Bullet Dodged & Other Observations

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Talking Buffalo 41 min 1 speaker 8 chapters transcribed 1 month ago

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What happened with C.J. Gardner‑Johnson’s injury and why is it good news?

Patrick Moran 0:22

The Buffalo Bills have seemingly dodged a big bullet. We'll talk about that and plenty of other observations that I got firsthand for being at Buffalo Bills training camp on Saturday here today on this bonus weekend episode of Talking Buffalo, your weekday daily driver for Buffalo Sports Talk and more. My name is Patrick Moran. Thank you so much as always for watching, for listening. However, you are taking and talking Buffalo. I appreciate you guys so very much. A quick shout out to our sponsor for today's show, the law office of William Attar. Heard in a car, call William Attar. 444-4444. Call William Attar today. to get the compensation that you deserve. I'm recording this relatively late here on Saturday, late afternoon, early evening, around 6.30, 7 p.m.

Patrick Moran 1:22

Going to drop this immediately on YouTube, audio podcast overnight into Sunday. I didn't plan on doing this bonus episode. However, I didn't plan on going to Buffalo Bills training camp here, day three of Bills camp this Saturday. I actually had tickets to go see Tim McGraw at Darien Lake on Saturday. And I don't know, man. I just got the itch. It didn't sit well with me that I was going to six of the seven Bills practices at camp. at St. John Fisher. I decided I wanted to go to all of them. So I made an effort to get some tickets and I did. So I got up really early, hooked up with my boys, Zach Sheldon and Slick from Trainwreck Sports. We carpooled to Rochester together and I caught day three of camp. So I've now been there for all three of these first three days.

Patrick Moran 2:23

Kind of a good news, bad news, potentially great news Saturday for the Buffalo Bills. The good news, and I guess you just had to be there to care, because admittedly, almost nobody is going to give a shit about this if they weren't physically at St. John's Fisher on Saturday morning. But it was a very nice day, which is a complete opposite from Wednesday and Thursday, the first few days of camp, where it was just... raining, especially on Wednesday. It was windy. Just enough annoying rain on Thursday. Just a miserable, miserable weather out for being the summer on Wednesday and Thursday. Well, Saturday was picture perfect. It was gorgeous out. Practice went a little bit longer and at least late in the practice.

Patrick Moran 3:16

And we'll talk about this here today on this episode. The offense opened up with some exciting plays and gave the crowd some stuff to cheer about. So a lot of good stuff and some good performances, which we're going to get to. The bad news, of course, and you all know by now, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is hurt. We don't know quite the severity of his lower calf strain. However, we don't have to hold our breaths anymore thinking that he tore his Achilles, which it certainly felt like that in the moment. Tell you what, I was up at the very, very top of the stands thinking, And honestly, I didn't even see the play. It was a non-contact injury, just like last year where Max Harrison had a non-contact injury and ended up missing a chunk of the start of the regular season.

Patrick Moran 4:11

Anyway, it was a reverse run by Skylar Bell, and I don't know why, but after the play stopped, my attention went somewhere else. Maybe I was on my phone tweeting or whatever for a good 20, 30 seconds, but... C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down and had to be helped off the field, and he was limping bad, and it sure looked like... My friend Lauren, who was with me, got a really good video of it, and it sure looked like his Achilles was shot. Thankfully, it's not, of course. But, you know, a lower calf strain, I don't want to celebrate too much. That could be something that keeps him out for... several weeks. But no matter what the severity of that is, it's certainly better than an Achilles tear. So that's the great news.

Patrick Moran 5:02

And I'll tell you this, missing him right now, and this new Bills defense with a lot of new pieces and certainly a new scheme, I'll say this, if he's going to miss some time, and again, The glass is half full here, folks, because this could have been an Achilles tear and we'd be done talking about C.J.

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Chapters

8 chapters

1 What happened with C.J. Gardner‑Johnson’s injury and why is it good news? 0:22–8:20 2 Who is the next safety in line if Gardner‑Johnson misses time? 8:20–15:15 3 Which offensive plays gave fans the most excitement on Saturday? 15:15–22:05 4 How is rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell performing and what roles could he fill? 22:05–28:24 5 What is the status of the right‑guard competition between Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett? 28:24–34:44 6 Why are backup quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele a concern for the Bills? 34:44–41:00 7 Which rookie defensive backs are emerging as early camp stand‑outs? 41:00–41:52 8 What are the key takeaways and what’s next for the Bills before pads go on? 41:52–41:54

Speakers

1 identified

Patrick Moran 38 min

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Topics in this episode

Josh Allen 1 Buffalo Bills 2 Dalton Kincaid 2 Patrick Moran 1 Keon Coleman 1 Highmark Stadium 1 C.J. Gardner-Johnson 3 Josh Palmer 2 DeMar Hamlin 1 Kyle Allen 1 Geno Stone 2 Skylar Bell 2

