Bills’ Dion Dawkins hasn’t forgotten what happened last time Buffalo played the Saints, and it’s inspiring his Week 4 preparation
The Buffalo Bills veteran made it clear what’s fueling him for the upcoming contest.
The Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints are set for action in Week 4 of the NFL season. Buffalo is hoping to keep its undefeated season alive, while the Saints are trying to find a way to squeak out a victory.
Buffalo has found ways to win, even without quarterback Josh Allen putting on his Superman cape and leading the team to victory. From the defense showing up in tough spots to running back James Cook continuing to dominate, and even players like rookie tight end Jackson Hawes making an impact, the organization is finding a way to win.
Ahead of the contest, offensive lineman Dion Dawkins spoke to the media about some bulletin board material he has in his heart for the upcoming matchup. For Dawkins, it isn’t about taking on a team that hasn’t won a game, but a team that was able to beat Buffalo the last time they visited Orchard Park, something that he hasn’t forgotten and is fueling him for the upcoming matchup.
“We lost to ’em, we lost to the Saints, right? I think the last time they played here, if I’m correct,” Dawkins said. “I don’t forget stuff like that. Not that that’s about to make us play harder, but that’s in our heads, right. Regardless of the last names that changed, the logo is still the same. The last time they came to our home field, they beat us. Right? It’s time for us to restamp that and let that be a win, you know. But that’s the mindset, respect our opponents, but just know that we play a game, and we want to win just as bad as they do. They beat us last time, let’s try our best to beat them this time.”
In 2017, the Saints beat the Bills in Western New York 47-10 in a contest where quarterback Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman combined for 129 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Jackson Hawes gets his flowers from Dawkins
Dawkins was asked about what he thought of Hawes on the offense. The veteran didn’t shy away from the answer, offering a hilarious response to what type of player he views Hawes as. The rookie is the top-rated rookie across the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus, and Dawkins’ analysis seems to be spot on.
“Hawesy is, in a good way, he’s just a stone-cold killer,” Dawkins said. “He’s not going to be the loudest guy in the room; he’s probably not going to start the conversation. He’s probably just going to do what he’s asked. If you asked Hawesy to run 1,000 yards and don’t stop until you finish the 1,000 yards, he’ll run a thousand yards, he just doesn’t stop, which is stone-cold killer vibes. And then he plays football well, he blocks, he obviously catches what we’ve all learned what Week 1, Week 1 like he had that big catch. So, you know, like Hawesy came in and everybody’s like ‘he’s the best blocker, he’s the best blocker.’ We’re like, ‘you guys don’t know he can catch too.’ And he catches the ball and then it just turns. Hawesy is just a kid, man. He’s a stone-cold killer kid, in all good ways of saying it. I say it within the Halloween aura, he’s a stone-cold killer.”
Later in the press conference, Dawkins once again brought up Hawes by name, who has proved to be a difference-maker through the early stages of the 2025 season. It’s a concerted effort from the entire group that has allowed Buffalo to be successful.
“Dalton is good. I think having Hawesy around makes everybody block better,” Dawkins said. “Even us, even us, because we look at him, and even Krom in meetings, he’ll say ‘look at Hawesy, there goes Hawesy.’ And you’ll just see Hawesy taking someone from here all the way past, and we’re like ‘that’s a d-end, not just a skinny guy, that’s a d-end. It’s a reflection on Dalton, Dawson, Reggie, all of those guys. It’s a reflection on all of them. I think everybody on this team is making everyone better, and it’s scary because you have a lot of guys on the team that aren’t that super household solidified name. Everybody is making everybody better.”
Nevertheless, Dawkins and the rest of the team seem more than ready for the challenge ahead, even sharing what is motivating them for the upcoming contest. Any time that Dawkins gets on the mic, it’s a win for the Bills Mafia, and it’s not hard to see why he’s so beloved in Western New York.
Hawes, through the early stages of the season, has been turning heads across the league and may one day become a household name like Dawkins was referring to. If the team can maintain the success they’ve had thus far, more than just Hawes will become a household name across the league.
Dawkins is using the loss in 2017 to fuel him as the team is looking to continue their dominance in the AFC East, and looking to secure the one seed in the AFC when the playoffs roll around.
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