ORCHARD PARK — “Watch the man in front of you!”
That’s what Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Al Holcomb barked after a player didn’t perform a drill as desired — and not for the first time. Shaq Thompson sauntered over to the player, put his hands on his chest and quietly explained how to do the drill correctly.
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Nick Sabato can be reached via email at nick.sabato@gnnewspaper.com, on X @NickSabatoGNN or on Bluesky @nicksabatognn.bsky.social.