Bills at Steelers Recap
The Bills looked like a more energized team Saturday night vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers compared to their week 1 performance. The defense played strong from start to finish, led by Greg Rousseau early on and the new fan favorite, Joe Andreessen. Andreessen took advantage of the opportunity provided by the injuries to players ahead of him and took a big step toward securing a spot on the 53-man roster. The offense was inconsistent at times. Sean McDermott made the right call and did not start Josh Allen under the weather conditions leading up to the game. This led to more playing time for Mitch Trubisky, which impacted the offense's effectiveness early on, and new addition Ben DiNucci, who had a limited playbook at his disposal. They gained momentum with the rushing attack as the game went on but could not find the end zone on three trips into the red zone.
With Matt Milano's loss earlier in the week, Terrel Bernard sitting out, and surmounting injuries at the linebacker position, all eyes were on the linebacker group's play going into Saturday night. They did not disappoint, with Andreessen (75% of snaps) and Deion Jones (60% of snaps) playing most of the game and Dorian Williams seeing about 40% of the snaps. Andreessen led the team with 12 total tackles, 2 for a loss, and seemed to be in the right spot even when not making plays. Overall, the defense and special teams had strong evenings for the Bills.
With one preseason game left and a little over a week until final cutdowns, the Bills still have questions at a few positions but are showing some promise with their young players getting valuable playing time. For the players trending up, their recent play and practice news have helped their chances of making the final 53-man roster. The players trending down have underperformed or not been on the field to contribute lately, making it difficult to gauge their chances of making the team. Here are some things that stood out to me from their 9-3 victory over the Steelers.
What I liked
Tyler Bass going 3-3 on FGs. The longest was only 31 yards, but the critical part was rebuilding his confidence, which seemed gone at the end of last year and the beginning of training camp.
Joe Andreessen looks like a legitimate NFL LB, not just a feel-good story from training camp.
The defensive line's first, second, and third-stringers generated pressure throughout the game.
Greg Rousseau made former first-round pick Broderick Jones look foolish on multiple moves, leading to 2.5 sacks on 11 snaps.
Ed Oliver is continuing to look dominant in the middle for this defense
The running game looked strong again. The Bills had 167 yards on the ground from their 5 running backs, with an average of 5.56 yards per attempt.
The offensive line performed better this week compared to last week.
The rookies saw extended playing time. 10 first-year players had 10+ snaps in the game Saturday.
Fourth Down defense. Steelers went 0-3 on 4th down attempts
Red Zone defense. Steelers had 8 plays in the red zone and walked away with 0 points.
What I didn’t like
Injuries. More injuries piled up: Marquez Valdes-Scantling's neck injury, which thankfully isn't as bad as initially feared. Mitch Trubisky - knee, Austin Johnson - calf, Quintin Morris - shoulder.
Penalties. The Bills had 8 penalties for 50 yards.
Red Zone Offense. 0-3 in the red zone. The Bills have yet to score a touchdown in the preseason.
Backup quarterback situation. The Bills do not have a viable backup quarterback to come in, play one or two games if needed, and keep the team afloat. Trubisky held the ball too long and had an ugly interception. DiNucci hasn't had a lot of time in the offense yet. It may be too late, but the Bills need to address this.
Players trending Up
Joe Andreessen
Ray Davis
Zach Davidson
Players trending Down
Mitch Trubisky
Gable Stevenson
Justin Shorter
Casey Toohill
Nicholas Morrow
Next up: Buffalo vs Carolina - Saturday, 1:00 PM
