AFC Notes: Bills, Zach Wilson, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills DE Von Miller said that he feels like when he is out on the field playing defense, he actually has the mindset on offense treating a sack as a touchdown.

“I honestly feel like I’m on offense,” Miller told Katherine Fitzgerald. “I feel like I’m on offense whenever I’m rushing, and the offensive lineman is on defense. He’s trying to stop me from getting to the quarterback. The quarterback is my touchdown.”

“There are all different ways that I can get there,” Miller added. “And he’s trying to stop me. I’m not trying to stop him, even though I’m on defense. And I’m just trying to do whatever it takes — spin, dip, rip, bullrush, shock and shed, power — whatever it takes to get there. . . . I’m attacking every single play. Even though I’m on defense, I’m not in a defensive mindset or a defensive position. I’m not sitting back waiting and reacting to them. They’re sitting back waiting and reacting to me. They can stop me — out of 60 plays, they can stop me 55 times. And those five [other] plays, I could get sacks on all five of those plays, and it could be one of my best games. . . . I got all game to get to the quarterback. And they got all game to stop me. And if I get there, I win.”

• Bills WR Stefon Diggs is looking forward to playing in OC Ken Dorsey‘s offense: “Oh, it’s been so rough. I don’t know. I don’t know how this is gonna go. I’m kidding. It’s been great. Coach Dorsey is a great coach, I can tell. I look forward to this year & making him look like a great coach as well.” (Katherine Fitzgerald)
• Dorsey on WR Isaiah McKenzie: “He just wants an opportunity, and he’s really waited and been a great teammate. And now he’s in a position where his role can expand, and he’s excited about that opportunity…as a coach you want guys who are hungry.” (Sal Capaccio)
• Dorsey on the role of second-round RB James Cook: “To be honest, that’s going to be something that just unfolds naturally over the course of a game.” (Joe Buscaglia)
• Bills DC Leslier Frazier plans to mix things up on game day with first-round CB Kaiir Elam and sixth-round CB Christian Benford. (Alaina Getzenberg)

Jets 

When he was a rookie, ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman struggled mightily. So he can relate to Jets QB Zach Wilson coming off of a horrendous rookie year. Things obviously worked out for Aikman, the issue is he’s the exception to the rule. Wilson entered 2022 already needing to dig himself out of a hole and his early injury hasn’t helped. 

“We don’t give these guys much of a grace period anymore,” Aikman said via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I don’t know that that’s necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. I think expectations have changed so much because of some of the success we’ve seen from some of these rookie quarterbacks, not only in the last few years. It goes back to a guy like Ben Roethlisberger and what he was able to do.”

• The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt points out the Jets’ restructure of LB C.J. Mosley will leave him with a cap hit of $5.59 million in 2022 but a $21.47 million cap hit in 2023 and 2024.
• If the Jets cut Mosley in 2023, Rosenblatt writes they’re now scheduled to see just $6.5 million in savings compared to a $14.9 million dead money charge. If they cut Mosley in 2024, it’s $11.05 million in savings and $10.42 million in dead money. 
• Jets HC Robert Saleh told reporters Wilson is still dealing with a bone bruise and the meniscus tear, but will have a chance to start on Sunday, with the team planning to announce the Week 1 starter on Wednesday. (Ian Rapoport)
• Saleh said they won’t factor any potential rust into their decision to start or sit Wilson: “You just have to rip the band-aid off.” (Andy Vasquez)
• Saleh said the team also put CB D.J. Reed, who has been dealing with a knee injury, through a workout and will have more information about him on Wednesday. (Rosenblatt)

Patriots

• Patriots HC Bill Belichick alluded to RB Rhamondre Stevenson possibly playing a larger role in the passing game: “It’s something that he now has shown that he can do. Or it might even become a strength…His attention to the details of his route running have certainly shown up in practice, and hopefully they’ll show up in the games now.” (Zack Cox)
• Patriots WR coach Troy Brown said WR Kendrick Bourne had “not done anything wrong or bad” to cause him to lose his standing with the team. (Karen Guregian)