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Bills discuss high hopes and concerns heading into Kickoff Weekend | Quote Sheet

Ed Oliver prepares for his first NFL regular season game during Buffalo Bills practice at One Bills Drive, September 2, 2019. Photo by Bill Wippert
Ed Oliver prepares for his first NFL regular season game during Buffalo Bills practice at One Bills Drive, September 2, 2019. Photo by Bill Wippert

1. Rookies have first NFL game

Buffalo's rookies will take to the field on Sunday and participate in their first NFL regular season game. Bills rookies Cody Ford and Ed Oliver weighed on what the experience will be like for them

"The first time I ran through the tunnel here in Orchard Park I actually had chills so I'll probably get chills again," Ford said.

"Go out there and play my ball, play a full game finally and just put on tape what I can and go out there with a mentality that I got to get my job done and protect the quarterback," Ford said.

"We played four games before now, so if you aren't ready now just be prepared to sit on the bench," Oliver said. "They're not easing us into it, they expect us to be ready go. I've leaned on a lot of older guys like I've done in the past so if I'm not ready to go now then I'll never be ready."

Scroll through to see the best photos from Buffalo's practice as they prepare for Week 1 against the New York Jets.

2. Tre'Davious White on slowing down Sam Darnold

Just like the Bills, the New York Jets have a quarterback entering his second season. Sam Darnold showed improvement during the second half of the season much like Josh Allen. With additional weapons around him, Buffalo's secondary will be put to the test.

"A guy that went No. 3 overall, you know that he has talent, arm talent," cornerback Tre'Davious White said. "He showed us in the last game here that he was mobile. We just got to do basically what coach asks us to do and try to keep him in the pocket and stay over the top of those guys."

The Jets have an entirely new coaching staff, but their head coach Adam Gase was in the same position in Miami last year. The only tape the Bills have are from the preseason games and will have to watch games from Gase's previous coaching stops.

"It's a new offense and he has new pieces," White says. "You don't know how they're going to use them so we pretty much just got to key in on all the fundamentals and do the things we're coached to do."

3. Mitch Morse not worried about snapping to Allen

Mitch Morse has yet to snap the ball to Josh Allen in a game. Morse was held out of the entire preseason with a concussion and only has had the chance to snap to Allen during practice.

"I think what we do really well here is practice tempo," Morse said. "You know, nothing is quite like the game speed. And, you know, that's just what it is. But it definitely does come back to how you practice and Buffalo we practice real fast and with purpose, because we know we have a long way to go and do that. We just have to practice it efficiently."

There are also concerns about the continuity on the offensive line.

"I mean, every team definitely has a disadvantage in regards to not having the same guys as last year. So for us it's up to us to be professionals about it and handle our business and go," Morse said.

4. Sean McDermott ready do 'whatever it takes'

Head coach Sean McDermott is confident that Josh Allen can carry the Bills to victory if need be, but as he game-plans for Week 1 he's willing to do "whatever it takes" to win.

"We're going to do whatever it takes to win the game," McDermott said. "Whether it means running the ball 40 times or throwing the ball 40 times. We've got some things to do on the defensive side to help them and on special teams. That's what I believe in. Whatever it takes to win and playing good team football and all three phases contribute."

5. Tremaine Edmunds is committed to the process

Tremaine Edmunds doesn't want to trust the process but rather "trust our process" as the Bills prepare for Week 1. Buffalo has limited tape to work off of and players have emphasized they need to follow their fundamentals to succeed on Sunday.

"It's the first game of the year, it's going to be a lot of uncertainty," Edmunds said. "All we can do is trust our process and trust what we're going over in the classroom and trust what we're doing in practice. We just prepare the way that we know how and everything else will take care of itself."

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