Bills Central

Animated Stefon Diggs shows what Bills 'don't miss' in Texans debut

The Buffalo Bills traded WR Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, who got to experience one of his patented sideline demonstrations.

Ralph Ventre

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium.
Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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It's hard to not immediately wonder if this type of display is what Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen doesn't miss?

In the first preseason game with his new team, Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs was seen demonstratively speaking to second-year quarterback CJ Stroud on the sideline midway through the first quarter. The Texans' first-team offense had totaled six plays, including a three-and-out followed by a third-down touchdown pass to Tank Dell on a possession that started at the opponent's 36-yard line.

Although it didn't exude vibes of a disagreement, Diggs, who was not targeted on any of the six snaps, was animated during the discussion with Stroud.

"Miss is a, I don't know if I'd say miss," said Allen when asked if he "missed" Diggs at any point in training camp. "He was a guy that was reliable, you can look to. He's gonna have the juice each and every day. I'm sure he's bringing it over there in Houston. You can't say that you don't miss that, but I am very happy with what we've got going on here and how hard the guys have been working."

He didn't come out and say it, but it's reasonable to believe that Allen does not miss the demonstrative sideline behavior that sometimes took the form of outbursts. Whether or not he intended to, Diggs succeeded at showing up his quarterback on multiple occasions none more notable than the fourth-quarter meltdown in the 2022 AFC divisional round loss to Cincinnati.

Then, there's the lasting image that will always overshadow his amazingly-productive tenure as a Bill. After letting Allen's fourth-quarter dime slip through his hands in a three-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Diggs made an awkward "this close" gesture while walking back toward the line of scrimmage.

There were simply too many times when Diggs attracted attention to the situation as a result of his animated actions. Sure, a receiver and quarterback need to have conversations, but the whole world doesn't need to know when those conversations are happening. Put simply, Diggs should have had private interactions with Allen as opposed to demonstrative displays for the TV cameras to capture.

It also shouldn't be ignored that multiple Bills players and coaches have spoken about the unselfishness that runs throughout the roster this summer.

"Look, we lost a few other guys in the wide receiver room. You don’t just replace [Diggs], but I’ve loved how the guys have worked, how they’ve kind of taken to this offense, the identity of the offense, and how they’re going to be utilized. It’s been a lot of fun, just their selfless mindset," said offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

RELATED: Forgotten receiver proves Bills' Josh Allen doesn't need Stefon Diggs

Third-year cornerback Kaiir Elam wasn't necessarily alluding to Diggs's departure, but the former first-round draft pick noted a change in atmosphere.

“I don’t know, it just feels like everybody’s more free. Everybody’s more free, everybody’s not as tense. We’re just having a good time competing against each other," said Elam.

Whether or not it's fair to attribute it to one player's departure, there's clearly a different vibe amongst these Diggs-less Bills.

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Ralph Ventre
RALPH VENTRE

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