Tommy Doman wondered after the NFL Draft how much Josh Allen would actually need a punter.
He's starting to find out.
The Buffalo Bills have a competition between Doman, a rookie seventh-round pick, and veteran Mitch Wishnowsky for their punting job.
There was just one problem during Saturday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
The Bills never punted.
Not once.
Buffalo had nine possessions in its 29-14 victory at new Highmark Stadium. They ended with three touchdowns, four field-goal attempts, the end of the first half and the end of the game.
Doman and Wishnowsky combined for zero punts.
Bills coach Joe Brady wouldn't exactly complain.
"I was hoping to probably get some punts today," Brady joked after the game. "But there's just nothing
in me to ever want that, right?"
Brady spent the previous three seasons as Buffalo's offensive coordinator before becoming head coach this year.
Apparently some habits are hard to break.
Bills didn't need a punter against Panthers
Avoiding the punter isn't exactly new for Buffalo.
The Bills punted the fifth-fewest times in the NFL last season.
They took it one step further Saturday.
Buffalo opened the game with a field goal before Allen connected with Keon Coleman for a touchdown on the second possession. The next three meaningful drives ended with a missed field goal and two made field goals.
The Bills scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter before getting the ball one final time to run out the clock.
That left Buffalo's punter competition without a punt to evaluate.
Doman still got onto the field.
The seventh-round pick handled holding duties for Tyler Bass, playing seven special teams snaps. Bass made three field goals and two extra points while missing one field-goal attempt.
Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said earlier in training camp that the Bills have tried to give Bass concentrated work with each potential holder instead of repeatedly switching between Doman and Wishnowsky during the same session.
Tommy Doman, Mitch Wishnowsky compete for Bills punter job
The Bills brought Wishnowsky back on a one-year contract after he was signed during the 2025 season and stabilized the position.
Wishnowsky averaged 45.3 yards per punt with a 41.9-yard net average on 38 attempts. He put 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Opponents returned only 11 of Wishnowsky's punts for 69 yards last season. His 4.44-second average hang time helped Buffalo allow an NFL-low 6.3 yards per punt return among qualifying punters.
Then the Bills used the No. 239 overall pick on Doman.
The former Michigan and Florida punter averaged 43.6 yards on 153 punts during his college career. He averaged 44 yards per punt during his final season at Florida.
Doman can also handle kickoffs and serve as a holder, versatility that could factor into Buffalo's decision.
The rookie joked shortly after the draft about joining an offense led by Allen.
"I don't know how much Josh Allen really needs me to play," Doman told the Bills' website.
His first preseason game offered an answer about punting.
Not once.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills have a punter competition but there's just one problem
