Tag: Taiwan Jones

Bills’ Taiwan Jones says he was looking forward to making play during late kickoff vs. Chiefs

#Bills special teams ace Taiwan Jones discussed the late kickoff vs. the #Chiefs out of the end zone. Sounds like something else was supposed to happen:

The curious case of the Buffalo Bills’ final 13 seconds against the Kansas City Chiefs continues.

However, special teams ace Taiwan Jones did open up on the topic during an interview with the About The Game Podcast. At first, not much different was offered.

“Without getting too much into it, it was just communication issues,” Jones, who was out on the field during the kickoff, said. “It was a big factor that there was miscommunication.”

That sounded similar to Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott. All McDermott would say following the 13-second incident is that “execution” did not happen.

Continuing, Jones does not say anything too jarring. Although, he did allude to the fact that what happened… maybe wasn’t supposed to happen.

Jones referenced that he was expecting to have an opportunity to make a play

“And that happened. Me being on the kickoff team, I was looking forward to that moment,” Jones said.

“When you on special teams, you don’t really get in the spotlight or nothing like that. So that was a key moment for special teams guys where it’s like, ‘oh, we can make a difference in this game.’ To not get that chance it was like, ‘ooooh.’ And then for it to happen like that? It was just like [exasperated breath],” Jones added.

Again, Jones does not directly say that kicker Tyler Bass was not supposed to kick a touchback as he did. But by “not getting a chance to make a play,” one can assume Jones was referencing something else was supposed to go down.

Perhaps a squib kick, or Jones at least expected the ball was going to be in the field of play.

But have at it for yourself. Here’s the segment referenced via Bills Wire‘s Bradley Gelber:

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Contract details for Bills special teamer Taiwan Jones

Buffalo Bills special teams ace Taiwan Jones contract details for 2021.

In a year where the Bills are cutting dollars against the salary cap, special teamer Taiwan Jones got a pay raise.

By the slightest of margins, though.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Bills re-signed Jones to a $1.75 million deal. His base salary is $1.1M in the contract… up from $1.05M in 2020.

Of that, the 32-year-old has $400K guaranteed, along with other various game day and workout bonuses.

Interestingly, if Bills cut him before the season, they would not be on the hook for much of anything. His dead cap hit is only $700K, according to Spotrac, so about one million in salary cap space can be found there in August if the Bills want it.

Jones is a key player on the Bills’ special teams unit, though. One shouldn’t expect him to be released unless someone else earned that job.

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Bills re-sign special teamer Taiwan Jones

RB Taiwan Jones re-signs with Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills have re-signed running back Taiwan Jones.

General manager Brandon Beane announced the deal at the start of his free agency press conference which was held on Thursday.

Jones, 33, was an unrestricted free agent. He played a pivotal role on the Bills’ special teams unit in 2020. Appearing in 13 games, Jones played in 47 percent of Buffalo’s snaps on special teams last year.

Re-signing Jones is certainly a statement that the Bills like what their special teams coverage teams have been giving the team recently. Along with Jones, Buffalo’s top special teams ace, linebacker Tyler Matakevich, signed a one-year extension this offseason as well.

Jones did not have a carry for Buffalo’s offseason last season.

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Bills Wire AFC Championship Player of the Game: RB Taiwan Jones

Taiwan Jones was Buffalo Bills’ Player of the Game in AFC Championship vs. Kansas City Chiefs.

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It was a heartbreaking end to the Buffalo Bills 2020 campaign, but we still have to honor our player of the game.

For our final issuing of the award, running back and return specialist Taiwan Jones is our recipient of Buffalo’s Player of the Game, who came up big with a punt fumble recovery. It set up Buffalo for a quick touchdown score in the red zone in the AFC Championship game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, giving Buffalo a 9-0 lead that could not be held onto.

That’s what 21-unanswered points in the second quarter does to you.

Buffalo will enter the offseason now with many questions and what-ifs, but with the team spirit that they’ve shown, this loss could provide extra motivation for the Bills in 2021.

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WATCH: Bills recover muffed punt, score TD on next play vs. Chiefs

Buffalo BIlls Taiwan Jones recovers punt, tight end Dawson Knox scores vs. Kansas City Chiefs in AFC Championship game.

What a quick turn that was for the Buffalo Bills.

In the AFC Championship game, the Bills scored the game’s first touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs with six minutes left the first quarter thanks to a big takeaway by… running back Taiwan Jones?

After punting, Jones, a gunner on Buffalo’s special teams, recovered a muffed punt fumble by Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman. It set Buffalo up right at the KC goal line:

From there, the Bills offense wasted no time in scoring. On the very next play, quarterback Josh Allen found Dawson Knox for the score. Kicker Tyler Bass missed the extra point, but the Bills still added those six points to an early field goal to go up 9-0.