Source

Recorded02 Aug 2026

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Show notes

The Buffalo Bills appear to have avoided a potentially devastating injury to C.J. Gardner-Johnson. In this bonus weekend episode of Talking Buffalo, Patrick Moran shares his firsthand observations from the third day of Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University. Patrick begins with the biggest story from Saturday’s practice: Gardner-Johnson suffering a non-contact lower-leg injury. Although the scene initially created fears of a torn Achilles, the injury was diagnosed as a lower-calf strain. Gardner-Johnson could still miss time, but the news was a major relief considering how impressive he looked during the opening practices. If Gardner-Johnson is sidelined for several weeks, Geno Stone appears to be the next safety in line. Stone immediately replaced him with the starting defense and had already been receiving work in Buffalo’s dime packages. Patrick discusses Stone’s quietly encouraging start to camp and why his roster position appears more secure. The Bills offense finally produced several crowd-pleasing moments after two relatively uneventful practices. Josh Allen connected with Josh Palmer for the play of the day—a deep completion down the left sideline that would likely have resulted in a touchdown. Palmer continues to look fast, fluid and healthy while consistently catching nearly everything thrown his way. Dalton Kincaid also made an impressive catch down the left sideline after beating Cole Bishop. Kincaid looks healthy, quick and comfortable through three practices, displaying the effortless hands that have consistently stood out during training camp. Ty Johnson followed with another sizable reception in the same area of the field. Buffalo also experimented with some creative offensive concepts, including a double-reverse flea-flicker that ultimately became a short screen with multiple blockers in front. Rookie receiver Skyler Bell received another end-around opportunity and continues to intrigue Patrick with his route-running, movement and ability to potentially contribute at multiple levels of the field. It was another quiet practice for Keon Coleman, but Patrick stresses that Coleman has not necessarily done anything wrong. He has continued working hard, running his routes and avoiding major mistakes; the football simply has not come his way very often during the past two practices. The starting right guard competition remains legitimate. Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett continue alternating series with the first-team offense. Anderson may have a slight advantage, but Corbett remains firmly involved and no winner has emerged. Patrick also explains why the poor play of backup quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele is becoming increasingly concerning. Beyond the possibility of Josh Allen missing a few games, their inaccurate throws are making it difficult to properly evaluate receivers, tight ends and defensive backs near the bottom of the roster. On defense, Terrel Bernard returned without limitations and participated fully in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 work. His return is encouraging, although his ability to remain healthy remains one of the defense’s most important questions. Dorian Williams participated in full-speed seven-on-seven drills but was held out of competitive 11-on-11 work as the Bills continued easing him back. Rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr has handled a heavy workload throughout camp. Although he has not produced many splash plays yet, his intensity and work ethic have been impossible to miss. Patrick expects a clearer evaluation of the linebackers and linemen once the pads come on. Two rookie defensive backs have emerged as early camp standouts. Fifth-round safety Jalon Kilgore recorded the defensive play of the day with a diving interception and has consistently made plays on the football. Gardner-Johnson’s injury could create an opportunity for Kilgore to receive more work with the second-team defense—or possibly even some first-team snaps. Undrafted cornerback Kenny Walker has been another pleasant surprise. Walker has stayed tight in coverage, produced multiple pass breakups and appears to be ahead of seventh-round pick Toriano Pride Jr. in the competition for a reserve boundary-cornerback role. Even if Walker does not make the initial 53-man roster, he is establishing himself as a strong practice-squad candidate. Second-round rookie Davison Igbinosun has experienced a more uneven opening to camp. He made a quality pass breakup against DJ Moore but was also beaten by Palmer on Saturday’s deep completion. Patrick is not alarmed, but the anticipated competition between Igbinosun and Maxwell Hairston has not materialized yet. Hairston has received all the first-team work and appears firmly positioned to start if he remains healthy. There is not much to take away from the offensive and defensive lines until padded practices begin. However, Landon Jackson has entered the defensive-line rotation early in several sequences and could challenge T.J. Sanders for playing time. Michael Hoecht has also practiced without noticeable limitations for two consecutive days, which is an encouraging sign for his recovery. On special teams, Mitch Wishnowsky handled the punting duties and performed well while working on attempts from inside midfield. Mecole Hardman muffed an uncontested punt, adding more pressure to his roster candidacy. Keon Coleman received the first punt-return opportunity and remains Patrick’s current favorite to handle that role in Week 1. The Bills have conducted relatively short and controlled practices through the first three days, emphasizing installation and workload management. Patrick views that positively and believes keeping players healthy should remain the priority, even as the intensity increases when the pads come on. Patrick will attend all four remaining practices at St. John Fisher, along with the Return of the Blue & Red practice and the later open practice at Highmark Stadium. Talking Buffalo will continue delivering firsthand observations throughout camp. Joe Marino of Locked On Bills will join Patrick for a live podcast at Sonny Red’s, located at 1841 Abbott Road, on Tuesday, August 4 at 8:00 p.m. Fans can attend in person or watch live on YouTube, Facebook and X. The Talking Buffalo online merch store is now live! You can purchase t shirts, hoodies, zip ups, crewnecks and polos in a couple of different styles and colors. Visit our online page for pricing and options and while there, check out Buf on Weck for tons of cool gear! Please be sure to subscribe to Talking Buffalo on the audio side, even if you usually watch the show via YouTube. Several of the links to follow Talking Buffalo can be found right here. Also if you’re not yet subscribed to Talking Buffalo on YouTube, please do so and be sure to hit the LIKE button on the videos, it really helps with the algorithm! ♦♦♦♦♦ Follow Patrick Moran/Talking Buffalo Podcast Substack: Patrick Moran’s Substack Twitter: @PatrickMoranTB Blue Sky: @PatrickMoranTB.bsky.social Instagram: @PatrickMoranTB Facebook: Talking Buffalo Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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