Read the latest news and notes from the Buffalo Bills as they get ready to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium.
Bills players look ahead to Sunday's game vs Chiefs
Wide receiver Gabe Davis was activated to the practice squad and was back with the team for the first time on Wednesday. Despite the time away from the field, Davis expressed no concern getting back into action and picking up where he left off.
"I've known [Allen] now for six years, played with him for four of them, or five," Davis said after practice on Wednesday. "I don't think there's anything we need to talk about or really learn about each other … we have like 30-something touchdowns together. You know what I mean? We've done it a lot, and it just feels like second nature at this point."
While it's yet to be determined if Davis will be elevated for the game on Sunday against Kansas City, Davis said that his knee felt good after his first practice back and is focused on putting the work in, so he's prepared for whenever his time on the field comes.
"[Wednesday] kind of opened my eyes, and I felt really good out there on the field," Davis said. "… I was praying every single day for this, to be able to go out there and feel as good as I felt, definitely has been a special day for me for sure."
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was signed to the active roster following defensive tackle Ed Oliver being placed on injured reserve.
Stepping up from the practice squad, Phillips said his focus is continuing to work hard and stay on top of his responsibilities and stay prepared. Even with highly-anticipated game against Kansas City ahead of him for his first game since joining the active roster, he's controlling his mindset and not over-inflating anticipation of his opponent.
"When you have all that energy built up all week, it's normally not good," Phillips said on Wednesday. "So, you just got to go in with the thinking that it's just a normal game."
Safety Jordan Hancock and cornerback Maxwell Hairston reflected on their first game together after practice as well.
"It was great," Hancock said of playing with Hairston against Carolina. "He was my roommate, so we were talking about the game, watching film on the game so we could be prepared on Sunday. So, it was a really good transition, easy transition."
Having that in-game experience under his belt, Hairston said he's excited for the matchup against fellow speedster Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
"I'm looking forward to guarding all the receivers and all this competition, and that's what I like," Hairston said. "So, I'm just excited to play in my second game … play with the guys again, go out there, play fast [and] play physically."
Linebacker Terrel Bernard said having Hancock and Hairston get on the field for the first time was exciting, watching their hard work pay off by logging playing time and having success while doing so.
Bernard and linebacker Matt Milano practiced in full on Wednesday as well. After missing some time, the defensive captain said both of them were ready and anticipated getting back to practicing and playing.
"It just comes back to doing our job. We know our standard of play and who we want to be when we're out there," Bernard said. "So, getting back to that [and] working together out here in practice, in the meeting rooms and outside of the building – making sure we're on the same page and we're seeing things the same way."
Stats to know
- The Bills have won four straight matchups against the Chiefs in the regular season
- Since 2019, the Bills (76) and Chiefs (83) are top two in total wins
- Since 2018, QBs Josh Allen (279) and Patrick Mahomes (280) are No.1 and No.2 in total touchdowns
- RB James Cook leads the NFL with these stats: averages 107.6 rushing yards per game, averages 6 yards per carry, 269 yards before contact
- Josh Allen has a 151.5 passer rating when targeting TE Dalton Kincaid, highest among all quarterback-receiver duos with at least 25 targets (Next Gen Stats)
- WR Khalil Shakir has 299 yards after contact (2nd among WR) and averages 9.6 yards after catch per reception (2nd among wide receivers with at least 20 targets)
- Buffalo's offense ranks top 10 in these categories: average 164.4 rushing yards per game (1st), average 33:14 time of possession per game (1st), average 382.9 total yards per game (3rd), average 29.57 points per game (4th), average 8 yards per pass attempt (6th), average 43.8% 3rd down conversion rate (7th)
- Buffalo's defense ranks top 10 in these categories: allow 161.9 passing yards per game (2nd), 22 sacks (tied for 8th), allow 20.9 points per game (9th), allow 55% opponent red zone efficiency (10th)
Milestones to follow
- With a win: the Bills will improve to 6-2 on the season for the 5th time in the Sean McDermott era and win their 5th consecutive regular season game against the Chiefs
- With one rushing touchdown...
- Josh Allen passes Cam Newton for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history with 78 (regular season + playoffs)
- Josh Allen becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least 6 touchdowns in each of his first 8 seasons
- With 43 rushing yards: Josh Allen will move into 4th place on Buffalo's all-time rushing yards list, passing Joe Cribbs (4,445)
- With 2 rushing touchdowns: James Cook will tie for 6th place on team's all-time rushing touchdowns list with 29, tying with Wray Carlton
Press conferences to watch:
James Cook III grabs multiple awards after career-game vs. Carolina
RB James Cook rightfully earned his flowers after rushing for a career-high 216 yards and scoring two rushing touchdowns. Cook was dubbed the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, NFL Network's Angry Runs winner and Nickelodeon's NVP. Read more about it here.
Reggie Gilliam lands on All-Pro Mid Season list
Bills FB Reggie Gilliam is turning heads in his sixth NFL season due to his blocking ability. His teammates call him "Sledge" for a reason. Gilliam hit a masterful block on James Cook's 64-yard rushing touchdown against the Panthers. SI.com believes Gilliam is worthy of second-team All-Pro honors for his help in the run game.
Juszczyk has been a versatile player over the past nine years in San Francisco, earning nine Pro Bowl berths and two All-Pro honors. It's a good bet he'll get a third this week. As for Gilliam, he's the lead blocker in Buffalo's run game, helping James Cook find open spaces. He's played 112 offensive snaps for Buffalo this year.
Buffalo featured in Season 5 of Peyton's Places
Peyton's Places, featuring Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning, is set to air its fifth season on Sunday November 2 on ESPN+. Bills fans should keep an eye on this season as quarterback Josh Allen, Bills Mafia and other notable members of the Bills community are featured in an episode.
