Buffalo Plus Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Offensive ISSUES @ BILLS minicamp? DON'T PANIC, Josh Allen's NEW 'tweak' & GABLE STEVESON gets ready
Date: June 13, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

Overview

This episode recaps Day 1 of the Buffalo Bills’ mandatory minicamp, focusing on the offense’s struggles, Josh Allen’s mechanical “tweak,” and the wrestling-legend-turned-football-novice Gable Steveson’s early progress. The Buffalo Plus team puts minicamp difficulties in context, analyzing changes in personnel and scheme, while emphasizing patience and perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Offense Struggles in Minicamp

• The offense had a “rough” and unusually sloppy day, with frequent dropped passes and miscommunication, particularly among the new receivers.
• Both hosts and coaches stress not to overreact given the timing (June) and how much roster/scheme turnover has occurred.
• Notable sequence (03:57):
  • James Cook drop
  • Josh Allen missed Kincaid on a throw
  • Unsuccessful run play
  • Shavers slipped, led to Kair Elam interception
• Defense appeared energetic and “juiced”, while offense looked flat (05:18).

Quotes:

• “Ball touched the ground a lot today.” — Mike Catalana [00:30 & 02:21]
• “It is important to keep this in the context of that it is June because we don't want overreaction.” — Jenna Cottrell [02:28]
• “It's not an overreaction, we're just reacting to what we saw.” — Dan Fetes [04:05]

2. Context for Struggles & Position Battles

• Many new faces, especially in the wide receiver room, and undefined roles increase the challenge at this stage.

• Khalil Shakir left with a minor injury (06:35), heightening the uncertainty at wide receiver.

• Dalton Kincaid described as the offense’s “closest thing to a definite” (07:09).

• Standouts:

  • Chase Claypool continues to impress (07:30)
  • Justin Shorter is enthusiastic but largely unproven; described his skillset as a “big dude, deep threat” [08:35]
  • Keon Coleman had a noteworthy contested catch [09:42]
  • Most roles remain wide open as coaches and players settle in [10:19]

Quotes:

• “I'm a deep threat, honestly, a big dude. I get down there, I can jump up. I'm fast, I'm versatile.” — Justin Shorter [08:35]

3. Josh Allen’s Mechanical “Tweak”

• Allen has been refining his throwing mechanics due to bad habits picked up while compensating for an injury last year (lower, wider motion).
• Uses sports analogies (e.g., golf swing) to describe the process of making small but important adjustments [11:41].
• Not just “changing” but “refining and tweaking” his motion to get back to pre-injury form [12:19].
• Acknowledges the NFL’s use of sensors and biometric data for additional feedback and improvement [13:04].

Quotes:

• “He used the word ‘refining’ what he is doing.” — Jenna Cottrell [12:17]
• “It's those little details that are so important. So he talked about kind of being like a golf swing…You gotta rework things. It might feel a little unnatural at first.” — Jenna Cottrell [11:41]
• “Pain and the way your body reacts to try and hide the injury so you can keep playing through it…then you form bad habits.” — Dan Fetes [12:29]

4. Zach Davidson’s Touchdown Twerk – Comic Relief

• Tight end Zach Davidson caught a touchdown from Mitch Trubisky and celebrated with an “extended twerk,” lighting up a flat practice (16:13).
• Received mixed reactions from teammates, but brought humor to the day.

Quotes:

• “He caught the touchdown pass over the middle…And then he kept dancing and then he was twerking and I was like, it's a damn good twerk.” — Jenna Cottrell [16:33]
• “Not Mac Hollins—he did not like it.” — Dan Fetes [17:04]

5. Matt Milano Returns to Practice

• LB Matt Milano, returning from an 8-month injury, participated in individual drills, providing a morale boost and veteran leadership (17:48).
• Milano and Terrell Bernard lauded for their synergy and as possible cornerstones of the new-look defense [19:22, 20:15].

Quotes:

• “Just seeing 58 back out there with a helmet on, black visor...just good to see him out there.” — Dan Fetes [17:53]
• “...the two best players on the defense may very well be the two linebackers.” — Mike Catalana [20:34]

6. Coach Sean McDermott’s Assessment

• Coach McDermott emphasizes health and experimentation over performance during minicamp. Wants coordinators to build out their “menu” for training camp—trying new concepts and seeing what fits the current personnel (22:23).

Quotes:

• “This is really the time of year to try some of that. And then my ask of the coordinators is that when we break, they've got a pretty good menu built that they believe in...” — Sean McDermott [22:23]

7. Gable Steveson’s NFL Journey Begins

• Olympic gold medal wrestler Gable Steveson is in his first-ever football practices.
• Steveson describes putting on a helmet for the first time and adapting to terminology and technical skills unique to football (25:46).
• Approach is “humble and hungry,” as he applies wrestling discipline to learning a new sport [28:35].

Quotes:

• “I ain't know the helmet was that damn heavy...” — Gable Steveson [26:06]
• “He called it a unicorn chance…” — Dan Fetes [24:54]
• “I respect so much that McDermott hasn't wrestled since high school...he's still, like, so into wrestling.” — Dan Fetes [27:53]
• “To wrestle, you have to have...the discipline and the work ethic...” — Jenna Cottrell [29:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 00:30, 02:21 | “Ball touched the ground a lot today.” | Mike Catalana | | 08:35 | “I'm a deep threat, honestly, a big dude. I get down there, I can jump up. I'm fast, I'm versatile.” | Justin Shorter | | 11:41 | “He even said sometimes he goes, who's that guy? And then he goes, oh, oh, that's me.” | Mike Catalana (recounting Josh Allen) | | 16:33 | “He caught the touchdown pass over the middle…And then he kept dancing and then he was twerking and I was like, it's a damn good twerk.” | Jenna Cottrell | | 17:53 | “Just seeing 58 back out there with a helmet on, black visor...just good to see him out there.” | Dan Fetes | | 22:23 | “...my ask of the coordinators is that when we break or before we break, that they've got a pretty good menu built...” | Sean McDermott | | 26:06 | “I ain't know the helmet was that damn heavy...” | Gable Steveson |

Key Timestamps

• Offensive Struggles Recap: [01:57] – [04:33]
• Wide Receivers and Opportunity: [06:10] – [10:23]
• Josh Allen’s Mechanics Tweaks: [11:00] – [14:44]
• Zach Davidson’s Touchdown & Twerk: [16:00] – [17:20]
• Matt Milano’s Return: [17:48] – [20:34]
• Coach McDermott on Minicamp Goals: [22:23]
• Gable Steveson’s Introduction to Football: [24:54] – [29:40]

Tone and Style

The episode is informal, candid, and full of inside jokes, but grounded in the hosts' deep familiarity with the organization. The hosts offer reassurances to listeners not to panic about June practices, blending good-natured ribbing (particularly during the Zach Davidson twerk segment) with measured assessments of what minicamp performance does and does not signify.

Summary Takeaways

• Don’t panic about offensive struggles; the team is teaching, learning, and slotting in new faces.
• Josh Allen is proactively “refining” mechanics—the mechanical changes are intentional and aimed at long-term improvement.
• The Bills’ wide receiver roles are wide open; none (except possibly Claypool) have stood out, but opportunity abounds.
• Matt Milano’s return is encouraging and may anchor the defense alongside Terrell Bernard.
• Gable Steveson’s crossover journey is just starting; his Olympic pedigree and wrestling discipline are intriguing for the Bills coaching staff.
• Head coach Sean McDermott is prioritizing player health and scheme experimentation in June, not performance outcomes.

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