AFC Notes: Allen Lazard, Tua Tagovailoa, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

Bills rookie TE Dalton Kincaid is becoming one of QB Josh Allen‘s favorite targets.

“I haven’t really seen the play yet, but I’m sure there was guys downfield, blocking their tails off,” Allen said, via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. “Dalton Kincaid was probably down there. He seems to find himself around the ball all the time and that’s why we love him.”

Bills HC Sean McDermott is in agreement, adding that Kincaid has emerged as a security blanket for Allen.

“It’s what I’m used to when you see a tight end,” McDermott said. “What I came up around in Philadelphia, what I came up around in Carolina with respect to Greg Olsen in Carolina, and then Chad Lewis or the other tight ends we used in Philadelphia with Donovan [McNabb] there. … For a young player like Dalton to come in and develop this rapport now that you’re seeing with Josh, it’s really good, I know, for the quarterback in terms … when you have that security blanket over the middle of the defense, it’s nice to have.”

Bills TE Dawson Knox added that he’s helping Kincaid with the mental aspect of the game while he remains out.

“I know as a rookie it’s easy to have the high highs and the low lows, so just keeping everybody level, keeping everybody just controlling what they can,” Knox said. “Also, if I see something in the defense and maybe [Kincaid] doesn’t, maybe bringing something to his attention, but he’s so smart already he’ll have most of it handled himself.”

McDermott added that he’s impressed with Kincaid’s growth and said he’s mature beyond his years for a rookie.

“Mature beyond his years,” McDermott said. “And Dawson has really had, I think, a profound impact on Dalton by sharing his wisdom, his experience. He’s supported Dalton. And then obviously [tight ends] coach [Rob] Boras has done a nice job as well there in terms of bringing Dalton along. So, I just think Dalton is a young man that takes his job, extremely professional in a professional manner, I should say. And he prepares and then you see the results on the field.”

• McDermott announced they’ve ruled out CB Dane Jackson (neck) and S Taylor Rapp (neck) from Week 12, via Joe Buscaglia. 
• McDermott said they are “hopeful but not certain” about Knox (wrist) returning after their Week 13 bye. (Buscaglia)

Dolphins

On Friday, cameras showed a chunk of QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s arm missing after taking a hit from a Jets’ defender. 

“I didn’t notice it happen until I came to the sideline,” Tagovailoa said, via Pro Football Talk. “That’s probably due to adrenaline. But, getting to the sideline and one of the guys came up to me and said, ‘Dude, you’ve got a big gash on your arm.’ So we got Kyle [Johnston] to try to get it cleaned up and then patch it up so we could go back in . . . . But, it’s what comes with the game. Everyone comes out of the game with nicks and bruises.”

Jets

During the offseason, the Jets signed WR Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract. However, Lazard hasn’t lived up to his deal and was a healthy scratch on Friday. 

“Obviously, my decision,” Saleh said of the decision to make Lazard inactive. “There are things that we all need to get better at, including him. He is going to be here for the next year-and-a-half. He’s going to be a part of this. Just wanted to make sure that one, I wanted to get some of the young guys an opportunity to play; and two, it’s kind of a challenge to see if he can recapture the edge and who he is and the person that we have a lot of faith in. He’s a good football player. I do believe that. For Allen, he will be back sooner rather than later.”

Salah was also asked whether Lazard may have lost his edge. 

“Edge is probably the wrong word,” Saleh said. “I’m sorry. I’ll speak for him. He hasn’t been playing up to his standard. Everyone is pressing on that side of the ball to make something happen. There are parts of his game that need to get better.”