Tag: John Brown

Instant analysis: Big plays fuel Bills victory vs. Patriots

Instant analysis: Big plays fuel #Bills victory vs. #Patriots (via @jdiloro):

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The Buffalo Bills completed an emotional week with a 35-23 victory over the New England Patriots.

The victory gives Buffalo the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoff standings.

Buffalo (13-3) electrified the crowd with multiple big plays that culminated with touchdowns. Nyheim Hines sent Highmark Stadium into a frenzy by taking the opening kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown.

He repeated the feat in the third quarter, returning the kick 101 yards to the house:

Josh Allen threw three touchdowns on the afternoon. His first was a four-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox.

Allen took the top off the New England defense on the next two touchdowns. First, Allen hooked up with John Brown on a 42-yard diving reception. Allen culminated Buffalo’s scoring with a 49-yard bomb to Stefon Diggs.

Buffalo’s defense joined in the big-play theme by forcing three timely turnovers. Tre’Davious White and Matt Milano recorded interceptions near the Bills goal line, while Tremaine Edmunds reeled in a tipped pass in the fourth quarter.

Stefon Diggs led the way for the Bills receiving corps, catching a game-high seven passes for 104 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

Diggs was involved in the game plan early, as Allen’s first two passes were directed at the wideout. Diggs did well against New England in man coverage, and then smoked the Patriots secondary on the deep touchdown pass:

Buffalo primarily worked through the air on offense. However, in the few moments when they leaned on their run game, the ground attack moved the ball adequately. James Cook rushed nine times for 50 yards, while Devin Singletary carried seven times for 29 yards.

In particular, the Bills leaned on the run game late in the second quarter as they moved the ball into scoring territory ahead of halftime.

Buffalo’s defense had some challenges at times with New England’s offensive attack. All three of the Patriots’ touchdown drives were long, sustained drives. Mac Jones completed all 17 passes on the three New England touchdown drives.

New England utilized play action often early to help freeze the Bills linebackers and to set up the run game.  At times, it worked well for New England, as Jones was able to buy time with the fakes. The Patriots run game found space at times, with Rhamonde Stevenson rushing nine times for 54 yards and Damien Harris running 13 times for 48 yards.

When it counted the most, Buffalo’s defense made the big play to end any New England threats. In addition to the three interceptions, Buffalo recorded two sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven passes defensed.

Buffalo’s coaching staff did a masterful job getting the Bills ready for this game. Sean McDermott and company kept the Bills focused throughout the game. Buffalo responded to the events of Monday night in a magnificent way.

Buffalo will host Miami in the Wild Card round of the playoffs next weekend.

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Cameras captured John Brown giving his TD ball to the Bills trainer who performed CPR on Damar Hamlin

What a moment.

When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle on Monday night, the quick response from the trainers and medical professionals at the game was essential in saving Hamlin’s life.

And as Hamlin’s recovery continued to progress throughout the week, Bills head coach Sean McDermott and several players made a point to recognize assistant trainer Denny Kellington for his role in saving Hamlin. Kellington was the one who performed CPR on Hamlin for those nine minutes on the field. And come Sunday, Bills receiver John Brown showed special appreciation for Kellington.

Brown made a sensational touchdown grab during the Week 18 game against the Patriots, and the CBS broadcast would capture Brown giving the ball to Kellington on the sidelines.

In a game that had its share of touching moments, that gesture from Brown certainly caught the attention of NFL fans.

John Brown kept rooting for the Bills from afar

John Brown said he’s been rooting for the #Bills since leaving:

John Brown is back with the Buffalo Bills.

But in a way, he never left.

Brown, 32, last played in Buffalo in 2020. He wasn’t too happy upon being released by the team the first time in a salary cap move, however, he didn’t let that get in the way of bonds built.

Brown was re-introduced to western New York via video conference on Monday. He was brought back and signed to the practice squad over the weekend.

He admitted since he left, he’s continued to pull for the Bills (8-3) ever since.

“To be able to come back and just to be part of it is a great thing because I watch every game. Since I left, I’ve been rooting the guys on. I still stayed in contact with a lot of people,” Brown said.

Specifically, Brown said he kept in contact with Buffalo’s receivers coach Chad Hall. Brown said he had sent workout videos to Hall and eventually he got himself a tryout and was signed.

Upon seeing Brown take the field, head coach Sean McDermott said he could tell Brown kept in shape.

“He did some really good things for us,” McDermott said via video conference, referencing his first spell with the team. “We’ll see how quickly he can get back into shape.”

“Guys that want another shot, they’re constantly working out and that was evident,” McDermott added.

It would be surprising to see Brown play right away. The Bills next face the New England Patriots (6-5) on Thursday. Brown hasn’t played for the team in over a year and there’s a new offensive coordinator in Ken Dorsey.

Still, never say never. Buffalo has called up wideout Tanner Gentry from the PS the past two games. The Bills are short at the position with only four on the active roster (Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie).

Bare minimum, quarterback Josh Allen doesn’t seem like he’d mind.

