Buffalo Bills: Preseason game recap vs. MIN

The Buffalo Bills played their first preseason game on Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings. The score did not go their way as they fell 17-10, but we learned a lot about some of our younger players.

Dezmin Lewis scored the lone Bills’ touchdown on a pass from Nathan Peterman with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Here are some of the key team stats courtesy of ESPN.com:

• Total Yards
  • Buffalo Bills – 309
  • Minnesota Vikings – 242
•  Turnovers
  • Buffalo Bills – 1
  • Minnesota Vikings – 1
• First Downs
  • Buffalo Bills – 20
  • Minnesota Vikings – 17
• Possession
  • Buffalo Bills – 27:04
  • Minnesota Vikings – 32:56
• Penalties
  • Buffalo Bills – 10 for 106 yards
  • Minnesota Vikings – 3 for 26 yards
• Sacks – Yards lost
  • Buffalo Bills – 3 for 24 yards
  • Minnesota Vikings – 3 for 24 yards

The Bills excelled in almost every major category except for penalties. The team committed ten penalties, seven more than the opposing team.

LeSean McCoy had a dress rehearsal but did not get on the field for a snap the whole game. His back-up, Jonathan Williams, left the game with what he called, “a minor hamstring injury.” This was most likely precautionary as it was a meaningless preseason game, and Williams plays a crucial role in the Bills’ offense.

Many Buffalo Bills’ players were inactive for the game including Cordy Glenn, Shaq Lawson, and Anquan Boldin. Boldin was not expected to play after just participating in team activities for one day. It will be interesting to see how quickly the veteran wide receiver learns the playbook.

The linebacker position is in question after learning that Reggie Ragland was recently demoted to third team defense. He was expected to compete with Lorenzo Alexander for a starting role, before Gerald Hodges passed him on the depth chart. Ramon Humber got the start at linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.

Sammy Watkins played more than expected and was the leading receiver on the team. Pulling in four receptions on five targets for 39 yards.

All three Buffalo Bills’ quarterbacks got the nod Thursday night. Here are their passing statistics from ESPN.com:

• Tyrod Taylor
  • 5/8, 46 yards, 0 touchdowns
• TJ Yates
  • 6/11, 48 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Nathan Peterman
  • 13/25, 112 yards, 1 touchdown

"“The Bills’ starting defense was stout in two series, while their offense struggled moving the ball under new coach Sean McDermott. Jerry Hughes and backup defensive end Eddie Yarborough each sacked Bradford, who played just two series.”"

From ABCNews. Sean McDermott made the decision to rest LeSean McCoy because he feels like he likes where he is in his preseason progression. McDermott made that comment after the game.

All in all, everything about the first preseason game was a success. The team had no major injuries, and the rookies were out on the field a lot. This gave the coaches the chance to see how they respond in a fast-paced NFL setting. It will be interesting to see how they learn from their mistakes this week and apply it to next week’s game.

Next: Buffalo Bills: 3 players to watch in the first preseason game

How do you think the Buffalo Bills’ first preseason game went? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!