1 - LeSean McCoy on what he told Josh Allen before Week 3
The Bills picked up their first win of the 2018 season in Week 3, a 27-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Led by rookie quarterback Josh Allen, Buffalo's offense exploded in the first half, putting up all 27 of their points in the first two quarters. The Bills put up their highest point total of the season without six-time 1,000-yard rusher LeSean McCoy, who missed the game with a rib injury.
McCoy, a team captain, talked to Allen before the start of the game, providing the rookie quarterback with a bit of extra motivation ahead of his first road start.
"I told him before the game, 'Josh this is the first time you've played in Minnesota Vikings stadium,'" McCoy said. "'There are so many fans out there who may have heard of you, but don't know you. So when you leave this game today, have them fans saying, 'Wow, that 17 can play.' So each game have that same attitude, where someone who hasn't seen you play, you want to leave a great impression on their mind, like, 'Hey, that kid can get after it.' So I can say this. Each game he takes that approach he gains more confidence and gains more experience."
2 - Josh Allen talks challenges that come with raucous crowds
Allen and company silenced the notoriously raucous Minnesota crowd early in Week 3, putting up 17 points in the first quarter. The 22-year-old knows that he and his teammates will play in front of yet another passionate fanbase in Week 4 when Buffalo takes on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Allen talked about the challenges that come with playing in front of an energetic crowd, stating that it presents issues for both teams.
"The verbal communication that we have is very limited," Allen said. "I can't look out to a receiver, yell at him and tell him what I want. It's got to be a hand signal, or this and that. On the other side, it's hard for them, too. On film, when they're at home, they show some hand signals. That's prevalent with any team that has a loud home stadium, they have to deal with the loud aspect too. It's things that both teams pick up on each other. It's going to be a feeling out process early in Green Bay."
"We play in a business where it’s all about results. I definitely want to get after the quarterback a lot more, force more turnovers, help my team.” Defensive end Jerry Hughes
3 - Micah Hyde thinks Aaron Rodgers 'can do it all'
While the crowd will likely pose a challenge to the Bills on Sunday, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely the team's primary concern. One of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game of football, Rodgers has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 832 yards and six touchdowns through the first three games of the 2018 season. If this stat line wasn't impressive enough on its own, consider that Rodgers has been playing with a knee injury that he acquired in Week 1.
Buffalo safety Micah Hyde is familiar with Rodgers from his time in Green Bay. The defensive back thinks that an injured Rodgers is still an incredibly dangerous player.
"I'll take Aaron Rodgers hobbling over most of the quarterbacks in the league," Hyde said. "He still has the intelligence, still has the arm. He's going to get it done regardless. We know he's going to play his A-game. We know what type of quarterback he is. We just have to prepare accordingly.
"I just know what type of quarterback he is. He can do it all. He can run, he can throw. Like I said, his intelligence, the way he moves safeties with his eyes. He does it all. We've really got to play our A-game against him and not give up big plays, that's obvious in every game, but especially with this team because once they get going, they're hard to stop."
4 - Lorenzo Alexander won't underestimate an injured Rodgers
Hyde isn't the only Buffalo player who has a history with Rodgers. Bills' linebacker Lorenzo Alexander played with the quarterback in college, as they both attended the University of California at Berkeley. Alexander has watched Rodgers grow over the years, and he knows that Buffalo's defense cannot underestimate him given his health status.
"Obviously he's a Cal Bear, so he's one of the greatest quarterbacks ever," Alexander said. "That's where I went if you guys didn't know. He's great. Very smart, intelligent. Can make all the throws from any angles. Unorthodox throws that you wouldn't typically see a quarterback make and he makes them. Obviously he's been with his group and coordinators for a long time, so they have a great feel for each other, especially when he starts to scramble and gets out of the pocket. Obviously with his knee injury he's been a little bit hampered, but we're going in with the mind frame that he's healthy, because when you start looking at guys like that, guys like Aaron tend to sometimes rise above maybe an injury and play above just because they're so locked in and focused."
5 - Jerry Hughes eager to improve after big Week 3 outing
Getting pressure on Rodgers is something that Buffalo's defensive front will look to do on Sunday. Getting pressure is something that defensive end Jerry Hughes is extremely familiar with.
In the Bills' Week 3 win over the Vikings, Hughes took Kirk Cousins down once and totaled ten pressures. Despite his stellar outing, Hughes knows he has room to improve.
"I didn't get any sacks," Hughes said. "Only got one sack, really. One forced fumble. No, that's not even close to what I can really do.
"I think everybody [holds themselves to a high standard]. I mean, pressures are cool, but, you know, those are just attempts. We play in a business where it's all about results. I definitely want to get after the quarterback a lot more, force more turnovers, help my team."
6 - Trent Murphy thinks carrying momentum starts in practice
Buffalo's season has taken a drastic turn over the course of the past six quarters.
After a blowout Week 1 loss to the Ravens and a rough first half against the Chargers, the Bills seemingly found new life on both sides of the ball, scoring 14 second half points against the Chargers and limiting them to just 45 offensive yards. Buffalo carried this momentum into Week 3, dominating a Vikings team that many analysts have dubbed a Super Bowl favorite.
Defensive end Trent Murphy thinks that the Bills will again carry their momentum into Week 4.
"It starts in practice," Murphy said. "We have to just work every day, take everything seriously, don't take anything for granted. Know that the Packers aren't going to, you know, they're not going to not show up on Sunday, they're not [not] practicing hard. We have to outwork them every day, and then we have to show up and outwork them on Sunday."
