11-20-2018, 05:58 AM
Their defense showed signs of looking lost in giving up a touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage against Cincinnati.And Buffalo's patchwork offensive line is getting manhandled.These are not encouraging signs less than two weeks before the Bills open the regular season at Baltimore."It's a wake-up call for all of us Youth Star Lotulelei Jersey ," center Ryan Groy said Monday, a day after the line was pushed around in giving up five sacks in the first half of a 26-13 preseason loss to the Bengals. "We couldn't get anything going. Hurt ourselves pre-snap. Didn't protect the quarterback. Did pretty much of everything on the do-not-do list."The level of concern was no different on defense after Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton burned Buffalo's defense for 180 yards passing and two touchdowns on five series — including a 57-yarder to John Ross on the opening snap."We couldn't stop them, man," cornerback Tre'Davious White said. "We weren't able to do anything yesterday. They were able to pick their spots and they were able to exploit them."As for quarterback, coach Sean McDermott is still not ready to name the Bills' season-opening starter, never mind which of his three quarterbacks will start in Buffalo's final preseason tuneup at Chicago on Thursday."No further quarterback developments," he said.Rookie first-round pick Josh Allen's steady progress took a considerable step back against the Bengals. In his first preseason start , he completed 6 of 12 passes for 34 yards, was sacked five times for 39 yards and managed just three first downs over seven-plus series before being pulled to be evaluated for a possible concussion.Allen was cleared to return for the start of the second half, but remained on the sideline while Nathan Peterman mopped up.Peterman, Buffalo's returning backup, has put up the best numbers this preseason, though he's had just two series against an opponent's starting defense.As for AJ McCarron, the offseason free agent addition was cleared for practice Monday Youth Jordan Poyer Jersey , some 10 days after being sidelined by a bruised right throwing shoulder during a 19-17 win at Cleveland.The Bills are a work in progress at best a little over eight months after sneaking into the playoffs to end a 17-year postseason drought, which had been the longest active streak in North America's four major professional sports.The current struggles reflect a roster still in the midst of being overhauled entering McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane's second seasons on the job.Only 15 players are left with two or more years of experience in Buffalo.Though the depth chart is not yet set, there is a chance the Bills will feature as many as seven starters with one or fewer season of NFL experience. And that includes the possibility of Allen or Peterman starting at quarterback.Difficult as Allen's outing was against Cincinnati, McDermott considered it a valuable learning experience for the strong-armed, yet raw quarterback in getting his first opportunity to face a starting NFL defense."I know the numbers didn't really show a great performance necessarily, but then again, there's a lot of things that go into that as well," he said."I did like his poise in the pocket to an extent. I thought he got us in and out of the huddle for the most part and managed some of the highs and lows," McDermott added. "That's all part of playing that quarterback position and leading a football team."CB COMPETITION: McDermott said the starting cornerback spot opposite White is still up for grabs between veteran free agent additions Vontae Davis and Phillip Gaines. Davis, a nine-year veteran, has struggled. He slipped while attempting to cover Ross on the opening play.SEEING YELLOW: McDermott is frustrated by the Bills being flagged 32 times for 257 yards in three preseason games. That includes 13 penalties for 125 yards against the Bengals. "It's unacceptable," he said.HONORING McCAIN: The flags in front of the Bills headquarters remained at half-staff Monday in honor of Sen. John McCain, who died of a malignant brain tumor on Saturday. The team also held a moment of silence before kickoff Sunday.INJURED: LB Julian Stanford is listed as week to week after hurting his nose against Cincinnati. The mother of LeSean McCoy's young son said in a court filing Tuesday that she agreed to defend the Buffalo Bills running back against an allegation that he abused the boy even though she said she knew the accusation was true.In a three-page document filed in Fulton County State Court in Georgia, Stephanie Maisonet said she reluctantly agreed to the deal in exchange for McCoy offering to drop a custody case and allow her to enroll their 6-year-old son in a school in Miami.Maisonet said she previously filed a report with child services — she did not say where or when — after her son would come home bruised and crying after visiting McCoy. She also included a picture of her son with bruises on his chin in the filing."I regret ever agreeing to help LeShawn McCoy in this case Buffalo Bills Hats ," Maisonet said in the court document that misspelled McCoy's first name. "I feel like I am sending our son to a monster every two weeks. LeShawn McCoy should be held accountable for his actions, regardless of his career choice or his income."McCoy responded by calling Maisonet's allegations "provably false, outrageously inaccurate and offensive," in a statement posted on his Twitter account."I have a loving and close knit relationship with my son. That young boy is my whole life," McCoy wrote. "With a custody case coming in November, I can see why these false allegations are surfacing."Maisonet's allegations were added to a lawsuit filed last month by McCoy's ex-girlfriend. Delicia Cordon alleges McCoy failed to protect her after she was bloodied, beaten and had $133,000 worth of jewelry stolen by an intruder at a home the running back owns in Milton, just outside Atlanta.Cordon also said McCoy would "often brutally beat his dog," and would "aggressively, physically discipline and beat his young son."Last week, McCoy's lawyers asked a judge to throw out the lawsuit because there was no basis to hold him responsible for Cordon being hurt. They also argued the lawsuit was filled with unrelated false, salacious allegations that were meant to embarrass McCoy and cast him in a bad light.The Bills have backed McCoy, with general manager Brandon Beane previously saying no evidence has come to light to change McCoy's status with the team. The 30-year-old is playing in his 10th NFL season and fourth with Buffalo after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia.He led the NFL in yards rushing in 2013.Maisonet said a note posted on her Instagram account saying the allegations of abuse against McCoy were false was written by McCoy's friend Buffalo Bills Hoodie , Tamarcus Porter, who is a co-defendant in the lawsuit. She said she provided Porter the password to her account.Cordon did not accuse McCoy of playing a role in the attack, which occurred in the early morning hours of July 10.Maisonet alleged that McCoy may have been involved, accusing him of "potentially orchestrating this heinous incident."On July 9, she said, she overheard McCoy speaking to someone on the phone and saying, "I need to get this (person) out of my house."Maisonet questioned the timing of McCoy's offer, which she said came after the home invasion."I found this to be odd because he has been fighting me so hard against that during our custody battle," Maisonet said. "Also, if he did not have any involvement in the home invasion, there is no need to make such an extreme offer."