Don’t tell Stevie Johnson it’s just the preseason.
Buffalo’s offense was slow out of the gates in Thursday’s preseason opener against Washington, scoring only three points when given a short field to work with.
Johnson was asked if the performance served as a wake-up call, and his response was particularly telling.
“Yeah, it definitely is because it’s only so long where you can be the old Bills just getting beat around this conference,” Johnson said. “It’s time to turn it around and take over. And I think we’ve got the team that can do it this year. So why not go out there and go hard and try to take this division?”
Coach Chan Gailey was pleased to hear such a response from his star receiver.
“I am glad he feels that way,” Gailey said. “If everybody doesn’t feel that way, then we’re in trouble.”
Johnson has received a lot of attention throughout his career for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations. His recent comments show that he may be more comfortable taking on a larger leadership role entering his fourth season in the league.
Johnson signed a lucrative contract extension in March.
“That’s just the maturation of a young receiver in Stevie,” SS George Wilson said. “He’s trying to set the tone for the rest of his guys not only on the offensive side of the ball but for our entire team. If they’re keeping score, we absolutely want to win -- regardless if it’s a preseason game or a game in the regular season. We have our expectations of going out and playing well but we also want to win. If that’s not the outcome, then we have to go back and correct those mistakes and come back out and have a better showing.”
For more updates on the Bills follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLBUF and @MarkLud12.