FanPost

Buffalo Bills training camp report: August 5, 2014

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

My sons and I went to Buffalo Bills training camp on August 5, and this is my breakdown of the evening practice.

I noticed Leodis McKelvin wasn't in pads, nor was Derek Brim. Everyone else was wearing shoulder pads with shorts (no leg padding). Stephon Gilmore, Tony Moeaki, and Scott Chandler all suited up. Aaron Williams took a trip into the locker room at 6:53, but he returned.

They opened with a few players practicing kickoff and punt returns, catching balls from a machine, then taking a short run with it (without blocking or coverage). The group was Marquise Goodwin, T.J. Graham, Nickell Robey, Robert Woods, and a player whose number was hard to read. Looked like Bobby Felder, a backup corner who probably won't be around much longer. Woods appeared to struggle in judging where the ball was going. Graham had a few bobbles.

1-on-1 drills from around the 40 of the defense (I didn't note every play here, just the ones that caught my attention):

  • EJ Manuel throwing. Great catch by Caleb Holley. Pass to Mike Williams for a TD that gets a big response from the crowd. Pass dropped by Chris Summers. Thad Lewis comes in, does nothing of note. Jeff Tuel comes in. Nice pass to the corner of the end zone, but TJ Graham lets it go right through his hands. He had clear separation, too. Tough catch made at sideline by Kevin Elliott against tight coverage. Mike Williams torches Duke Williams for an easy catch and score up the left sideline. Deep throw to Namaan Roosevelt on right side for TD. Underthrow to Chris Hogan. Dennis Dixon comes in and underthrows Graham on a crossing route, who can't even come close on a dive. Terrible pass.

7-on-7 drills with quarterbacks changing on almost every throw:

  • Lewis complete to Williams. Williams is looking like a beast tonight.
  • Manuel incomplete to Goodwin, not a good throw.
  • Manuel incomplete, Nigel Bradham read the play and batted it down.
  • Tuel complete to Tori Gurley on a nice comeback route.
  • Manuel complete to Woods over the middle, despite pass interference on defense (flag thrown).
  • Tuel incomplete over the middle to... well, I couldn't determine a target on this one. This was literally thrown to nobody.
  • Manuel complete to Sammy Watkins on a short slant.
  • Tuel complete to Gurley on a short hitch.

11-on-11 drills with quarterbacks changing every four plays:

  • Manuel hands off to C.J. Spiller for a loss.
  • Manuel sacked by Mario Williams, continues play with shovel pass to Spiller over the middle for short gain.
  • Manuel hands off to Spiller who shoots through small gap for what would be a nice gain.
  • Manuel scrambles.
  • Tuel makes bad pass on screen attempt. I couldn't figure out what this was, but it was a mess.
  • Tuel completes swing pass to Marcus Easley, but it would have gone for a loss (and Easley would have taken a big hit) if full contact was allowed.
  • Tuel completes sideline pass to Chris Summers for medium gain.
  • Tuel hands off to Bryce Brown who runs to sideline for short gain.
  • Manuel incomplete deep down left sideline, pass goes just off Woods' fingertips.
  • Manuel hands to Fred Jackson, stuffed at the line.
  • Manuel hands to Jackson on counter run to the left, looked like nice gain.
  • Manuel forced to step up in pocket, Jajuan Harley (the guy who was working at Wal-Mart a month ago) makes nice play to leap up and deflect it.
  • Lewis hands off to Ronnie Wingo for short run to sideline.
  • Lewis completes play-action pass to Dominique Jones for nice gain up left side.
  • Lewis hands off to Wingo who looks like he would have made a medium-long gain up left side.
  • Lewis incomplete on high pass to Caleb Holley over middle. Holley would have taken two big hits from defenders in full contact. Not a good place to lead a receiver.

Special teams steps in for a while as Brian Moorman and Jake Dombrowski duel. Moorman appears to have better hang time, but Dombrowski gets more distance, including a 60-yard punt and a 56-yarder that is caught right at the sideline at the five. (Next punt goes for a touchback, so a 56-yard punt is a net 36.) Moorman counters with a nice series of punts that go for 46, 49, and 49 yards with enough hang time that no return would be possible. Dombrowski booms punts of 56, 56, and 58, but the first two look like coverage couldn't get there in time, and the third went into the end zone. I'd call this a toss-up, but I think Moorman is winning the battle.

More 7-on-7s, this time working from the red zone, spotted anywhere within the 20:

  • Manuel complete to Lee Smith over the middle for a TD.
  • Manuel scrambles, holds the ball a little too long, but finds Williams for a TD.
  • Manuel completes to Williams for a TD on the right, but Watkins appeared to be wide open on the left. Nothing wrong with the completion, though.
  • Tuel double-pumps, but completes pass to Gurley (who bobbles the catch). Tuel didn't seem very decisive on the play.
  • Tuel completes pass to Gurley on short hitch.
  • Tuel completes to Spiller in the flat.
  • Dixon incomplete, underthrows Graham, who can't even get a chance to show what he can do because he's not getting much to work with.
  • Dixon scrambles, runs left.
  • Manuel completes short pass to Spiller. Throw was a little low, but still catchable.
  • Manuel incomplete to Chandler in right corner of end zone. Overthrow with no chance for Chandler to catch up.
  • Manuel incomplete to Woods, nice play by Felder to break it up.
  • Lewis complete to Gurley on a quick slant, but the throw was a little behind the receiver.
  • Lewis incomplete to Gurley. Pass was forced into coverage and deflected up into the air. Lucky it wasn't intercepted.
  • Lewis incomplete to Brown who dropped the pass. Meanwhile, Chris Gragg was running wide open in the back of the end zone and appeared frustrated after the play.
  • Dixon incomplete to Kevin Elliott in back left corner of end zone as he couldn't come down with the pass and stay in-bounds.
  • Dixon complete to Caleb Holley on a quick slant for a TD.

