. “I think we’ll know a little more as the week goes on… Comfortable rotating if we want to rotate but also comfortable with a little continuity if we go that route as well. Very confident in both Ike and Cody and in Jon.”

Of those three, Feliciano is the one most expect to be the starter. Ford and Boettger, specifically the first, is where some question marks remain.

Since trading up to select Ford at the 2019 NFL draft, he’s been in and out of the lineup due to injury. Additionally, Ford’s play has been inconsistent.

Still, the Bills have continued to insist he’s a pro-caliber lineman as Buffalo has consistently started him when healthy.

Because of that, Ford is the one most can envision as the likely starter vs. the Steelers, however, Boettger did have some good showing last year when filling in for an injured Ford.

Heading into 2021, Ford has always seemed like he knew nothing would be guaranteed this year. Earlier in training camp he discussed how his main focus this offseason was to improve his mental side of the game after his bouts with a few injuries.

“It was so much pressure of just being in the NFL and still figuring things out,” Ford said in late July. “This whole offseason I’ve dug deep. I went back home a few times.”

“I started talking to a mental coach,” Ford added. “That was the one thing that really helped a lot was to be able to talk to someone other than a coach or a teammate or even just a friend. It was me just getting my feelings out.”

Looking ahead to this week, expect McDermott to unveil his plan for the offensive line until the game begin on Sunday. McDermott is never one to tip his hand to an opponent in any manner.

But a betting man would certainly bet on the coach to pick five and not six.

In the past, both McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have expressed a fondness for continuity on the offensive line and the growth of chemistry between players as something that could help improve a unit. A rotation would be the opposite of that.

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Sean McDermott says two position battles to continue after training camp

Per Sean McDermott, these two position battles are ongoing at #Bills practice. Details:

Training camp and the preseason is a thing of the past, but according to Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, a few training camp position battles are not.

The Bills trimmed their roster to 53 players this week and have pieced together their first practice squad. Despite that, the coach said on Thursday that the No. 2 cornerback and the starting offensive line has yet to be written in pen just yet.

“They continue to battle,” McDermott said via video conference on the cornerback battle. “Currently you’ll see Levi (Wallace) out there and you’ll see Dane (Jackson) at times.”

The starting spot across from Tre’Davious White is pretty cut-and-dry. It’ll either be Wallace or Jackson. However, a split is also possible.

In 2020, Wallace and Josh Norman rotated there for the Bills. Once opening day comes around against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we’ll likely get our answer.

In terms of the offensive line, it’s not so simple. First and foremost, it’s a five player unit. But we do at least have a few players that we can comfortably consider starters.

Those would include both tackles, Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams, and center Mitch Morse

The guard spots have been the ones up for grabs and McDermott added that competition there is not over.

“Continuity is important in all areas, but again, I think it speaks to the trust that we have and the depth that we have that there’s still competition in that position, along the front,” McDermott said. “The competition I think continues there as well and those guys know that.”

Vying for playing time at guard are Jon Feliciano, Cody Ford, Ike Boettger, and perhaps Ryan Bates could be an outsider looking in.

In reading between the lines, McDermott might have shown his hand a bit.

The coach, starting from left to right, went down each spot on the O-line discussing players. He started at left tackle and mentioned Dawkins missing time, and then at left guard, McDermott also referenced Feliciano spending time on the sideline due to injury during training camp.

McDermott then fell short of continuing, so was that him naming Feliciano the starter?

That’s just speculation, but many presumed that Feliciano was more locked into a starting spot anyway. He could slightly be on a hot seat, of sorts, but the starting job that has been speculated to be up for grabs the most is the other guard spot.

Like at cornerback, we likely won’t know that answer until quarterback Josh Allen breaks the huddle for first time vs. the Steelers on Sept. 12.

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Sterling Shepard and Cody Ford standing out in NFL training camps

Former Sooners make the list of 32 players standing out in NFL training camps.

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As August continues to roll along, we get closer and closer to the start of football season. The Oklahoma Sooners will open their regular season on September 4th against the Tulane Green Wave, and the NFL will get started the following week.

As training camp rolls along, USA TODAY took a look at 32 training camp standouts that we need to know. Two former Sooners were featured on that list (subscription required), Cody Ford and Sterling Shepard.

After starting his career for the Buffalo Bills at right tackle, Cody Ford made the switch to left guard in 2020. Though he only played seven games due to a knee injury, it looks like he’s found a home at guard for the Bills.

This is a big year for the 2019 second-round draft pick because injuries have curtailed him in his first two seasons with Buffalo. Ford played every game as a rookie but was hindered much of the time with nagging injuries. Last season, a knee injury knocked him out at midseason. Early in camp, the Bills are flipping him between the right and left guard spots. He looks like he’s ready to secure one of those starting jobs, which would go a long way toward solidifying the Bills’ offensive line, a group that has to be better this season, especially in the run game. Ford is also working with a mental coach, and he says that has gotten him into a great head space as camp rolls on. – Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Like Ford, Sterling Shepard has had injury issues of his own. He’s only played two full seasons in the NFL and hasn’t played 16 games since the 2018 season. In 2018, he produced his best numbers as a pro when he caught 66 passes on 107 targets for 872 yards and four touchdowns.

