4 observations: Several players take hits, Kincaid shines on the last day of Bills camp

PITTSFORD, NY (WIVB) – There was no shortage of flashy moments on the final day of the Buffalo Bills’ training camp at St. John Fisher University.

Between heated moments, some injuries and a strong showing from rookie Dalton Kincaid, here are four observations from last practice at training camp on Thursday:

Crazy bills

Several players had to be sent to the sidelines with injuries during training. Linebacker Terrel Bernard left practice with a hamstring injury, went to the medical tent and didn’t return. The sophomore is battling Tyrel Dodson for the starting middle linebacker job, and if he doesn’t miss significant time in the preseason, it would be a loss of opportunity. Also, late in the day, Stefon Diggs got on his knees on the sidelines and was watched by coaches. The star wideout didn’t return to practice but was in good spirits afterward, so it doesn’t appear to be a long-term problem. Pass rusher Leonard Floyd also left the field with coaches but returned to action. Good injury news is that Ed Oliver has returned to training after a few days with back pain. The 11-on-11 game saw a scuffle between Tommy Doyle and Shane Ray, who were pinned to the ground after a play. Both sidelines were able to clear up, but in the end cooler heads triumphed.

Dalton Kincaid finishes camp strong

It’s not often that a first-round draft pick in training camp exceeds expectations, but Kincaid seemed to be making big strides every day–and it continued on Thursday. The new tight end grabbed two more touchdowns from Josh Allen during 11-on-11 practice. First, Allen hit the rookie on the sidelines before turning up the field and hurtling into the end zone. On the second connection, Allen’s pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage, but Kincaid showed good focus and pulled him down for a touchdown. Overall, the training camp couldn’t have gone much better for the 23-year-old.

Allen, Diggs is out for Saturday’s pre-season game

Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs will not play in the pre-season opener against the Colts this Saturday. However, head coach Sean McDermott said most starters will play in the game and that Allen will be called up at some point in the pre-season. Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley are expected to be the quarterback representatives. Kyle is listed as QB2 on the Bills’ depth chart, but the 27-year-old has found himself in a difficult position learning a new playbook. Saturday offers him a good opportunity to smooth out some wrinkles. Another piece of quarterback news is that the Colts will start their first-round rookie Anthony Richardson under center against the Bills.

Position battles are still in full swing

The Bills came into camp on July 26th with three spots up for grabs and left camp with three spots up for grabs. The Bills used a center linebacker, second cornerback, and right guard rotation throughout camp. McDermott said he hoped a player would take control of the jobs, but that never happened. Now the players have the chance to secure a starting place in the pre-season games.