PITTSFORD — The Buffalo Bills didn’t pace the NFL in penalties last season, but they made a good run at it.

False starts gave them a head start. Giving the hurry-up offense concept a new twist in the knock-down, drag-it-out, does-anybody-really-want-to-win-this-thing matchup with Cleveland in October, the Bills jumped the snap nine times on their way to losing 6-3. At that point, the they had committed a league-leading 44 penalties through five games.

More disciplined in the final six games after Perry Fewell took over for fired coach Dick Jauron, Buffalo finished the year ranked eighth in total penalties and yards lost to yellow flags. But the team still finished first in false starts with 32, six more than the second-place team.

As receiver Lee Evans noted after the Cleveland loss, “it’s hard to move forward when you keep moving yourself back.”

Moving forward, new coach Chan Gailey wants to see far fewer pre-snap infractions.

“We work on it every day,” Gailey said after a recent training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. “I make it a point every day. I don’t have any magic wand. I don’t have pixie dust. ... Guys generally respond to things you make a point of emphasis of.”

Gailey said lack of focus is the cause of most false starts.

“They get distracted,” he said. “Defense moves around. You can’t let distractions get you on the football field. You’ve got to remain focused and do your job.”

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Rookie left tackle Ed Wang might have to have surgery to repair and unspecified injury, Gailey said Monday.

The injury is unrelated to the high ankle sprain that Wang sustained during spring workouts, Gailey said. Wang was not present for Monday’s morning practice, and spent the night practice watching drills with a wrap on his right leg.

Rookie linebacker Danny Batten watched both practices with his right arm in a sling.

“Danny hit his shoulder,” Gailey said. “It’s a fairly significant injury and we’ll have to look and see how long it takes for him to come back.”

Rookie guard Cordaro Howard was held out of Monday’s practices for precautionary reasons after taking a blow to the head, Gailey said.

Right guard Eric Wood was given the night practice off to rest. Left tackle Demetrius Bell was held out of the morning session, along with linebacker Kawika Mitchell and defensive end Marcus Stroud.

Bell, who is working his way back from offseason knee surgery, has started participating in full team drills, after being limited to walk-throughs earlier in camp.

Linebackers Paul Posluszny (groin), Chris Kelsay (shoulder) and Keith Ellison (unknown injury), defensive end Spencer Johnson (leg), and safety John Destin (unknown injury) remain on the shelf, with uncertain return dates.

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Most of the red zone offense was installed during the spring, and the Bills made it a part of their training camp practice for the first time Monday.

“This was a refresher course, so to speak,” Gailey said. “That’s probably why you saw some wide open things and some ugly throws.”

Receiver Lee Evans said he expects there to be refining the red zone plays on a daily basis from here on out.

“The offenses that can score points and score touchdowns down there are the good ones,” he said. “We better pull our weight down there.”

Gailey said two-minute drills are next on the agenda.

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.