TE Dawson Knox play choice

Week 8, Bills at Seahawks: 13:58 | First quarter | First-and-10 | BUF 10 | 0-0

Play result: Allen to Knox for 23-yard gain

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“The play we opened with was one that I wanted to advocate for, which was a 100% Joe Brady’s scheme,” TE Dawson Knox said. “He wanted it called the first play. Josh did a great job alerting it, but I wanted it called because I thought it was a great look, great scheme by [Brady] and thankful we got the call.”

Knox said that when he’s deciding to advocate for a certain play, he looks for: if it worked in practice; if he thinks they’ll get the right look from the defense and; if it features the tight ends.

This was the first offensive play called for the Bills against the Seahawks in Week 8.

McGovern said that as soon as Allen sits down in the weekly meeting, he says, “‘Alright, Connor, Dave [left guard David Edwards], I know you want goalie to start with.'” The play is a mid-zone to the left. McGovern also said that Brady approached him on the plane to Seattle to ask about what he wanted to see run, but before he could even answer, the coordinator already knew.

“It’s a good way to see the defense, how they’re going to be playing it, and then if we could get that going, then that gets the play-action game going,” McGovern said. “So, earlier we get that started, other things get opened up.”

They did run it early in Seattle, and McGovern said it went perfectly in the midst of what ended up as a 14-play opening scoring drive.

QB Josh Allen play choice

Week 8, Bills at Seahawks: 1:08 | Second quarter | Third-and-3 | SEA 36 | 7-3 Buffalo lead

Play result: Allen rush for nine yards. Drive result was a touchdown pass to TE Dalton Kincaid.

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— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) November 12, 2024

“Third down, third and short. There was a timeout. Go over to the sideline. I told them a play that I wanted, and he called it, and it worked out, and it’s fulfilling for me that it worked. But for [Brady], too, it’s like ‘All right, I trust this guy in what he’s seeing.’ And to have a healthy relationship like that with your OC and he trusts you like that, it’s a dang good feeling.”

In some cases, Allen will communicate on the sideline plays that he thinks are good to run during the game. Sometimes that happens during timeouts with quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry often a go-between on the sideline, while Brady is in the booth.

“There’s a lot of times as I’m communicating down to [Curry], … ‘Josh, any thoughts from Josh,’ or ‘Hey, what’s he thinking?”’ Brady said. “And there might be a timeout, and he goes to the sideline, and he tells RC, ‘Hey, give me this. Hey, bring this up to Joe.'”

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— Good Clips (@MeshSitWheel) November 13, 2024

Cook scored three touchdowns in the team’s first win over Miami this season.

“The play is going to me first, and then how, the way the line was blocking it,” Cook said on why he pointed out this play.

After Allen handed the ball off to Cook, he navigated a tight opening between McGovern and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence before finding space and then exploding to the sideline and ultimately down the field before a flip into the end zone.

The third-year running back has gotten off to a career-best start as a rusher including a personal high of nine touchdowns for the season. He values the ability to offer input.

Players like wide receiver Khalil Shakir and Davis expressed that while they appreciate the open communication with Brady, expressing a desire for a certain play to be called isn’t necessarily in their wheelhouse.

“I believe in whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen,” Shakir said. “Whatever play that I may want to get called, if it’s meant to be called, it’s going to get called. I’m a go with the flow type of guy.”

Meanwhile, Cook described Brady’s openness to calling plays the players want as “the greatest thing ever.”

Lions coach Dan Campbell described the injury as a sprained AC joint. LaPorta suffered it during the second half of last weekend’s 26-23 road win against the Houston Texans and was considered day-to-day.

“We don’t feel like this is something like, ‘Oh, man, this going to be a long, nagging injury.’ I think we’ll get through it,” Campbell said Monday.

LaPorta has the Lions’ third-most receiving yards (366) to go with 25 receptions and three touchdowns in his second NFL season. He has 111 career receptions with an opportunity to surpass Keith Jackson (144) for the most by a tight end in his first two seasons.