Last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, several fans caught a moment that immediately set social media buzzing. A disagreement broke out between Buffalo Bills offensive linemen Dion Dawkins and David Edwards on the sideline. The altercation happened on the bench, with Dawkins and Edwards exchanging heated words before shoving one another. Spencer Brown quickly stepped in, acting as the buffer between two of the Bills’ most important offensive linemen.
At the time, it felt like the kind of flare-up
that happens on every NFL team at some point during a long season full of frustration, emotion, and competitiveness. Usually it burns out as fast as it sparks, and within 15 minutes of disagreement the two were back on the sideline having a more level-headed conversation that led many of us to excuse it as “that’s just what brothers do.”
Yet after watching the disjointed, inconsistent and, at times, downright chaotic performance from the offensive line just four days later against the Houston Texans, it’s fair to ask the question: Did that sideline disagreement spill over into this week?
Because the group that took the field Thursday did not look connected. Communication was off. Assignments were missed. Josh Allen faced far too much interior and outside pressure, and the run game rarely found rhythm other than a beautiful run by James Cook III in the first quarter. It wasn’t just a bad game, it was a unit that didn’t look cohesive. That’s something we haven’t been able to say often about this line over the last two seasons.
There’s no way for us to confirm whether emotions from the Dawkins and Edwards confrontation lingered into the short week. But what we can say is this: chemistry matters, especially across the offensive line. Trust, communication, and alignment are all essential to keeping Josh Allen upright and the offense moving. And last Thursday, for the first time in a while, it looked like the Bills’ offensive line lacked all three.
