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Pollock: The Buffalo Bills will have new (but better?) look in 2024

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By CHUCK POLLOCK, Sun Senior Sports Columnist

It’s “next year” for the Buffalo Bills … again.

Last season, after a disappointing 6-6 start, they miraculously put together a five-game winning streak to claim their fourth straight AFC East title.

Next, at home, in the opening round of the playoffs, they easily dispatched Pittsburgh, 31-17.

Now Buffalo had its dream scenario.

The Bills would host its postseason nemesis, Kansas City, at Highmark Stadium.

But, alas, instead, they would fall to the Chiefs in the playoffs for the third time in four years.

And as embarrassing as that “13 Seconds” defeat was in KC, this 27-24 loss on Buffalo’s home field will be remembered for three galling plays in the final 13 minutes.

First, with Buffalo trailing by three early in the fourth quarter, it faced 4th-and-5 at its own 30. Normally a super conservative coach, Sean McDermott opted for a fake punt. However,  the play went to Damar Hamlin who came up three yards short. It’s not great wisdom opting for a fake punt, down by a field goal with nearly a full period to play … especially 70 yards from the opposing goal. But what you absolutely don’t do is direct-snap the ball to a safety.

The other two plays came at the beginning and end of Buffalo’s final possession over a span of 6 ½ minutes. On the first snap, quarterback Josh Allen had wide receiver Stefon Diggs open for the lead touchdown but the ball slipped through his hands … a certified drop, in the clutch no less.

His body language indicated “the ball was slightly overthrown.” And if you’re wondering why the Bills ate $31 million in salary-cap dead money — the most in NFL history for a non-quarterback — to dump Diggs with Houston, there are worse guesses, especially since he also disappeared for the second half of the season all the while whining about “targets.”

His huge cap hit plus other moves as general manager Brandon Beane tried to get the team younger left Buffalo with a cumbersome $60 million in “dead” money this season.

Anyway, Diggs’ drop didn’t scuttle that drive and, with 1:44 left, Buffalo was at the Chiefs’ 27-yard line facing a 44-yard field goal to tie. Instead, veteran Tyler Bass revisited  the worst two words in Bills fans’ memories, “wide right.”

SO THAT’S the most recent backdrop for the Buffalo faithful heading into 2024.

Incredibly, only 10 players remain on the roster from the 2020 season: Allen, Bass, tackle Dion Dawkins, tight end Dawson Knox, nickelback Taron Johnson, long-snapper Reid Ferguson, fullback Reggie Gilliam, edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, defensive back Cam Lewis and linebacker Matt Milano, who may not play this season with a torn biceps.

But you needn’t look that far back.

Six of last year’s captains are gone: Diggs, wide receiver Gabe Davis, center Mitch Morse, safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde and special teamer Tyler Matakevich.

All were starters and also gone are cornerback Tre’Davious White, leading sacker Leonard Floyd (9.5) and wide receiver/kick returner Deonte Harty.

In other words, come Sunday afternoon’s opener against the Arizona Cardinals at Highmark, the Bills will field nine different starters from the 53-man roster which began last season.

New on offense are two free-agent wide receivers Curtis Samuel (Washington) and Mack Hollins (Atlanta) plus Khalil Shakir (a backup last year), left guard David Edwards (free agent from Rams), center Connor McGovern (started for the Bills at guard in 2023) while on defense it’s linebacker Dorian Williams (Milano’s backup a year ago) cornerback Rasul Douglas (trade acquisition from Green Bay) and safeties Hamlin and Taylor Rapp (both reserves last season).

Next we’ll assess the Bills’ roster position-by-position and offer a season prediction.

(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)

Read more from Chuck:

Bills took some risks with the roster cuts

• Preseason has not panned out the way McDermott planned

• Suddenly, major injury issues for the Bills

• It was a win over the Steelers but a loss in other departments

• McDermott on the Bears game: That’s not how we play

• Bills to debut new ‘dynamic kickoff’

 Beane says this is a new NFL team

• Beane responds to Josh Allen critic

• Chuck Pollock with a historical look at Bills training camp for fans and the media

• Tony Hunter’s passing evokes memories of Jim Kelly in the draft

 Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess

• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays

• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?

• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department

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