Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott made a relatively unusual move during Sunday’s win against the New Orleans Saints, shaking up the secondary by pulling veteran Tre’Davious White out of the game.
Though McDermott does not regularly rotate players in the secondary, he explained after the game that it was part of a plan to get a rookie cornerback some game action — and not necessarily a reflection on White’s play.
Bills Want to Ramp Up Rookie Cornerback
McDermott was asked about why White was taken out during some series in Sunday’s 31-19 win over the Saints and replaced by rookie Dorian Strong. The Bills head coach said the team planned to get the rookie some playing time, even though they trusted the veteran White.
“Just looking at a young player,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “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.”
The Bills used a similar approach in Christian Benford’s rookie season, giving him some playing time until he eventually moved into the starting role alongside White.
Though White had some struggles in coverage against the Saints, he still led the team with nine tackles, with Strong chipping in three.
Bills Face Looming Choices at Cornerback
The Bills will soon need to make more adjustments at cornerback as first-round pick Maxwell Hairston nears a return from injured reserve. He suffered a knee injury during training camp and started the season on IR, but is eligible to return after Week 4.
The team had hinted that Hairston would need more time to ramp up before he’s ready to play a significant role, noting that he missed key development time through training camp and the preseason. White will likely remain in his starting role for at least the immediate future.
The team has three other key players on injured reserve, including kicker Tyler Bass, wide receiver Gabe Davis, and offensive lineman Tylan Grable. McDermott gave an update on Monday, telling reporters that he was working with the team’s medical staff to determine when each of them can return.
“I don’t have great word on that,” McDermott said. “[Head Athletic Trainer] Nate [Breske] has been working through, it’s just the day after the game at this point. So, I’m sure we’ll connect later tonight.”
McDermott added that the team will have to make some roster decisions once the players are ready to return.
“You want them all back as soon as possible, you just have to — there’s other parts of that conversation that are important and one thing affects another,” said the Bills‘ head coach. “Number one is them getting healthy enough to be back, and then two, what is the next move? The corresponding move after that.
“We have limits on the active and then limits on the game day roster as well. So that’s part of the ebbs and flows of the season, in terms of the injuries and getting players back. But also part of trying to figure out what our best 11 are, what our best 22 — whatever it is. It’s trying to continue to adjust and tweak to where we’re playing our best football.”
Bills Coach Sean McDermott Explains Why Longtime Veteran Was Benched