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Tempers flare during high-intensity practice at Bills camp

Another scuffle during Thursday's workout continued a trend as the Bills work through training camp.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are through almost two weeks of training camp. 

Temperatures are up. 

The pads are on. 

Tempers are flaring.

Things really started to ramp up on that front when quarterback Josh Allen got into it with defensive lineman Jordan Phillips near the end of practice on Saturday. We have seen repeated skirmishes during team drills, including one Thursday that got fairly heated between defensive end Greg Rousseau and running back Devin Singletary. 

Allen says if the intensity is where it needs to be this time of year, this stuff comes with the territory.

"Sometimes it's necessary. Good teams sometimes fight. You know guys want it so bad. Guys push each other," Allen said. "You saw a little tempers flare again today, and it's all because we want to win. We want to work really hard. We want to beat the guy across from us."

Veteran pass rusher Von Miller, at 33 years of age, says he's reached the point where he knows discretion can be the better part of valor.

"I don't like saying the 'O' word. I don't like saying 'old.' When it comes to fighting out there ... that is past my time. It really is. Back when you were young, you see someone get in a fight, and you want to put your helmet on and run out there. ... That's past me, I can say that," Miller said.

As for the youth on the Bills roster, he says he admires the intensity of many including Rousseau.

"Greg's a demon, and I'm going to bring it out of him," Miller said. "I've been feeding him gunpowder and gasoline. I've been feeding him gunpowder and gasoline at lunch and breakfast, and it's good to see him come out here and go crazy."

Earlier in the week, Bills coach Sean McDermott said he would take the bad with the good, except when it involves Josh Allen. 

"Guys are competitors," McDermott said. "I'd rather have to tone it down than kick them in the tail a little bit here and say let's get going. Let's ramp up the intensity. But again, there's definitely a delicate balance there in particular with a quarterback."

JORDAN POYER UPDATE

Thursday brought the first official update from the team on the health of safety Jordan Poyer, who had to be carted off the field with an injured elbow on Tuesday.

McDermott said it could be anywhere from number of days to a week or two before Poyer can return. He would not commit to Poyer being ready for the season opener Sept. 8 in Los Angeles against the Rams, saying that he wanted to get a sense of his progress still fresh off the injury. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the injury was a hyperextension and that the expectation is Poyer will be ready for the opener. 

BILLS RETURN TO HIGHMARK

The Bills will move things back to Highmark Stadium for an open practice Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m. As with the workouts here in Pittsford, a free ticket is required to attend. The Bills say all tickets have been distributed at this point so the event is effectively a sellout. 

The Bills will have Saturday off and then return to St. John Fisher University for the final three practices of camp.

  • Sunday, Aug. 7, 11:45 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 10, 9:45 a.m. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 11,  9:45 a.m. 

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