Coach Sean McDermott thinks it's a good story and a good opportunity for tight end Tommy Sweeney. He just doesn't like how it arose.
After breaking his hand against the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox won’t play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The timeline after that is unclear.
“I don't know fully on the timeline,” McDermott said Wednesday. “Right now I know he’ll be out this week.”
Knox did not practice Wednesday, though he was on the field with a small bandage on the back of his right hand following surgery last week. Next up is Sweeney, a seventh-round draft pick for the Bills in 2019.
“He's worked hard to get back to where he is and contribute,” McDermott said on Sweeney. “So it's a good story and we're happy for him, albeit it seeing a guy go down in Dawson is not what we want. But next man up.”
It helps that Sweeney gave more of a preview of what he can do in games in the Bills’ last outing. He caught his first career touchdown, a one-yard reception late in the third quarter. He's had four catches this season, each good for a yard.
“Full confidence, yeah, full confidence in Tommy, and I know the players feel the same way, as do the rest of the coaches,” McDermott said Wednesday.
It certainly was a sentiment that players echoed.
“I have 100% confidence in T-Sween,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He brings that route running, that technician, that hard worker, that blocker. He brings that mindset that we love on offense and just on our team in general. I love me some T-Sween. I feel like he'll make a lot of plays for us. He does his job extremely well. He can catch, and he has a little bit of craft with him. You can't really see it looking at him but you watch him, he’s gonna make some plays.”
A Boston College graduate, Sweeney missed the 2020 season, first from injury and then Covid-19 complications. He had a foot injury to start the year, and when he later got Covid, he ended up with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, as a result of the virus. But even with all that time away from the Bills, teammates have still loved getting to know the third-year tight end.
“He's probably one of the most interesting guys, not just on the team, but on the planet,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “He's awesome to be around. He's one of those guys that just consistently worked, kept his head down, never complained. Doesn't have a whole lot of opportunities in the passing game, but when his number’s called, he usually ends up making the play.”
There's likely some natural chemistry between Sweeney and Allen. While Allen won't reveal what exactly makes Sweeney a candidate for most interesting person on the planet, there's some overlap in personality for the two.
“I can't tell you his secrets,” Allen said. “He's an extremely old soul, his music choice is awesome. He's just one of the best dudes on the team.”
Still, Sweeney will want to quickly show that on the playing field as well. Knox's five receiving touchdowns ahead of his injury led the Bills, and he was doing so at a position that General Manager Brandon Beane said the team needed to better develop after the 2020 season. Even in his complimenting of Sweeney and his optimism of how he’ll fit in, Allen knows it’s large task to fill Knox's void.
“I would definitely say trying to fill what Dawson brings to the table is gonna be tough, but we got guys that are accountable, guys that want to step in and work and do their job,” Allen said. “Everyone's gonna have to step up and try to make his (Knox's) absence less felt on the offensive side of the ball. But again, we got guys that are capable of doing that: Tommy, Gabe (Gabriel Davis), (Jake) Kumerow. And no matter what type of personnel we got out there, guys are going to go out there and execute.”
A familiar setting
The Dolphins have signed quarterback Jake Dolegala to their practice squad. Dolegala is a Hamburg native, who attended St. Francis High School. He entered the league with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and has also spent time with the Packers and Patriots.
Injury report
Knox (hand), offensive lineman Spencer Brown (back) and wide receiver Cole Beasley (veteran’s rest) did not practice Wednesday. Defensive tackle Justin Zimmer (foot) was limited.
