Even though it was the first preseason game, and we may not even remember this game this time next month when the Bills have already played their first regular season game against the Houston Texans, yesterday’s performance against the Carolina Panthers was an outstanding one by the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills completed their first win in their new Highmark Stadium, beating the Panthers 29-14 in a game that never felt close at all from start to finish.
Both teams played their starters in the beginning, with the Bills putting up 10 points in their first two drives, while the Panthers went 3-and-out in their first three possessions. The Bills’ offense looked smooth, and the defense looked and felt much different for the better under Jim Leonhard.
Again, I don’t want to overreact to the first preseason game, but this game gave a sense of what could be to come for the regular season. Coming out of this game, the Bills had way more positives than negatives to reflect on.
Winners from Bills' preseason opener win
WR DJ Moore
In his first “official” game with the Bills, DJ Moore got to show Bills fans a glimpse as to why giving up a second round pick was well worth it. Moore and Josh Allen connected three times for 61 yards (off of 4 targets). Their longest connection of the day was for 32 yards where Moore was wide open and he took off looking for contact, which is shown here via Dan Fetes. Buffalo's new WR1 looked comfortable and it looks like he and Allen will be forming a phenomenal connection.
DE Mike Danna
There have been a lot of pass rushers brought in this offseason to fit Jim Leonhard’s defense, one of them being Mike Danna who was last with the Kansas City Chiefs. Danna showed fans that he can be a valuable rotational player on the defense as he had back-to-back sacks in yesterday’s win over the Panthers. He won’t be a starter for the Bills, but he has put himself in the conversation as definitely having a roster spot.
OLB T.J. Parker
The Bills’ first draft pick has high expectations to come in and deliver sooner than later, but he was fortunate enough to join a room that is led by Bradley Chubb and Greg Rousseau. Yesterday, there were plenty of times when we saw Parker bull rushing an offensive lineman and creating pressure.
He also managed to come away with his first sack in the NFL. The young rookie has started off strong, but now he will need to keep it going.
DB Jordan Hancock
Jordan Hancock is part of a crowded defensive back room which puts him in an uphill battle to get playing time. However, Hancock was solid in the run-defense with 4 tackles that included two for a loss. He already has the versatility to play corner and safety, and now really seeing his physicality should put him on the coaches’ radar.
QB Kyle Allen
I’ll admit it, I was not expecting a ton from Kyle Allen based on his performance during training camp. To be fair though, he played quality backup football to where he kept the offense as smooth as possible. He finished his day completing 87% of his passes for 108 yards, and finished with a QB rating of 94.8. I'm still a believer in bringing in more competition to solidify that QB2 spot, but Kyle Allen did not disappoint.
DT Deone Walker
If there was an MVP of this game, it was Deone Walker who picked where he left off last season. He had 3 total tackles that included a sack on Bryce Young, and his run-defense was unbelievable. Walker is already a lock to make this roster, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play at an All-Pro level under Leonhard.
Losers from Bills' preseason opener win
OL Spencer Brown
Even though the starters for the Bills looked solid in the beginning, right tackle Spencer Brown looked rough against Jaelan Phillips which included giving up a sack. Maybe it was nerves, or maybe it was just an off day. However, Brown can’t afford to give up a quick pass rush on Josh Allen.
K Tyler Bass
In all fairness, Bass looked better than maybe what we expected after missing all of last season. While he did go 3/4 on field goal attempts, he did miss a 45-yard field goal that went wide right and wasn’t close. It’s going to take some time for him to be comfortable, but if he continues to miss in the preseason, I don’t see how the Bills don’t bring in competition.
P Tommy Doman Jr.
Preseason is all about evaluating players, but it’s hard to do that when they don’t get a chance to play. That was the case with rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr., who didn’t get the chance to punt once in yesterday’s win. He didn’t get the chance to show what his leg power can do, so that’s the only reason why he is listed here.
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