AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes the Bills have viewed S Jaquan Johnson as a starting-caliber player for some time and he confirmed that with his performance in Week 4, highlighted by an interception. 
• Buscaglia writes that it’s not a good sign for Bills OL Cody Ford‘s future that he was benched. Buffalo moved right tackle Daryl Williams inside to right guard, started Ike Boettger in place of Jon Feliciano at left guard instead of Ford and inserted third-round OT Spencer Brown into the lineup at right tackle. 

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Brian Flores said the team isn’t currently playing in sync across the board. 

“We played bad across the board,” Flores said, via Greg Cote. “Offense, defense, kicking game, penalties, turnovers — across the board. There’s a lot of things that are not connecting. Lack of focus. Lack of concentration. Lack of attention to details…”

• Flores added he isn’t going to change the offensive play-calling system. Miami has co-offensive coordinators with George Godsey and Eric Studesville and QB coach Charlie Frye is also apparently involved: “I like our process. We have had some good plans going in. We just haven’t been able to execute. The collaboration.” (Joe Schad)
• Flores mentioned he is looking at all possibilities to improve the team, including potentially moving OT Austin Jackson off left tackle. (Barry Jackson)
• Flores emphasized the team has an execution problem: “We’re undisciplined.. the coaching points are the same, the emphasis is the same. The execution is not.” (Jackson)
• Flores declined to comment on the report that QB Tua Tagovailoa will return October 17 against the Jaguars, the week after next: “He’s starting to throw a little bit.” (Jackson)

Jets

Jets HC Robert Saleh said QB Zach Wilson did a better job at taking what the defense gave him on Sunday in New York’s first win of the season.

“For Zach, it’s just letting the game come to him,” Saleh said, via NFL.com. “He didn’t make any mistakes. The interception was unfortunate, but he made the right reads. He put the ball where it needed to be. He was aggressive when he needed to be. Believe it or not, he was boring when he needed to be. Just thought he did a really, really nice job playing this game.”

Wilson added he thought he should’ve ended the game before overtime.

“I’ve got to take advantage of my opportunity to end that game,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to go into this week and learn from that. I thought we had a lot of awesome plays, but it really comes down to that crunch time. The NFL’s hard. We’ve got to win that. I’m excited but at the same time I’m beating myself up.”

• Saleh expects Jets second-round WR Elijah Moore to return from concussion protocol this week. (Connor Hughes)

Patriots

Tom Brady faced off against Bill Belichick and of course all the cameras were at midfield to capture the moment the two football legends came together after the game for the first time since their split. It was brief. But the Buccaneers quarterback and the Patriots head coach had a longer, more private meeting later that lasted about 15 minutes. Brady wanted to keep it private but he did say the characterizations of their split last year as acrimonious are inaccurate. 

“It was a very personal, private thing,” Brady said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “We’ve always had that type of relationship where we can say things to each other. You know, whoever characterizes our relationship is completely wrong. People want to focus on so much stuff that’s so unimportant. You know? We were together for 20-plus years and we were so productive and successful and I learned so much from him. Loved my experience here, loved my relationship with him.”