Why Mitch Morse, returning from a concussion, means so much to Bills offense against Bengals

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Josh Allen can be as goofy as any Buffalo Bills player in the offensive huddle.

The group as a whole is close and ends up slinging jokes most of the time – on and off the field. But when it’s time to get serious, center Mitch Morse is usually the veteran that reels everybody in.

“He’s kind of like the dad of the group,” Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said. “It’s like, things start getting silly, and he’s kind of the one who gives them that look.”

Allen welcomed Morse back into the huddle at practice this week after the 30-year-old missed last game with the sixth documented concussion of his NFL career. The Buffalo offense made things work without Morse in the lineup, but having him back for the biggest regular season game in recent Bills history gives their offense the best chance to protect Allen against a formidable Bengals Cincinnati defensive front.

When Morse is on the ball in front of Allen, there’s a trust factor that’s been built over the course of the last four seasons the center and quarterback have played together.

“(I’m) So comfortable with him,” Allen said. “I know it sounds weird but even just taking snaps with him. … Obviously the player that he is and the mind that he is as well, it helps out our offense a lot. We’re happy to have him back out there.”

Morse was forced out of the Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins with another concussion and he knew right away. He’d experienced that feeling before after a helmet-to-helmet collision. He has been through the NFL’s concussion protocol several times and he admitted this week that at first, the injury was emotional for him.

“But you kind of get out of that,” he said. “And then you get into the protocol and you get into the everyday deal. You start feeling better, you understand that it’s just one of those things. It’s part of my story and my football story.”

When Morse signed his extension with the Bills before this season, he sat down with his wife, Caitlyn Morse, and the two had some frank conversations about the risks involved with playing more football into his 30s. They decided together that they would deal with it if and when it happened again. With Morse’s concussion history, they both understood that what he dealt with back in 2019 and 2020 could pop up again.

Morse said that during the two years since his last concussion in October of 2020, he did everything he could to mitigate things when it came to avoiding head injuries. It’s a tall task in football, which is a game as violent as any. Part of what makes Morse so successful is his ability to play it with aggression.

“When you go out there you want to fly around with – not reckless abandonment – but you when you’re out there, there’s only one way to play football,” he said. “And if (sustaining a concussion is) in the back of your mind then you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage.”

Morse’s return comes at a critical stage of the Bills’ season with the no. 1 seed in the AFC partly on the line Monday night in Cincinnati. Allen may have to outduel Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who has arguably the best stable of receivers in the NFL.

In his 12 starts this season, Morse has been Allen’s most reliable pass blocker. He’s only allowed two sacks in 456 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The other four Bills starters on the offensive line have allowed at least 20 pressures on the season, but Morse has only allowed 13.

“Mitch is kind of the glue that holds that group together a lot of times,” Dorsey said. Morse’s ability to make the calls pre-snap, combined with his rapport with Allen, are irreplaceable contributions to Bills offense.

Morse is also a freak athlete when he can get out in space as a blocker in the run game. The Bills have found balance by unlocking the run game in the last few weeks. Dorsey said anytime Morse gets out on the edge and can show off his athletic ability, it’s special.

“Sometimes you take that stuff for granted, about like how impressive it is that a guy his size can move like that,” Dorsey said. “It’s fun to watch. You just kind of get in fan mode a little bit and just start watching, it’s like, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool.’”

Morse said he feels healthy and was a full participant in practice all week.

Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins was all smiles when he spoke about what it meant to get Morse back this week. He said he was thankful Morse’s concussion was a mild case and that the experts gave him the green light to rejoin the line.

“This football thing, it’s a hard road and concussions are a huge part of it,” Dawkins said. “Mitch is our anchor, like, that’s our center. So, anytime that we can have Mitch back in the groove, it’s a good thing. And like, this is a long season, bodies take bangs, knicks, and all types of things, but the fact that Mitch is healthy – I’m happy for it.”

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