Buffalo Bills: Preparing for the preseason opener in the BLD Podcast

Preseason football for the Buffalo Bills kicks off Thursday from New Era Field. Brad “The Bruiser” and Alex Jones alert fans what to look for this season.

Buffalo Bills preseason football is near, as they host the Carolina Panthers from New Era Field Thursday night.

There will be a lot for Bills fans to take in. Like all preseason games, the final score means absolutely nothing. Though the score may not matter, the game will provide a snapshot for several aspects that will show during the regular season.

We truly won’t know what kind of team we have until the season starts, but these next four “dress rehearsals” should add quite a bit of perspective.

We discuss that in the latest episode of the BLD Podcast. Click here to listen to this week’s podcast or use the player below.

One of the most intriguing aspects that I am looking forward to is not the highly anticipated quarterback competition, but a taste of what new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s new offense looks like.

I’m sure most Bills fans would agree that the offensive schemes designed by Rick Dennison were unimaginative and inefficient. Daboll comes to Western New York after serving as offensive coordinator for the FBS national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

An interesting player to watch in the first preseason game of the year will be middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. As discussed on last week’s podcast, Edmunds will command control of the Bills defensive huddle. All reports have been that he’s looked strong from camp, thus making it all the more interesting to see him in live action.

Preseason is fun for me because it’s live action football. Though by the end of the game we can expect to see third-team offense and defense on the field, there’s a lot we can see through preseason football.

We get a firsthand look at players who are on the bubble of making the team, players who have a chance to boost their own stock during preseason and a glimpse at the changes from the 2017 Buffalo Bills.

With a lot of attention surrounding the quarterback competition, I’m curious as to how much we’ll be able to gauge based on Thursday’s performances, as it will likely be McCarron or Peterman getting first-team action, with Allen out there with the third-team.

Despite what I see Thursday night, like last year, I’m ready to buckle up and trust the process.