Entering year six with the New York Giants, Shepard is still looking for his first 1,000 yard receiving season.

I asked Shepard last week if he feels as dialed-in as he’s looked so far in camp. His answer: Without a doubt. The longest-tenured Giant said he reported to camp in tremendous shape after meeting with head coach Joe Judge at the end of the offseason program, and that was part of the challenge. Changing jersey numbers from 87 to 3 has set the stage for Shepard to remind everyone just how important he is to this offense, going back to his college days at Oklahoma, where he was an absolute stud. Shepard has been working over talented defensive backs with the Giants, and it’s been fun to watch. – Art Stapleton, Bergen Record

The Giants signed Kenny Golladay to join a wide receiver group that already included the dangerous Darius Slayton. The former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver should get more room to run in 2021 if he can stay healthy. With a returning Saquon Barkley drawing the attention of opposing defensive coordinators and the likelihood that the Giants will be playing from behind regularly, Shepard might be in line for his most productive season yet.

Former Sooners stars CeeDee Lamb, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray have been stealing the headlines at their respective training camps, and Creed Humphrey and Orlando Brown have revitalized the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line. With Sterling Shepard and Cody Ford set for bounce-back seasons, former Sooners will be making a big impact across the NFL in 2021.

Bills’ Zack Moss, Cody Ford give positive updates on injury recovery

#Bills’ Zack Moss, Cody Ford give positive updates on injury recovery:

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Heading into 2021 training camp the Bills had two players on injury watch stemming from bumps and bruises sustained last season: Running back Zack Moss and offensive lineman Cody Ford.

Moss broke his ankle in the postseason against the Colts and his season was done right away. Ford had multiple issues last year, which has led to offseason surgery.

At minicamp, the update from the Bills was that both players would be back by training camp. They are, but they’re both taking it slow and are getting back into the flow of things.

Despite that, both have recently given good updates to the way they’re currently feeling.

Moss said that the ankle rehab has actually had some good side effects. His whole lower body is feeling right.

“The last month and a half we just ramped it up,” Moss said via video conference. “This is the strongest I felt in my lower body from my quads to my calves to my ankles.”

Ford gave some insight into potentially the tougher side of injury recovery. Ford, who had knee surgery most recently, talked about the mental side of things.

“I’ve come back this fall camp with a whole new mentality, a whole new mindset,” Ford said on Friday. ” “In this whole offseason, the one thing that the recovery did allow me to do was it gave me time to think. It gave me time to rediscover myself and figure out what’s my ‘why’ again… why I’m doing this and what it’s going to take to get the job done.”

Ford also referenced how much support from the team has meant to him. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane, specifically, has praised Ford during his bouts on the sideline.

“It showed me that they still have faith in me,” Ford said.

Ford went on to add that he talked to a mental health professional after missing time once again in 2020. The first two years of his career have been overshadowed by injury.

Both Moss and Ford will look to bounce-back in a big way from their respective injuries in 2021.

The duo are recent Day 2 selections by the Bills at the NFL draft. Considering their talents in being early draft picks, if both are healthy and can produce, their efforts could help push the Bills over the hill and closer to the Super Bowl.

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Ranking the 5 Bills players under the most pressure in 2021

Ranking the 5 #Bills players under the most pressure in 2021:

The Bills are poised for another successful run in 2021. Still, that doesn’t mean it will come easy and it does not guarantee every player will preform well. Some are under pressure to preform next season or their future could be in doubt.

With that, here are five Bills players under the most pressure in 2021:

Bills injury updates from minicamp including Zack Moss, Cody Ford

Buffalo Bills injury updates from 2021 training camp.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott provided a couple of key injury updates during his team’s mandatory minicamp this week. 

At this point in the offseason with no real football in the rearview mirror nor en route, things are pretty healthy. Still, we have a couple of injuries that are not going to be put to the test.

Bigger names that were hot topics for McDermott regarding injuries were running back Zack Moss and offensive lineman Cody Ford. In the playoffs, Moss saw his season come to an end via an ankle injury against the Colts. Ford had a slew of injuries when he was taken out of the lineup about halfway through the season.

In terms of both players, McDermott said they will not practice this week. The duo will take off until training camp begins in late July.

“For those two, Cody and Zack, they haven’t really been able to get back out there like they would like to at this point. We look forward to getting them back at training camp,” McDermott said.

The coach added the Moss has done “a phenomenal job rehabbing.”

Reserve safety Josh Thomas, who was practicing during voluntary OTA practices in recent weeks, is not working out during minicamp. However, McDermott indicated that he’s closer to returning than both Ford and Moss.

In the most positive of notes, two wideouts, Isaiah Hodgins and Cole Beasley, appeared to be back to full health, or at least close to it. Beasley played through the postseason in 2020 with a broken bone in his leg.

After doing so, Beasley did not workout at OTAs in recent weeks. During the first day of minicamp, he did.

Hodgins, who missed his entire rookie season due to a shoulder injury, also was participating. Hodgins even caught the attention of some onlookers with some of his plays on Tuesday.

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