This past Thursday morning, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said his teams starters, including quarterback Josh Allen, will start their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon.
In years past, the preseason opener — and any preseason game for that matter — haven't been very noteworthy, but after going through a barrage of changes this offseason, the new-look Bills will get their first taste of in-game action together.
While training camp at St. John Fisher University is a productive way for the team to build chemistry, they won't truly be ready for week one until each unit has played some real snaps together. For Allen, he's looking to lead a fresh offense that features only one wide receiver returning from last year's bunch and a new starting center in Connor McGovern that's exclusively played guard during his four-year NFL career.
On the flip side, the Bills lost the quarterbacks of their defense with the departures of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer who were key communicators and contributors. The potential new voice of their defense, new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, will get his first taste of calling plays on Saturday afternoon.
With so much change comes the excitement of seeing the Bills new-look identity play out in real-time. The NFL debut of rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman is a key storyline, as is the battle for one of the starting safety positions, currently headlined by Damar Hamlin after some injuries to his running mates and a strong performance in practice this summer.
For both sides of the ball, this game will serve as a litmus test, if things go smoothly then the Bills can feel confident about where they're at heading into the regular season. But if not, they could potentially run out the starters for more preseason action over the next few weeks.
As for the Bears, who are also turning the page on a new era, they plan to start this year's number-one overall pick Caleb Williams for his NFL debut.
So unlike most other preseason games, perhaps both teams have some motivation to look sharp on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. While this game won't have a direct impact on the standings, it could indirectly play a role in shaping the Bills performance to open the season.
After so much change, the team is hoping to work out its kinks ahead of its real season starting next month, and this game will be their first opportunity to do that against a real opponent.
With that said, welcome back to another year of Bills football — the 2024 season is officially here.