Bills ‘fortunate’ to have Sanders
Quarterback Allen has mutual appreciation for the veteran receiver
From the time free-agent Emmanuel Sanders first arrived, he was a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills.
After all, they had what he was seeking, which was the kind of talent already in place to help him get back to the Super Bowl. And he provided what they needed too: a veteran receiver who could fill the void left by the departure of John Brown.
The arranged marriage involved a one-year, $5.9-million (U.S.) deal followed by a honeymoon that’s still in progress.
Sanders, 34, is averaging a career-high 17.2 yards on 24 receptions. He’s also on pace to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time since 2016.
All those statistics are merely byproducts of his ability to fit almost instantaneously.
“Other than energy and juice, he brings knowledge,” quarterback Josh Allen said.
“He’s played in the league for a long time, he’s a savvy vet, he knows his job, he studies hard, he runs his routes as hard as he can, practice included. Just a guy that I got a lot of trust in and, you know, he shows the younger guys how to do it and he’s a great role model. He’s a great dude and I love having him around.”
When Allen is not throwing Sanders the football, he’s talking smack to him.
“We give each other a lot of crap throughout the day,” the quarterback joked.
“I think he’s the oldest guy on the team and I let him know it every day I can, so he’s been awesome to be around and I’m super, super glad we were fortunate enough to grab him.”
Sanders praised Allen for being able to match his production with his ability.
“For me, 17 is special,” Sanders said after this month’s 38-20 win at Kansas City.
“Special. I know everybody was kind of, ‘Hey, what did you do.’ But really I just got open, and the balls he’s delivering on the run, it’s just ridiculous what he’s doing out there. When he shuffled over a defender, he showed a whole other level.”
More than anything, Sanders embraces the process of a week-to-week approach and getting ready for each opponent. They’re on a bye week after losing 34-31 to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
“That’s the challenge, right? We beat the Chiefs on the road (on Oct. 10) and then we have a bye week coming up,” Sanders said.
“And so that’s a narrative that everybody has to stay focused on ...
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to think about just where we want to be at the end of the season. So stay locked in and stay focused.”
In just six weeks, Sanders already has checked off all the boxes as the Bills chase their first NFL title.