Check the game’s first touchdown out here:

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Bills vs. Jets: Thursday injury reports

Buffalo Bills, New York Jets injury reports from Thursday, prior to 2020 Week 1 meeting.

Here are the updated injury reports for the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets from Thursday ahead of their Week 1 meeting at Bills Stadium:

New York Jets (0-0)

Did not practice

  • RB La’Mical Perine (ankle)

Limited

  • LB Tarell Basham (ankle)
  • QB Joe Flacco (neck)
  • OL Alex Lewis (shoulder)
  • S Marcus Maye (calf, ankle)
  • LB Avery Williamson (hamstring)
  • WR Denzel Mims (hamstrings)

Full practice

  • WR Jamison Crowder (hamstring)
  • WR Breshad Perriman (knee)

Notes:

Maye was also limited during Wednesday’s practice, but at that time, only had a calf issue as the ankle is new. … Mims was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, but was limited with two hamstring issues. … Perine has been sidelined for nearly a week with his ankle injury. … Flacco isn’t expect to play for a few weeks as Sam Darnold’s backup. … Williamson, Maye and Lewis are expected to play against the Bills, per Jets Wire.

Buffalo Bills (0-0)

Did not practice

  • CB Josh Norman (hamstring)

Full practice

  • CB Levi Wallace (hamstring)
  • DT Vernon Butler (hamstring)
  • RB Taiwan Jones (knee)

Notes:

Norman has missed practice since Aug. 20 and has only been a limited participant during light days of work since then. … Both Butler and Jones were limited participants on Wednesday but were upgraded to full practices on Thursday. … QB Jake Fromm also did not practice because he is now the team’s “quarantined” quarterback.

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Bills injury report: Brian Winters in jeopardy now?

Buffalo Bills injury report from Thursday’s 2020 training camp practice.

At one point it seemed that offensive lineman Brian Winters was a lock for the Buffalo Bills’ final 53-man roster, especially without Jon Feliciano on the field. But ever since Winters signed on the dotted line, his potential for making the final roster has gone in the wrong direction and a late injury in training camp won’t help, either.

In recent days, various reports, including The Athletic‘s team, have suggested that Winters, a former starter with the Jets cut earlier this offseason, could be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Bills’ roster cuts this weekend. Winters didn’t jump into Feliciano’s role, instead, we’ve seen Cody Ford doing that a lot more.

Then as mentioned, Winters being added to Thursday’s injury report also doesn’t bode well for him. Following practice, Winters popped onto the list with a leg contusion. As Saturday’s 4 p.m. roster cut deadline approaches, keep an eye out for Winters. He could go either direction.

In this same regard, we did see some slight improvement for another  roster bubble player. Special teamer Taiwan Jones practiced in a limited capacity after missing several days of training camp. He’s nursing a knee injury and is a key player on special teams. Jones’ status came into question a little when the Bills traded for Andre Smith, a linebacker and special teams ace himself, earlier this week.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Tuesday’s practice, including carryovers from Wednesday’s injury report which have remained the same:

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Bills injury report: How long will Josh Norman be out?

Buffalo Bills injury report for the seventh day of 2020 training camp on Monday, including Josh Norman update.

The Buffalo Bills again took to training camp practice without a few names healthy on Monday, which was their seventh day of full practices this offseason. The most importance piece missing practice again was cornerback Josh Norman.

Expected to compete for the No. 2 cornerback job across from Tre’Davious White, perhaps even having a leg up on Levi Wallace to this point for the job, the 32-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Reportedly Norman suffered the injury when he was tackled after making an interception in practice on Thursday.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said via video conference on Monday that Norman will at least miss a couple more days.

“He’s out today, we’re going to take it one day at a time, it looks like it’s going to be some time here. But, we’re encouraged by his progress here to this point,” McDermott said. “We’ll see how he progresses and I think the next five days will be critical for him.”

During the Bills’ last practice on Sunday, special teams ace Taiwan Jones also suffered an injury and did not practice on Monday. On the team’s full injury report, Jones is listed as having a knee injury. Running back Christian Wade was also a new addition to the injury report, listed as having a quad injury.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Monday, including carryovers from Sunday’s injury report which remained the same:

DID NOT PRACTICE

  • FB Patrick DiMarco (neck)
  • RB Taiwan Jones (knee)
  • RB Christian Wade (quad)
  • CB Josh Norman (hamstring)

Limited practice

  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (hip)
  • LB AJ Klein (ankle)

Non-contact practice

  • WR Robert Foster (concussion)

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Notes: Edmunds and Klein practiced during a light practice on Sunday, so their injuries are no considered serious… Foster has only had one full practice with the Bills so far in training camp.

