Ja'Mori Maclin's big day comes with rave reviews
Undrafted rookie wide receiver Ja'Mori Maclin made the most of a few opportunities to step up for the Bills with a number of wideouts sidelined on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.
Maclin went for 108 yards receiving and a touchdown in the win, doing it on just two catches and three targets. Quarterback Shane Buechele threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to the young receiver, seeing firsthand how the rookie has been setting himself apart throughout training camp.
"He's been balling," Buechele said. "He's been doing a good job, he works hard, he's got some juice to him, so it's fun. It's fun playing with him."
After just one target that he hauled in for nine yards in Week 1 of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers, Maclin took advantage of the larger role he saw against the Browns.
The 24-year-old's big-play ability was on full display on Saturday, leading his team in receiving and proving to himself that he can hang at the NFL level.
"This is definitely a blessing, man," Maclin said. "I haven't really fully soaked it in yet because I'm trying to shower, trying to get on the plane, go see my family. But man, I'm definitely grateful, man. God has blessed me with this opportunity."
Head coach Joe Brady has witnessed all of Maclin's journey since arriving in Buffalo, including battling injuries early on. Already feeling the pressure of coming in undrafted, Maclin made sure to make up for lost time, exploding for the big day in Cleveland.
"If you're undrafted and you're battling injuries in OTAs, you better hope that you show something early to be able to continue to stick around; and he showed us a lot," Brady said. "… It was a lot of fun seeing him celebrate."
Despite the ups-and-downs for Maclin to start his NFL career, one thing has been evident: The young wideout is determined to prove himself, letting his play on the field do the talking.
"He took advantage of the time when he was off and stuck around in the off season, making sure that when his time was going to come, he was going to be ready," Brady said.
The Bills show support for Ed Oliver
Before Saturday's game, Bills general manager Brandon Beane released a statement regarding recent news surrounding defensive lineman Ed Oliver.
"On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son. It's an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss."
After the conclusion of the game in Cleveland, Brady shared his support for Oliver at the beginning of his press conference.
"As a coach, as a father, it's my job to be what he needs from me right now," Brady said. "And that's loving him and giving him the privacy that he deserves, and whatever it looks like, no matter how someone might want to handle it, it's however he wants us to handle it."
Quarterback Josh Allen also spoke postgame at his locker, adding on his thoughts on the matter.
"There's nothing that you can say to make the situation any better except being there for Ed in whatever way he needs," Allen said. "As a team, we're going to continue to love up on him. We want to rally around him to let him know that we have his back and we're here for him however he needs us. But the way that he's dealt with it has been unbelievable. "
