Return of John Brown eases Bills WR injury concerns
Stefon Diggs winked.
"Don't believe everything you read," he told a reporter who reminded him of an anxious Bills Mafia that was alarmed when Diggs showed up on the injury report as a partial participant with a strained oblique. "I'm all right. ... I mean, it's only been around for a little while, but I'm fine."
Because everyone knew about Beasley's knee making him a week-to-week proposition, alarms immediately sounded all over Western New York when Diggs was added to the list. After all, they are the team's top two receivers, having combined for 209 catches, 2,502 yards and 12 TDs.
But Diggs' reassurances that he was OK combined with the recent return of fellow wide receiver John Brown from a high ankle sprain should allow everyone to exhale heading toward Saturday's home playoff matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
Without Beasley and with Diggs and Brown each being limited to less than 50% of the offensive snaps, the Bills shredded the desperate and quite accomplished Miami Dolphins' defense for 455 yards en route to a 56-26 win in the final game of the regular season.
Nevetheless, Diggs and Beasley each were listed as questionable on the team's Thursday injury report.
Brown missed seven games with injuries this year at age 30, following last season's career highs of 72 catches and 1,060 yards, his first with the Bills.
"We do have some guys who can play some ball," Diggs said. "It's next man up."
For that, Diggs is most grateful.
"Being a part of a good team is a blessing," he said. "Not everybody is a part of a good team that get the opportunity to play in the playoffs ... so I've always been thankful for the opportunities now, coming circle, with my new team.
"I can probably count on one hand the people who thought it would be this way. All the good things that have happened, the new experiences, the new fan base, the new community that I'm in, they've been nothing but welcoming and loving and pushing me and pushing this team in the right direction."
Diggs pointed to the Job Isaiah McKenzie did against the Dolphins on Sunday, when the fourth-year pro finished with career-highs of six catches, 65 yards and two TDs and added the first punt-return touchdown of his career, which went for 84 yards.
"You've also got to look at a guy like Isaiah McKenzie, who stepped up big for us. ... He isn't the starter but he can go out there and play some good ball and step up if we need him to," Diggs said. "So as far as having that depth, having the guys, it doesn't hurt you.
"In this playoff run you don't know what's going to happen. With guys getting hurt and COVID and all this stuff going on, depth doesn't hurt you. It kind of puts you in a space where that next man up is really, really real."
But it all comes back to the quarterback, according to Diggs.
"Give all the credit to Josh [Allen] in being able to find the open man and deliver a strike and being able to have success offensively with a guy that you typically haven't had a bunch of reps with," Diggs said.