More 11-on-11s, working in the red zone:

  • Manuel hands off to Spiller for no gain.
  • Manuel incomplete into the end zone. Appeared to be confusion between Woods and Chandler running too close to each other, so it wasn't clear who was the intended target.
  • Manuel hands off to Hogan on a reverse (or maybe just a jet) for big gain around left side.
  • Manuel incomplete to Chandler in the end zone. The throw was a little high, but it went right through Chandler's hands. Catchable ball.
  • Tuel incomplete over middle. Pass tipped, nearly intercepted.
  • Tuel sacked by Jarius Wynn, play ended.
  • Tuel completes swing pass to Anthony Dixon for short gain.
  • Tuel runs nice QB sneak up left side for TD.
  • Manuel sacked almost immediately by multiple players. Looked like both guards whiffed.
  • Manuel goes play-action, immediately sees Manny Lawson standing in front of him for a sack. Looked like Seantrel Henderson whiffed.
  • Manuel scrambles left, finds Smith for TD.
  • Manuel hands off at the three, Wingo can only gain one yard.
  • Lewis hands off to Wingo who runs to the left for a TD. Cyrus Kouandjio gets spun around and knocked down on the play. He looks bad as a run blocker, better in pass protection.
  • Lewis incomplete to Gurley who bobbles the catch and comes down out-of-bounds.
  • Lewis completes TD to Gragg in back middle of end zone.
  • Lewis keeps on read-option from the five, runs to the left, looks like he would have made it to the end zone.

More 11-on-11s, starting from their own end of the field:

  • Manuel keeps on read-option run to the left for short gain.
  • Manuel scrambles up the middle for medium gain.
  • Manuel completes swing pass to Jackson.
  • Manuel hands off to Jackson for medium gain past left side of the O-Line.
  • Tuel completes quick slant to Easley, although the pass was nearly knocked down.
  • Tuel hands off to Anthony Dixon who appears to break one for a medium-to-long gain.
  • Tuel draws multiple players offsides with hard count, but ends up scrambling to the right sideline on what would be a free play.
  • Tuel completes pass to Easley who slips past Mario Butler for a longer gain.
  • Manuel gives read-option run to Brown for short-to-medium gain up the middle.
  • Manuel completes pass to Watkins who slips by Corey Graham for a longer gain.
  • Manuel completes pass to Hogan in the backfield, but play gets blown up by the defense.
  • Manuel completes pass over the middle to Woods for nice gain. Manuel appears to be getting in a rhythm now.
  • Lewis completes long pass to Holley over Kamaal McIlwain.
  • Lewis hands off to Wingo for short gain.
  • Lewis goes play-action, throws incomplete behind Holley.
  • Lewis hands off to Wingo for no gain.
  • Manuel sacked by Hughes, continues for short pass to Jackson. Henderson beaten badly for the sack.
  • Manuel hands to Jackson for short run to the left.
  • Manuel completes short pass to Chandler up the left seam.
  • Manuel incomplete to Chandler over the middle in the end zone. Chandler was double-covered, so this wasn't a good read.
  • Tuel hands off to Wingo for no gain.
  • Tuel incomplete to Easley who dives in the back right corner of the end zone but can't come up with it. Thrown just a hair too far, but still looked catchable.
  • Tuel incomplete, overthrows Elliott in back left corner of the end zone.
  • Tuel goes read-option, hands off to Wingo who runs up the middle for a TD.
  • Manuel sacked by Wynn. This looked like a coverage sack with nobody open.
  • Manuel fakes a reverse to Woods, throws high to Chandler who can only tip the ball with his fingers. Chandler is 6'7", but when he jumps... he's 6'7".
  • Manuel spreads four receivers wide, keeps for a TD run from the five.
  • Manuel completes TD pass to Watkins on quick slant from the two.
  • Dixon incomplete to Gurley in double coverage, but ref throws pass interference flag.
  • Dixon hands off to Dixon (cool, eh?) for short gain to the right.
  • Dixon incomplete, pass swatted down by Randell Johnson.
  • Dixon sacked by (I think) Ike Igbinosun, continues for incompletion.

More 7-on-7s from inside the defense's 10:

  • Manuel complete to Williams for no gain.
  • Manuel goes through his reads, can't find anyone open, scrambles and gets run out at the one.
  • Manuel completes to Williams. Tough throw, tough catch.
  • Manuel incomplete, pass tipped by Brandon Spikes.
  • Tuel complete to Chris Summers on a slant.
  • Tuel incomplete to Dominique Jones on a high throw. Jones wasn't his first target.
  • Tuel incomplete to Gurley, nearly intercepted.
  • Tuel incomplete, but draws pass interference on Graham.

Overall, I thought the quarterbacks did well. I can't recall any throws by Manuel that were in danger of being intercepted, and he had points where he was in a rhythm. Some of Tuel's throws were dangerous, and frequent tips could have been turned into interceptions. Mike Williams really stood out among the receivers tonight, and Hogan continues to get a lot of work. The O-Line is still struggling, and the D-Line was getting far too many sacks. Only Eric Wood and Erik Pears seemed to play well, with Seantrel Henderson, Chris Williams, Kraig Urbik, and Cyrus Kouandjio repeatedly standing out for the wrong reasons.

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.