BUFFALO, N.Y. — Payments kicker Tyler Bass sat on the bench along with his helmet strapped on after a missed 44-yard discipline objective. Because the clock ticked down — following a failed 6 minutes and 40 seconds drive full of squandered alternatives — the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs continued to maneuver the ball. Bass put his helmet in his palms.
Finally, the timeouts performed out and the Chiefs’ sideline celebrated as followers within the stands at Highmark Stadium threw snowballs towards the bench full of crimson jerseys.
The Payments 2023 season led to a 27-24 loss to the Chiefs within the divisional spherical once more.
The situation was completely different — the Payments traveled to Kansas Metropolis for the playoffs twice in recent times — however the final result was the identical previous story.
As Bass walked off the sector, quarterback Josh Allen observed the kicker behind him and slowed to supply a hand and an embrace, a gesture symbolic of the long run.
The crew that left the sector that day will look completely different when the Payments stroll down that very same tunnel to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 on Sept. 8.
The Payments head into the 2024 season after an offseason of change and preparation for the long run. The duty is to remain as aggressive as potential and reap the benefits of the play of Allen, who enters his seventh 12 months. Buffalo will depend on its franchise quarterback to proceed to develop as a pacesetter and new and youthful gamers to tackle vital roles on and off the sector in an try to win a fifth straight division title and construct a crew to succeed in its objective.
MARCH 6 MARKED a day of change for the Payments.
In the future forward of NFL free company, the crew started shifting on from longtime gamers within the franchise — releasing cornerback Tre’Davious White, security Jordan Poyer and middle Mitch Morse — along with different contributors.
Lower than every week later, extensive receiver Gabe Davis agreed to phrases with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On April 3, the Payments traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.
As soon as the mud settled, the Payments have been left with two of eight crew captains from the earlier season — Allen and Von Miller. (Former captain and security Micah Hyde continues to ponder retirement and has mentioned that he’ll solely return to play for the Payments.)
The adjustments marked a departure for coach Sean McDermott and common supervisor Brandon Beane — a lot of the departed gamers had vital roles in all or lots of McDermott and Beane’s seven years with the Payments.
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Every choice has been a mix of monetary, efficiency and/or age. For the choice on Diggs, who’s 30, the three-time captain’s efficiency in 4 years in Buffalo broke numerous information, however the appropriate commerce got here along with future cap area and draft capital in thoughts given the stage of Diggs’ profession.
There’s additionally a want of discovering new methods of doing issues, and as Beane mentioned in January. A part of the job within the offseason was to “be truthful, be actual” and discover methods to attain greatness, he mentioned.
“Change isn’t at all times dangerous. Change might be laborious whenever you’ve had the soundness we have had at a few of the positions,” Beane mentioned in April. “Loads of these guys have been captains, so, is that uneasy? Yeah, it’s, however generally your crew has to evolve.”
TIGHT END DAWSON KNOX is certainly one of a number of remaining gamers who has been with the Payments since he was drafted in 2019. He mentioned that being on this 12 months’s crew is probably the most enjoyable that he is had enjoying soccer. Whether or not that is attributable to his comfortability in his profession, the power within the locker room — “completely different personalities coming from completely different groups” — or some mixture, it is allowed him to have the ability to “fly round” and “not [be] afraid to make errors.”
The 2024 Payments characteristic adjustments past the gamers. There are two new full-time coordinators in Joe Brady and Bobby Babich, each of whom have been praised by gamers for his or her power. That prolonged to different areas as nicely, such because the crew’s energy and conditioning, medical and sports activities science staffs methods to enhance, as McDermott famous this spring.
Questions stay on how new middle Connor McGovern and the extensive receiver room with just one returner — Khalil Shakir — will carry out, in addition to unknowns surrounding the security place.
In actuality, the quantity of change was comparatively regular for an NFL crew, per Elias Sports activities Bureau, though the stature of the gamers was vital. As of Aug. 28, the Payments had 24 gamers who weren’t on the crew’s Week 1 roster final 12 months, tied for twelfth most within the league on the time. Whereas the Payments did transfer on from some veteran gamers, the typical age of the present roster — 26.8 years — is barely barely beneath final 12 months’s (27.1), per Elias.
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“You by no means change folks like [Diggs], gamers like that. No two gamers or persons are the identical,” McDermott mentioned. “… It is a possibility for folks to tackle new roles, to stretch themselves somewhat bit. To carry folks accountable for someone else. I believe a giant piece of that is, you do not simply rent leaders or usher in leaders. You are growing leaders the entire time.”
Allen has taken a step ahead in that respect. Final 12 months, Allen started main players-only conferences, and that is ramped up this 12 months, per Knox.
“He is caught his head within the tight finish room a pair instances, ‘What do y’all see right here?’ … after which additionally, he is getting quite a lot of additional work into apply too,” Knox mentioned. “Looks like he is simply dialed in as quickly as he steps on the market to the second he comes off after everybody else has left.”
Shakir described him to ESPN as “in all probability probably the greatest leaders I’ve ever been round simply due to the truth that [if] Josh was like, ‘Hey, seize your protect and your sword and let’s go to struggle,’ I am no questions. I am gonna seize it and go.”
It is greater than the “ratcheted up” chief in Allen, as McDermott described earlier than camp. Voices are rising like center linebacker Terrel Bernard, nickel nook Taron Johnson and left sort out Dion Dawkins, who has been in that function earlier than.
Bernard famous Hyde — who Beane mentioned the crew has not closed the door on returning — as somebody he regarded to his first couple years and tried to emulate.
“All people has to step their sport up, and particularly those which were right here for some time now, in order that’s a recognized level,” Bernard mentioned. “I believe it is at the back of all of our minds.”
LAST YEAR, BEFORE historical past repeated itself, the Payments went on an surprising run — going from 6-6 to successful the division regardless of a 4% likelihood of that taking place, per ESPN Analytics, after Week 13.
Discovering time to get in a groove could also be required for the Payments this 12 months, with a wide range of new gamers lacking most of coaching camp attributable to damage.
“We really feel assured within the group we’ve. We’d have in all probability beloved to possibly play somewhat bit extra of the offense, however circumstances dictated issues to be somewhat completely different.” Beane mentioned. “… Are we going to be a completed product subsequent week? No. However hopefully we will hit the bottom quick and have a great begin and proceed to get higher.
“Very assured in our coaches and the gamers we’ve on the 53, prepared to maneuver ahead.”
