ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Here are five things I want to see from the Buffalo Bills in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium:
1. Topping the list, especially with Sean McDermott’s plan to play starters for more than a quarter, is the obvious: Come out of the game healthy.
Considering that Josh Allen and other front-liners were on the field for a full quarter last Saturday against the Chicago Bears, McDermott seems to be pressing his luck a bit with even more scheduled time for starters against Pittsburgh.
I didn’t think Allen needed to be on the field for the balance of the preseason, but McDermott didn’t consult me. Clearly, the coach feels his QB needs more game-tempo exposure to enhance his timing with his revamped corps of receivers.
Does Allen necessarily agree? Keep in mind that after the Chicago game, he made multiple references to the lack of game-planning by the Bills during the preseason (standard practice in the NFL) as a way of explaining at least some of the offensive anemia.
2. Don’t get manhandled again at the line of scrimmage.
That was probably the worst part of the Bills’ terrible showing against the Bears. The offensive line was consistently overpowered by Chicago’s defensive front. The Bills got minimal push for their running backs, particularly on inside runs.
Buffalo’s defensive front also struggled to generate pressure on Caleb Williams, which went a long way toward helping the top overall pick of the draft to lead the Bears’ starting offense on two consecutive long drives during his preseason debut.
Another glaring issue for the Bills last Saturday was penalties. They had 11 accepted calls, including eight before the snap. McDermott was rightfully frustrated by those. He and his assistant coaches have no doubt preached cleaner play for the second preseason game. We shall see.
3. How will Dorian Williams look in his second opportunity to replace injured Matt Milano?
This is a tough situation. Neither Williams nor anyone else on the roster is going to give the Bills someone who can do what Milano does. We’re talking about one of the very best linebackers in the NFL – someone who excels as a run-stuffer and pass-rusher and might be the league’s best at his position in pass coverage. He also has extraordinary instincts when it comes to takeaways.
On the list of reasons to be optimistic about the 2024 Bills, Milano’s return from the broken leg he suffered last October against Jacksonville ranked near the top. He seemed to be trending in the direction of being in the lineup for the start of the season.
Now comes another setback with the torn triceps he suffered in practice, an injury that is expected to sideline him for most if not all of the season. After Milano’s broken leg, Williams filled his spot, but only briefly because he proved he wasn’t ready for the challenge as a rookie. Williams is fast and physical, but his pass-coverage skills are suspect.
4. Can the Bills start to show stability at safety?
The instability here becomes an even larger issue with Milano’s injury. That’s because, as last season progressed after Milano suffered his broken leg, the Bills went with more dime (six defensive backs) personnel to give them the versatility of covering the pass and defending the run.
Two players who had been projected to be starting at safety next to Taylor Rapp – Mike Edwards and rookie Cole Bishop – are dealing with injuries that have them out of the lineup indefinitely. Edwards and Bishop are viewed as natural dime-style players because of their solid run support.
5. The receivers need to do a better job of creating separation.
The vanilla playbook employed in the offseason can be used as a convenient excuse to explain a lack of production in the passing game. But it doesn’t explain everything.
The fundamental aspects of running routes still matter when it comes to receivers getting open. That’s especially true with rookie Keon Coleman, who had his issues against the Bears’ tight coverage. The most productive pass play by the Bills’ offense last Saturday was a slip screen connection between Allen and Curtis Samuel.
Let’s see if the Bills can generate more big plays through the air on the perimeter.
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