Bills visit Texans’ Diggs | News, Sports, Jobs

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs runs away from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco (5) during a 6-yard touchdown run in the first half last Sunday in Houston. AP photo

HOUSTON — Josh Allen has never said a bad word about Stefon Diggs. As the Buffalo Bills prepare to visit Houston on Sunday to face the former star receiver, he maintained that the two went their separate ways on good terms.

And the quarterback hasn’t changed his stance from a week ago, and wasn’t about to ruffle any feathers when asked about the early-season success the Bills have enjoyed with their spread-the-ball mantra on offense.

He later explained that he spoke out after reading comments on social media where people were trying to pervert the system. “Everyone will eat.” The motto is aimed at Diggs.

Allen understands why it’s a big deal to face Diggs for the first time since Buffalo sent him to Houston in a blockbuster trade this offseason. He raved about his former teammate.

“I had a lot of love for him, and I still do.” Allen said. “What he’s done for me in my career and what he’s done for me in a Buffalo Bill uniform, especially for me, won’t be forgotten anytime soon…(But) Going into year seven, I understand the business and the aspects of what this league is about, again, I’m just trying to focus on what’s going on in this building. is.”

Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, ranks second on the Texans with 233 yards on 25 receptions. He has two receiving touchdowns and recorded his first career rushing score last week against the Jaguars. He spent the past four seasons in Buffalo, recording over 1,100 yards receiving each year, leading the NFL with a career-high 1,535 yards in 2020.

This week, he didn’t directly mention Allen when talking about his time in Buffalo. Diggs’ tenure with the Bills “wonderful” However, he is only focused on his future now and has no interest in rehashing the past.

“A lot of other people are going to have opinions and a lot of things to say about X, Y, and Z, but I’m not mad about it.” he said Wednesday. “Soccer is a very emotional sport. I go in there and wear my heart on my sleeve and I don’t stop, but in my case I block out the noise.”

“There’s no one else to run that route but me.” he continued. “No one is going to see that tape but me. I try not to go back and forth about what people think and how they feel. I have a job to do. I’m trying to get it done. Masu.”

Diggs has been instrumental in the Texans’ 3-1 start, and Allen hasn’t missed a beat without him. The Bills are also 3-1, but are looking to bounce back from a 35-10 loss to the Ravens last week.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he certainly knew how talented a player Diggs was when he arrived in Houston, but was pleasantly surprised to see his passion for the game.

“He loves soccer…You can see it in the way he practices and the way he plays games.” Lyons said. “He loves the ball and plays hard. That’s all you want.”

blame game

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady still blames himself for calling a trick play that backfired and ruined Buffalo’s chances of a comeback in the loss to Baltimore.

After opening the second half with a TD to cut the deficit to 21-10, the Bills faced second-and-7 at the Baltimore 44 when receiver Curtis Samuel took a direct snap and threw the ball to Allen. Ta. The Ravens weren’t fooled and forced a fumble that led to a TD six plays later.

“I might not be able to say that over Zoom.” When asked to summarize the conference call in one word, Brady said: “There are no excuses. We can explain why it was on the call sheet, but at the end of the day, the timing wasn’t what it should have been and it cost us.”

Nico’s beginning

While all eyes will be on Diggs this week as he plays against his former team, another receiver has been the star of Houston’s offense so far this season. Nico Collins had a career-high 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season against the Jaguars. He led the NFL with 489 yards receiving and became the first player in franchise history to have at least 450 yards receiving in his first four games.

“He’s strong, physical, fast and a big receiver.” Lyons said. “He’s an easy target for CJ (Stroud) and Nico has shown up every time we’ve needed him.”

feed samuel

At the Bills “Everyone will eat.” Samuel, whose motto is attack, was having trouble finding his place at the table. The eighth-year player, who had his best season in Carolina under Brady as Panthers coordinator in 2020, was limited to eight catches for 48 yards. What’s even more interesting is that Samuel was on the field for only 68 of his 230 total offensive snaps.

“We want to get him in shape and whether or not Khalil plays this week.” Allen mentioned receiver Khalil Shakil, who is nursing a right ankle injury. “So we’re going to call his number and he’s going to have to step up and make some plays. We have no doubt in his ability.”