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Bills injury report: Taiwan Jones exits practice, others return

Buffalo Bills injury report from the sixth day of their 2020 training camp.

The Buffalo Bills might be down a special teamer. According to various reports from their sixth day of training camp practices on Sunday, running back Taiwan Jones exited the practice early. WGR-550 radio reports that the 32-year-old was injured when he awkwardly stepped when downing a punt.

Jones, who was previously with the Bills from 2017-2018, re-signed with the team via free agency this offseason. He spent 2019 with the Texans. While a depth option at running back, if Jones’ injury is significant his spot on special teams will be a big hole for the team to fill.

But the injury situation was actually much brighter, overall, than it had been in previous days. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hip) practiced for the first time in nearly a week. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (hip) and AJ Klein (ankle) also returned to practice after missing the team’s last practice on Friday. Wide receiver Robert Foster (concussion) practiced in a limit fashion but in a red non-contact jersey.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Friday, including carryovers from Friday’s injury report which remained the same:

DID NOT PRACTICE

  • FB Patrick DiMarco (neck)

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Notes: QB Josh Allen, DL Quinton Jefferson, DT Vernon Butler, DT Harrison Phillips all missed practice after false-negative COVID-19 tests were reportedly found for them, they are expected to practice on Monday.

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Buffalo Bills training camp preview: Running back

2020 preview of Buffalo Bills running backs

The Buffalo Bills are a few short weeks away from arriving for training camp in Western New York. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the preseason festivities will be diminished; the team will not hold their sessions at St. John Fisher College, their training camp location since 2000.

Nevertheless, the aim of the training camp remains the same. The organization must prepare players for the preseason, which depth players will compete in their final battle for a roster spot.

Training camp could hold greater importance this year, as the trimmed down preseason slate leaves fewer opportunities for players to impress the coaching staff.

The Bills Wire will complete a position-by-position analysis of each group on the Bills roster. This edition will focus on the running back position:

Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Players (age)

  • Devin Singletary (22: 2nd season)
  • Zack Moss (22: Rookie)
  • TJ Yeldon (26: 6th season)
  • Christian Wade (29: 2nd season)
  • Taiwan Jones (31: 10th season)
  • Antonio Williams (22: Rookie)
  • Patrick DiMarco (31: 9th season)
  • Reggie Gilliam (22: Rookie)

2019 recap

It seems like ages ago, but the Bills entered the 2019 training with a three-headed monster: incumbent LeSean McCoy, veteran free-agent signee Frank Gore, and rookie Devin Singletary. McCoy’s decline and Singletary’s emergence ultimately left Buffalo with the difficult decision of releasing McCoy, their starting running back for the previous four seasons.

Gore led the way to start the season. He rushed for at least 55 yards in five of the first six games of the campaign. Gore showed the bruising rushing style that the Bills sought. However, he faded throughout the remainder of the year, rushing for over 55 yards only once during the last 10 games of the year. During this stretch, he rushed for an average of 2.6 yards per carry and zero rushing touchdowns on 80 carries. Early in his first season, Singletary was also hampered by a hamstring injury.

The emergence of the rookie Singletary was the major development last year. He burst onto the scene against the Jets, rushing for 70 yards on four carries and reeling in five passes on the day. Motor’s season just kept getting better, as he pushed for more snaps. He ended the season as the team’s leading rusher, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 151 rushes. Singletary was a pleasant surprise in the passing game as well, as he was third on the team with 29 catches.

From the fullback spot, Patrick DiMarco played when the Bills went to two-back sets on offense.  He could also be found split out wide at times, a testament to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll‘s creativity. TJ Yeldon did not dress in 10 games, and the veteran was used sparingly when he was active. Christian Wade was a feel-good story, exploding with a touchdown on his first touch in the preseason. He spent the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad.

Now here’s a rundown of storylines to follow in this position group:

Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

How will the snaps be divided between Singletary and Moss?

Singletary’s emergence has been easy to notice. Still, the Bills coaching staff was a bit hesitant to give him the keys to the car, as Buffalo started Gore in their Wild Card playoff game, one which saw many clamor for Singletary to get more touches throughout it. With a year under his belt, Singletary should be expected to take on a greater role in the offense.

Still, the NFL largely relies on two-back systems, and the Bills, with a love to establish the run, wanted to find a complement to their second-year player. This is where rookie Zack Moss comes in. The Utah product is a bruising running back. He is compact like Singletary and runs with a little more violence at defenders.

It won’t be shocking to see a heavy diet of Singletary early in the game, while Moss will likely be the back to help close out games.

 

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