AFC Notes: Bills, Zach Wilson, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• Bills HC Sean McDermott said OT Tommy Doyle has a foot injury. (Joe Buscaglia)
• McDermott said WR Marquez Stevenson had surgery to repair a foot injury last week. The team is unsure if he’ll be ready to begin the season. (Buscaglia)
• McDermott added DB Jordan Poyer is making progress, but probably won’t be back for next week’s preseason game. (Getzenberg)

Jets

Jets HC Robert Saleh said QB Zach Wilson‘s availability this season will be determined by the outcome on the arthroscopic knee surgery he’s scheduled for.

“We’re optimistic, but he’s not out of the woods until they get in there and make the decision [on how to handle the meniscus],” coach Robert Saleh said, via ESPN.

The team was obviously relieved that Wilson won’t miss the rest of the season, but Saleh did acknowledge that he would be missing out on valuable reps by missing the last two preseason games.

“It’s a setback in that he’s missing an unbelievable opportunity to get the reps in, to play other defenses, especially the Giants, who have such an elaborate pressure-package system,” Saleh said. “He has to get dialed in, just like he did last year when he was hurt. The timing of it all is terrible and it sucks, but I think Zach still has an opportunity to grow from it if he attacks it mentally.”

• Jets DL Quinnen Williams is dealing with an ankle issue, with Saleh saying he will be fine. (Zack Rosenblatt)
• Saleh told reporters that the team will be fine without Wilson for the time being, as they also have QB Mike White, along with Wilson and Joe Flacco: “We feel like we have three starting quarterbacks.” (Rosenblatt)

Patriots

• PFF’s Doug Kyed mentions former Patriots OL coach Carmen Bricillo still had a year left on his contract with New England, but was permitted to leave with Josh McDaniels for the same position with the Raiders to open up a spot on the offensive staff for Matt Patricia. 
• Kyed adds Patriots TE coach Nick Caley, who is the longest-tenured and most experienced offensive coach on the remade staff, has some big fans among people close to the team who believe he should have been named offensive coordinator. 
• New England has looked like it’s been installing a wide zone offense but Kyed says sources told him those are new additions to the playbook they’re focusing on first and the final product will be a blend of wide zone and the system they used last year. 
• Another source added a big goal is to simplify the offense and make it easier for newcomers to learn. 
• Patricia called it a “collaborative” effort between himself and Joe Judge, adding he didn’t feel like it was a competition for the playcalling job. (Karen Guregian)