Joe Brady has been around enough Josh Allen magic to know when he’s seeing something special, and one throw from Bills training camp clearly stuck with him.
During Tuesday’s practice at St. John Fisher University, Allen uncorked a 50-yard touchdown to D.J.
Moore, slipping the ball between Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston and Cole Bishop before Moore hauled it in over his shoulder. By Brady’s account, it was the best throw-and-catch combo Buffalo has shown in camp.
A few days later, Brady was still talking about it.
"It was a practice rep, but one of the most impressive throws I've ever seen live," Brady said Friday.
The play wasn’t just about Allen showing off his arm strength. Brady said Allen made the right read when the safety tried to erase the deep shot, then layered the pass over the top and away from the trailing cornerback.
"Those are ones that are going to be on teach tapes for years to come," Brady said. "When we're teaching the concepts in terms of, hey, safety takes it away, you're throwing it over top of the safety, but then you've got to beat the dropkick corner."
At first, Brady thought the throw might have been too much for Moore to handle.
"When that ball left his arm, I didn't think he was going to be able to get under it," Brady said. "I thought he overthrew it."
Moore, though, found another burst to close the distance.
"You see a burst," Brady said.
That’s part of the process Buffalo is still working through with its new receiver. Allen and Moore have been using camp to learn how each other operates, especially on deep balls, where timing and ball tracking matter just as much as arm talent. Brady said those reps are valuable because every receiver attacks the ball a little differently.
Sometimes, even a miss can tell the offense something useful.
"There's times where I'm wanting us to pull the trigger and get a feel of what that looks like," Brady said. "Can we take a chance at that?
Even if that ball was incomplete, I'd be like, good. I'm liking that we're taking that shot."
This one ended with a completion instead.
"That was a Willie Mays-type of catch," Brady said. "There's no way in hell I would've been able to do that.
"It was impressive."
In Other News...
Skyler Bell Is Giving Bills Fans A New Receiver Debate
Skyler Bell arrived in Buffalo with a rsum that already suggested he could force his way into the conversation. The fourth-round pick had a strong college run at UConn, capped by a 2025 season in which he led Division I Independent schools in receptions, yards and touchdowns, and he also helped himself with a solid showing of athleticism at the NFL Combine. For a Bills team always sorting out the back end of its receiver depth chart, that made him an interesting name before camp even opened.
Training camp has only sharpened the discussion. Bell has shown enough promise to make fans take notice in a crowded wide receiver room, and there is real intrigue around whether he can carve out a role early. The question hanging over him now is the same one that tends to follow young receivers in Buffalo: the talent is visible, but the drops have been a recurring issue, and those are the kinds of details that can decide whether a player becomes part of the rotation or just another camp storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Backfield Suddenly Has A New Concern Fans Will Feel
The Bills backfield absorbed another uneasy moment at practice when Ty Johnson went down with a right knee injury during a 1-on-1 drill. Johnson was running at full speed before falling in obvious pain, and training staff helped him off the field, a worrying sight for a team already dealing with a growing list of recent injuries.
If the knee issue keeps Johnson out for any length of time, Buffalos running back picture gets even thinner and a little more unsettled. It would also sharpen the competition for depth spots behind the top options, with the opportunity suddenly much more open than it looked just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Keeps A Bills Summer Tradition Going At New Highmark
The Bills annual Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium came with a fresh look this year, as the team introduced its new gray Nickel City alternate uniforms to a crowd getting its first real glimpse of the set. Josh Allen was front and center in the full gray uniform, paired with the metallic royal blue Charge helmet, keeping alive a summer habit he has made his own each time the team stages this showcase.
It was a broad uniform debut, with quarterbacks, punters and kickers wearing the gray alternates while other offensive and defensive players stayed in blue and white practice jerseys. For Buffalo, the scene was as much about the start of another seasons storylines as it was about the new threads, and Allen once again helped set the tone by turning a routine camp event into something the fan base will remember. [Read more 🡒]