Josh Allen to start and five other things to watch for as Bills host Broncos

ORCHARD PARK - Josh Allen will get the start Saturday afternoon for the Buffalo Bills, his first game action since he threw what should have been a game-winning touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis with 13 seconds to go in last January’s AFC divisional round playoff game at Kansas City.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the game-winner, and it was also the last pass he threw because, as we all know, after the Chiefs inexplicably tied the score to force overtime, they also won the coin toss and drove to a touchdown which ended the game without Allen getting a chance to hold serve.

So yeah, Allen can’t wait to get back on the field Saturday afternoon when the Bills host the Broncos at Highmark Stadium.

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If we can use 2021 as a gauge, Allen and the majority of the Bills’ starters will probably play the first half against Denver and then cede the field to the backups, though coach Sean McDermott wouldn’t truly reveal what his plan will be, saying, “We’ll see how the game goes.”

Meaning, if there’s a normal back and flow in terms of possessions and each side of the ball gets good work in, they’ll come out. If, for instance, the Broncos possess the ball for 20 minutes in the first half - or vise-versa and Buffalo’s offense does that - then the side of the ball that was underused might get extra work in the second half.

Here are five things that I’ll be watching for as the Bills put their nine-game preseason winning streak on the line:

1. How will communication function between Josh Allen and Ken Dorsey?

A lot has been made about this being the first time the new offensive coordinator is calling plays, and even more has been made about how that is going in practice with Allen. Now, we get to see it in a game setting, and McDermott acknowledged it’s something he’ll be paying attention to as well.

“Josh will be hearing a new voice in his ear, and so I think there’s a lot that we want to put into practice in a game that we’ve been practicing,” McDermott said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into (Allen playing in a preseason game where other star QBs don’t). I won’t get into all of them, but that’s certainly one of them.”

Dorsey said that the communication between him and backups Case Keenum and Matt Barkley went fine last week, saying it was “pretty smooth.”

Last week Dorsey was in the press box, and he said he hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll stay there or come down to the field. Either way, he doesn’t anticipate any communication problems.

“If I’m on the sideline, Joe (Brady, the QB coach) will be up in the box. If I’m up in the box, then (Allen’s) communication either goes through Joe to me, or, I’ve got no problem with any of those guys, Josh, especially, hopping on the headset to talk. I think that communication is critical, the more communication, the more informed I feel like I can be to make that next call.”

2. What will O.J. Howard do with his playing time?

Dawson Knox will not be playing as he left the team Thursday to be with his family after the shocking death of his younger brother, Luke. In terms of how that affects the Bills, Howard will probably replace Knox in the starting lineup.

Howard has been pretty unobtrusive since training camp started. You can make the case that Tommy Sweeney and Quintin Morris have made more eye-catching plays than Howard, so this could be an opportunity for the former Buccaneers first-round pick to make a statement.

There have been questions about whether Howard is fully grasping the offense, but he denied that’s a problem. He said the biggest thing has been getting used to playing with Allen and figuring out how he operates.

“I think getting on the same page and just communicating how he views certain things, terminology, route combinations, and getting inside his head,” Howard said. “Like what did you see on that coverage? Are you expecting me to break out this way, come down freely? Just talking to him, so now I know how he likes certain things run, and that allows me to play fast.”

Given his contract, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be cut, but it would be nice for him to start rewarding the investment the Bills made in him, $3.125 million guaranteed, meaning all of it would be dead cap if he’s released.

3. How will the Bills cornerback battle unfold?

Dane Jackson was given the starter’s treatment last week as he sat out the Indy game while rookies Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford started at the outside corners spots. Saturday, I would expect Jackson will start, but who will join him?

A case can be made that Benford, the sixth-round pick, has looked better in camp than Elam, the first-rounder.

“I was really impressed with their work (against the Colts),” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “They were both targeted and when they had opportunities to make plays, they made plays. They were physical, they got their hands on balls, they were good in man coverage. For the most part, their eyes were where they should have been in zone. So, we were pleased with their first outing.”

4. Will the Bills starting offensive line be together?

For most of training camp, left guard Rodger Saffold and right tackle Spencer Brown have been unavailable in the 11-on-11 portions of practice. Brown is still working his way back from offseason back surgery, and Saffold only returned to practice Sunday after suffering a rib injury in a car accident in July.

There’s a chance both could play, but McDermott still isn’t in the mindset of rushing either back, especially Saffold who has 14 years of NFL experience, plus has worked in the past with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.

“I think the one advantage we have … he’s worked with Kromer before (with the Rams), so they’re in alignment for the most part on terminology techniques,” McDermott said. “And sometimes being able to watch a little bit does help you get a feel for who your teammates are, what we’re trying to get done offensively, big picture wise.

“But at the end of the day you need to be in and you need to do in order to develop. And I think that’s the phase that Rodger is in now is knocking some of the rust off, get his conditioning back, and just moving and making those football movements.”

5. Can Jamison Crowder push Isaiah McKenzie?

Like Howard, I don’t think Crowder is in danger of being cut. He is guaranteed $1.875 million so that would hurt on the cap, but also, you can never have too many talented receivers, especially in a pass-first offense like Buffalo’s.

But Crowder hasn’t exactly stood out and simply based on the fact that he played last week and McKenzie didn’t indicates who’s leading the crowded competition at slot receiver.

McKenzie is expected to start against Denver, and when Crowder gets his chance he needs to make something happen. At this point, you could say that rookie Khalil Shakir has been more impressive than Crowder, especially since Shakir has shown more versatility being able to line up anywhere in the formation.

'The little muscle hamster': Isaiah McKenzie is poised to win the Bills slot receiver job

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's new twice-a-week newsletter, Bills Blast, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Josh Allen to start, 5 more things to watch during Bills vs. Broncos