“It’s good to see Smoke back, it’s good to have him back,” Allen said via video conference. “He can still play, too. I don’t know really what the plan is, it’s not up to me. But it’s a guy I trust, I’ve got a lot of familiarity with, a guy that I can rely on so it’s good to have him back.”

If Brown is called up for the contest, it’s likely to happen on Wednesday. Bills Wire will provide updates on Brown’s status up until game time.

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LOOK: John Brown takes in first Bills practice since return

John Brown’s first day back with the #Bills:

The Bills brought back receiver John Brown.

Brown, 32, re-signs with the Bills (8-3) amid a slew of injury issues the team is having at the wideout position.

On Sunday, the Bills had an uncharacteristic practice day. With their back-to-back Thursday games, the team took the opportunity to get in a workout and it was Brown’s first time on the practice field with the Bills since being added to the practice squad.

Check out the clips below for local media clips from Brown’s return:

Bills sign John Brown, CJ Brewer to practice squad

#Bills sign John Brown, CJ Brewer to practice squad:

The Buffalo Bills have signed a few familiar pieces to their practice squad on Saturday.

The team announced that defensive tackle CJ Brewer and a blast from the past, receiver John Brown, have been added to the taxi squad.

Brown, 32, previously played in Buffalo from 2019 to 2020. Prior to 2021, he was released in a salary cap move. Last season, he spent time on multiple practice squads around the NFL. He has not played this year.

Brown also seemed a bit discontent when Buffalo let him go in 2020. He said via SiriusXM that he felt like he was not “given a heads-up.”

Evidently, it’s all water under the bridge now.

Injuries factored into Brown’s decline in 2020, but that same thing is something the Bills are battling in their receiver room now.

The Bills have just four healthy receivers on their 53-man roster (Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and Khalil Shakir). Buffalo has already elevated Tanner Gentry to the main roster twice in the past two weeks.

Brewer, 25, was on the Bills’ practice squad just earlier this season. He was elevated from it twice and played for Buffalo on both occasions. Brewer recorded two tackles for the Bills.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown’s dad, a former legendary bodybuilder, hilariously called out Kevin Durant’s calves on Hard Knocks

Don’t skip leg day, KD!

Kevin Durant’s one of the greatest NBA players ever to lace up some sneakers. A prolific scorer with a few championship rings, Durant doesn’t really have anything to prove — at least in terms of his individual resume.

But his calves — notoriously “skinny,” though not shockingly for a 6-foot-10 athlete — leave a lot to be desired, according to one Detroit Lions player’s dad.

The second episode of Hard Knocks with the Lions focused a lot on promising Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. When diving into his background, it was discovered that Brown’s dad is John Brown — an esteemed bodybuilder in the 1980s.

The senior Brown naturally takes it upon himself to train his son in the gym during the offseason. And when discussing his philosophy to polish up and avoid future injuries, he took quite a passionate left-field shot at Durant’s calves:

Phew boy. Let’s rewind that quote to fully appreciate the senior Brown’s candor.

“Kevin Durant and these guys, messing their Achilles up. I have a question for guys like Kevin Durant — when’s the last time you did a calf raise?”

Honestly, with limited knowledge of body composition myself, it might be a fair question! Durant famously missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season after tearing his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. Amid his recovery, he jumped ship from the dynastic Warriors to the Nets.

Perhaps if Durant had heeded John Brown’s advice about taking care of your calves back then, NBA history would’ve looked dramatically different.

Packers work out John Brown and 3 other players ahead of training camp

The Packers worked out 4 players, including WR John Brown. Here’s more on the players.

In addition to wide receiver John Brown, the Green Bay Packers recently hosted three players for workouts, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. With one spot open on their 90-man roster, the Packers also brought in a tight end, offensive lineman, and cornerback.

Brown, a third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2014, has played in 100 games and scored 31 total touchdowns. Now 32, he appeared in just four games with four different teams last season. In 2019, he caught 72 passes for 1,060 yards and six scores as a member of the Buffalo Bills. Known for his terrific speed, Brown has 320 career catches and a 14.8-yard average.

According to the NFL’s daily transaction report, the Packers did not sign any of the four players, including Brown.

Here is more information on the other three tryout players for the Packers:

Packers work out veteran wide receiver John Brown

Veteran WR John Brown worked out for the Green Bay Packers.

The Green Bay Packers worked out veteran wide receiver John Brown, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

No signing was reported on the league’s transaction report on Wednesday.

Brown, who has played in 100 career games, appeared in just four games with four different teams last season. He didn’t catch a pass on three targets.

Matt LaFleur and the Packers could be interested in seeing if Brown is healthy and if his speed can add something to the team’s receiver room to start training camp.

We here at Packers Wire originally suggested the idea of signing Brown in free agency in February of 2019.

Brown signed with the Buffalo Bills a month later and was a difference-maker, catching 72 passes for 1,060 yards and six touchdowns during the 2019 season. He played in just nine games due to injury in 2020 and then couldn’t get on the field in 2021.

Brown, a third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, is now 32 years old.

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