While it was great for the Buffalo Bills to finally play their first official game at their new Highmark Stadium and win their first preseason matchup against the Carolina Panthers, now is the time to look ahead and work on some of the issues that hinder them.
With new head coach Joe Brady and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard having their players ready and focused for their 29-14 win over the Panthers, they will now look ahead to three vital takeaways that need to be addressed before they head out to Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland this Saturday.
3 problems to be solved before second preseason game
1.) Bills' passing game looked shaky
As a unit, the pass protection did not live up to the standard of putting the ball down. Starting right tackle Spencer Brown and rookie tackle Jude Bowry each allowed sacks and left the Bills' quarterbacks scrambling for most of the day.
The team also gave up three sacks in the first half for a total of -24 yards, and third-string quarterback Shane Buechele was running for his life despite not being sacked.
Luckily, it was only the first preseason game, but the Bills' offensive line has a lot of work to do heading into the Browns' preseason game and must do a better job of holding their edge rushers to limited pressure.
2.) Two highly drafted Bills defensive linemen were uninspiring
The defensive line as a unit did a good job of creating pressure and tallying a few sacks over the course of the game. But sadly, T.J. Sanders and DeWayne Carter were just ho-hum in their return from injuries last season. Both of these athletes have to be dominant forces in Jim Leonhard's attacking 3-4 defense, or it will be another year of wasting high investments on improving the defensive line.
Carter really didn't put up any noteworthy stats, while at least Sanders did play a role in assisting on T.J. Parker's first career sack in an NFL game, but there's a reason that Landon Jackson started over Sanders in the first quarter.
Deone Walker, however, was all over the field, as he tallied in only 10 plays: three tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack, and he already looked comfortable at the nose tackle position. He has that knack for making the splash plays, especially in Leonhard's defensive scheme.
3.) Tyler Bass battles in the grass
The Bills' first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers was a welcome sight as the team returned kicker Tyler Bass after last kicking in the last 2025 preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then after suffering a season-ending pelvic injury.
Bass looked rusty in the game, despite making 3 out of his 4 field goal attempts, and they were all inside 50 yards. He will have some extra "leg" room this week, working on hitting from 50 and even 60+ like he was making before.
Still, Bass' return is an encouraging sign, and the one positive is that he's kicking in a new outdoor stadium with protection from the swirling winds in November and December. Therefore, if he's fully healthy, he should have an easier time kicking now, when the weather turns frigid in Orchard Park during the winter months.
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