Sean McDermott explains Bills' curious personnel decisions in Week 4 vs. Saints

After the Buffalo Bills made a few curious personnel decisions before and during their 31-19 Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints, Head Coach Sean McDermott explained the reasoning behind those choices while speaking with reporters from the podium.

Buffalo elected to leave punt and kick returner Brandon Codrington inactive for the non-conference matchup, instead using wide receiver Khalil Shakir as the team’s punt returner and replacing Codrington with WR Curtis Samuel on the kick-return team. Shakir finished the game with one return for six yards, while Samuel recorded three returns for 82 yards, including a long return of 31 yards.

“Just looking at different players,” said McDermott, explaining why Codrington did not play. “Seeing how the game day roster looks with different players up, different players down. With the goal of making sure we have our best guys out there as we head down the road here.”

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir warms up before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

It was Codrington’s first time being listed inactive in a regular-season game since he was acquired by the Bills in a trade with the New York Jets last season. Sunday's win was Samuel’s first game action this season after he was inactive the first four weeks of the year.

Defensively, the Bills rotated rookie cornerback Dorian Strong into the mix along with starter Tre’Davious White, which was another interesting call made by Buffalo's coaching staff. Strong finished the game with three tackles, while White recorded a team-high nine tackles.

“Just looking at a young player,” explained McDermott. “Giving him some experience and some valuable reps. It wasn’t anything that Tre didn’t do. That was the plan going into the game.”

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara is tackled by Buffalo Bills CB Dorian Strong during the third quarter bat Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Strong, a 2025 sixth-round pick, earned the start in the Bills’ first game of the season while White was on the mend with a groin injury. He played 21% of the team’s defensive snaps in Buffalo’s Week 2 win over the New York Jets, but that came while the Bills were resting White along with a few other starters in the second half of a blowout. The rookie didn’t play a single defensive snap in a close game against the Miami Dolphins a week ago.

It remains unclear if the Bills will continue the rotation at cornerback, or in the return game for that matter, moving forward, or if it was simply a one-week deal.

This isn’t the first time we have seen the Sean McDermott-led Bills rotate at the position, as they also did so during Christian Benford’s rookie season. Buffalo fans will surely be hoping that Strong turns out to be the caliber of player Benford has proven to be.

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