ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — For four years, Stefon Diggs was the second most beloved athlete in Western New York behind only the quarterback who was throwing to him. On Sunday, after a very public breakup, Diggs will return to Orchard Park for the first time since he was traded as his new team looks to close the gap atop the AFC East.
“It’s going to be a little bit emotional," Diggs told reporters in Foxborough on Wednesday. "I try to keep the main thing the main thing, but it’s going to be my first time back there. It’s going to be a hell of an atmosphere. I was part of that for a long time. I played there before I got there, so I’m excited.”
Coincidentally, Diggs is coming off his best game as a Patriot, catching six passes for 101 yards as New England toppled the Carolina Panthers 42-13. Despite suffering a season-ending injury in October of last season with the Houston Texans, Diggs has seemingly picked up right where he left off, and the Bills know he is still a difference maker.
“You know, he's obviously still a fantastic player and you’ve got to kind of know where he's on the football field at all times,” Josh Allen said on Wednesday.
“Yeah, very impressed, but not surprised,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said of Diggs' start to the season. “ He looks great. Very few can come off of an injury like that from a timing standpoint, especially that first year, and look the way he looks, but I'm not surprised. He's a heck of an athlete, and he works extremely hard.”
Diggs, known for his fierce competitive nature, will bring that same energy on Sunday Night. It’s not the first time he’s played against his former team, but being back in Buffalo will be a completely different experience for the once beloved Bills wide receiver.
“That team has been good year in and year out,” Diggs said. “It’s a great fanbase that has always played a key part. The coaching staff has always done a good job, and they’ve always had a sound defense and guys that make plays on offense. Things haven’t changed, especially since I have left. “
“I mean, just knowing who he is, knowing the competitor that he is, he's gonna be amped up,” defensive tackle Ed Oliver said. “You know, he’s probably gonna want the ball. He’s gonna wanna, you know, do Stef things, you know? The special catches, the YAK after the play. Like we expect that out of him. Just as when he was here.”
"He was a great teammate, a great player, and he's doing great,” Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White said. “He's a competitive man. We know Sunday the fire that he's gonna bring to the field. just. So we're gonna, it's gonna be on us as a team and as a defense to match that.”
As for the game itself, Diggs and Allen know just how important the matchup is. For New England, it’s a true chance to show they belong in the conversation as one of the top teams in the AFC and as the Bills' biggest threat within the division. And for the Bills, this is a chance to improve to 5-0 and take a commanding lead at the top of the AFC East, with wins against all three division rivals.
“Obviously, being back in Buffalo, who knows if the emotions are going to be heightened for him or for the fans or whatever it is,” Allen said. “We're just going to go out there and try to perform the best we can.”
“I know that team well,” Diggs said. “It’s going to be another test for us. Answering the bell is going to be key for us, but you know, it’s a measuring stick. It’s early on for us and it’s early for them. They’ve had some good games, they’re pulling it out strong, so, it’s going to be big for us to be on our details.”
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