The task for the Buffalo Bills is to demonstrate that their preseason showing from last week was an anomaly.
The Bills will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a road exhibition on August 17 at 7 p.m. ET after head coach Sean McDermott felt they did not perform up to the “standard” against the Chicago Bears.
Buffalo has declared that on Saturday, the starting lineup will play at least one quarter. Many players need to make the most of every opportunity they get to practise, even though Josh Allen and a few other players stand to lose nothing from the outing.
Here are four people who stand to benefit from Preseason Game No. 2.
OL Anderson
The adaptable offensive lineman has been trying out for backup centre responsibilities and has occasionally had trouble with the quarterback-to-center transition. Anderson snapped a couple too high and failed to recognise the correct snap count in the loss to Chicago, which resulted in a false start penalty.
Reporters saw two mumbled snaps during goal line work between Anderson and Trubisky during Thursday’s joint practice with the Steelers. As the ultimate Swiss Army knife, Anderson will join the team, but he must establish consistency at centre.
S. Damar Hamlin
Due to injuries sustained by second-round rookie Cole Bishop and free agent signing Mike Edwards, Hamlin has been starting this summer. He began in the defensive backfield against the Bears with safety Taylor Rapp and played 20 snaps there. He made two tackles.
Emotions will likely be intense for the Pitt product from Pennsylvania as he steps onto the field at Acrisure Stadium, the venue where he played his college football and several notable high school games.
“This is genuinely home for me. I’m a local kid, and this place means everything to me. My heart started racing a bit as soon as I got off the plane and returned home,” said Hamlin, who made a successful comeback to football last year after experiencing cardiac arrest during a 2022 game in Cincinnati.
DE Javon Solomon, a fifth-round rookie, gained recognition as a top pass rusher in college but must demonstrate his ability to defend against the run to secure significant playing time in the NFL. Solomon, who holds the record for the most sacks in Troy’s Division I history, played 21 defensive snaps against the Bears and recorded two solo tackles on running plays.
Emotions will likely be intense for the Pitt product from Pennsylvania as he steps onto the field at Acrisure Stadium, the venue where he played his college football and several notable high school games.
“This is genuinely home for me. I’m a local kid, and this place means everything to me. My heart started racing a bit as soon as I got off the plane and returned home,” said Hamlin, who made a successful comeback to football last year after experiencing cardiac arrest during a 2022 game in Cincinnati.
DE Javon Solomon, a fifth-round rookie, gained recognition as a top pass rusher in college but must demonstrate his ability to defend against the run to secure significant playing time in the NFL. Solomon, who holds the record for the most sacks in Troy’s Division I history, played 21 defensive snaps against the Bears and recorded two solo tackles on running plays.
While Solomon may not be the tallest, he compensates with his length and flexibility. He is competing for a consistent spot in the edge rusher rotation and also brings value to special teams.
QB Mitch Trubisky faced criticism for several inaccurate throws after stepping in for Josh Allen during the preseason opener. Despite this, the former No. 2 overall draft pick is secure in his role as QB2, but it would be encouraging to see him improve against the Steelers.
Even though it’s just an exhibition game, Trubisky might find extra motivation going up against the team that let him go after the 2023 season. In last week’s game against the Bears, he completed 10 passes for 82 yards and added 12 rushing yards on three attempts.
