AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills QB Josh Allen has been as good as just about any other quarterback in the league to start the 2020 season. So it was terrifying for Bills fans to see Allen exit the game and head to the locker room early at the end of the first half after falling hard on his left shoulder. Allen was able to return to finish out the second half and downplayed the injury after the game. 

“It’s good,” Allen said via Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “I just landed it on it a little funky, but it’s just the left shoulder, it’s not the right one, thank God. It’ll be all right, it’s no big deal, I played through the pain and we’ll get some treatment on it this week, but it shouldn’t inhibit anything.”

• The Bills sent two scouts to watch North Dakota State against Central Arkansas. NDSU has two potential high draft picks in QB Trey Lance and OT Dillon Radunz. 20 teams in total were present. (Pete Thamel)
• Bills CB Levi Wallace sprained his ankle in Week 4 but it’s not believed to be a long-term issue. (Jeremy Fowler)
• Bills LB Matt Milano (pec) is week-to-week with his injury, while G Brian Winters is day-to-day per McDermott. (Chris Brown)
• Bills HC Sean McDermott said the plan is to leave OL Cody Ford at guard for now: “At the end of the day, you can hurt yourself if you move a guy around too much. He’s playing at guard, and that’s where we plan to keep him at this point.” (Joe Buscaglia)

Dolphins

Dolphins veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is clear-eyed about his status this season. The team went with him as the starter due to his experience in the hopes of competing this season. But Miami fell to the 1-3 on the season after a loss to the Seahawks, which means bringing in first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa as the starter is firmly on the table. Fitzpatrick has been impressed with the rookie so far and understands that part of his job is to help Tagovailoa succeed whenever he takes the field. 

“He’s a very interesting guy.” Fitzpatrick said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “He asks a lot of good questions, good football questions when we’re in the meeting room or even on the sideline during a game. You can tell that he’s very smart in that regard. Football-smart. I think he’s probably a little bit of an older soul, just in terms in some of the stuff that he’s into and some of the discussions we can have. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know him. He’s got a lively personality that makes everybody smile around the building.

“I know my job security really for me is a week-to-week proposition and I’ve got to go out there and prove it every single week. With Tua, just being able to slow down sometimes, to be able to take the extra minute to explain something—my thought process or to sit on the bench during a game and instruct and talk and answer questions—that stuff is maybe a little bit different than how it would go normally. But I know what my role is. I know that I’m keeping the seat warm for him. I know the talent that he has and I’m excited whenever he gets his opportunity. I feel like I’m going to play a big part in that.”

• Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes the Dolphins have been holding Tagovailoa out in part because they don’t believe he’s quite ready yet to take over as the starter and has more to learn. 
• Dolphins HC Brian Flores said on Monday that he presumes Fitzpatrick will remain the starter when the coaching staff finalizes its decision this week: “I understand where everybody is coming with Tua but he’s a young player coming off injury.” (Joe Schad)
• Flores said Tagovailoa has been cleared medically but he still wants to be cautious with the rookie: “If it was my kid and he had a serious injury like that, I wouldn’t want his coach to be in a rush to put him in there because of media pressure… No one is going to pressure me into doing anything.” (Cameron Wolfe)

Jets

• Per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Jets DL Quinnen Williams had the felony weapons charges against him dismissed stemming from an incident at the airport in March. 
• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says the Jets are hoping QB Sam Darnold‘s sprained AC joint improves enough to be able to throw in practice on Wednesday. They will wait until then to make a determination about his availability but if he can’t throw it doesn’t look good for Week 5. 
• Darnold said he feels good and has improved every day, so he didn’t rule out practicing on Wednesday. (Connor Hughes)

Patriots

• Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday Patriots QB Cam Newton is currently asymptomatic which leaves the door open for him to potentially return for Week 5’s game against the Broncos if he tests negative two days in a row by the end of the week. 
• The Patriots expect RB Sony Michel (quad) to be able to return from injured reserve after the minimum three weeks. (Ian Rapoport)