What to look out for in the warm-up game against the Steelers
Sal Maiorana and Adam Benigni talk with Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News about Matt Milano’s injury and look ahead to the Steelers.
Sean McDermott was visibly disappointed with his Buffalo Bills’ performance in the season opener against the Chicago Bears and this was evident throughout the week at practice, first at One Bills Drive and then during the joint practice session with the Steelers on Thursday.
Simply put, the Bills’ performance against Chicago was unacceptable. They failed to play to the level of play McDermott demanded, and it didn’t matter that it was a preseason game.
The Bills got the message and were a different team in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, beating the Steelers 9-3 in a tough field goal duel at Acrisure Stadium.
It was difficult to make a judgement on the first line of offense, as quarterback Josh Allen was removed from the lineup after heavy rain fell about 90 minutes before kickoff, softening the field. But the first line of defense, which played the first quarter and part of the second, was dominant, as the Steelers were unable to do anything.
“It starts with the energy,” McDermott said during the halftime break of his television interview. “Very impressed with how they played tonight.”
When the Bills’ starting defense was on the field, Pittsburgh had four possessions and they all ended in punts, three of them three-and-outs. It was a huge improvement from the game against Chicago, when the first unit was torched on two possessions by Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams.
“Obviously, we all knew that wasn’t our standard,” said wide receiver Khalil Shakir. “After the game (against the Bears), we all sat there and said, ‘We’re not going to do it like that.'”
McDermott criticized his team’s lack of physicality and the team responded to that criticism in a great way.
Here are some other observations I made while playing:
Bad weather gave Josh Allen a place on the bench
Allen was supposed to play with the regulars until the start of the second quarter, but when it started to rain and the Steelers’ groundskeepers had already removed the tarp from the field, McDermott decided to leave his star outside.
“I thought Josh had a great week of training, a great training here, but with the conditions on the grass I didn’t want to take any risks,” said McDermott.
Allen was asked about his decision on television during the game and said: “It was tough. I was looking forward to getting some drives, but I understand why he did it. I’ll joke with him for the next week that it was a soft move.”
It was probably the right decision, but of course it was the offense’s undoing. Mitchell Trubisky got off to a lousy start, taking sacks on the first two possessions, but he finally found his rhythm in the second quarter on the Bills’ only scoring drive of the half.
Right after Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell missed a 52-yard field goal, the Bills fell into a first-and-20 hole due to a holding penalty on tight end Tre McKitty. But Trubisky completed a nice 17-yard pass to Quintin Morris, and after Ray Davis ran for a first down, Trubisky threw a 27-yard pass to Zach Davidson, who took the ball to the 14-yard line.
Two incomplete passes, including a quick pass at the goal line to rookie Keon Coleman that looked catchable, forced the Bills to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Tyler Bass.
Trubisky completed 9 of 13 passes for 86 yards, but his slow decision-making remains a problem. He also threw a terrible interception when he threw over Morris and the ball sailed right into the arms of Pittsburgh safety Miles Killebrew. Oh, and he also injured his knee, which appears to be the reason he didn’t finish the first half.
Another wave of injuries could mean trouble
It’s been a difficult week for the Bills, especially due to linebacker Matt Milano’s torn biceps, which will likely keep him out of action until December.
And then the Bills lost several players during the game besides Trubisky. Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling suffered a neck injury late in the second quarter, defensive tackle Austin Johnson was out with a calf injury, Morris suffered a shoulder injury. None of them were able to return to the game, and rookie edge rusher Javon Solomon injured his calf.
Valdes-Scantling is already struggling to get into the team, having not impressed in training or in the first two games. If he misses one match, it could cost him a place in the squad.
Johnson is locked in as one of the top four tackles in the rotation, so if he’s out, rookie DeWayne Carter, drafted in the third round, will have to fill the void. And Morris is battling with Davidson for the third tight end spot. Davidson has already made a big push and is threatening Morris’ spot on the roster. Solomon, a fifth-round pick, is on track to make the final roster.
Trubisky’s injury is certainly interesting because if he is out for an extended period of time, the Bills will be desperate to find a replacement since Ben DiNucci cannot be the No. 2.
I saw on X a few people begging the Bills to call up veteran free agent Ryan Tannehill, and that was before Trubisky got hurt because they were annoyed with Trubisky’s play. Tannehill, 36, is on the open market and is by far the best quarterback still available without a team.
If not Tannehill, the unimpressive list includes Brian Hoyer, Blaine Gabbert, AJ McCarron and Trevor Siemian.
This is what Greg Rousseau must be like
Rousseau was unblockable, as Steelers right tackle Broderick Jones found out. Rousseau abused him for two sacks on Russell Wilson, ending Pittsburgh’s first and third possessions, and he shared a sack with Ed Oliver on the Steelers’ second possession.
“I just try to play smart, fast and physical,” Rousseau said. “That means going out there and giving my 1/11, making those plays that get attention and get the whole defense on its toes.”
This is a big season for Rousseau. The 2021 first-round pick, whose fifth-year option was exercised in May, needs to become a player opposing teams reckon with, because that hasn’t been the case in his first three seasons. While he’s played well, he hasn’t been dominant, and with Von Miller an uncertainty, Rousseau and AJ Epenesa will need to bring pressure at the perimeter.
Local hero Joe Andreessen had a pretty good night
McDermott decided to bench middle linebacker Terrel Bernard after Milano was injured, and that will likely be the case again next week in the final preseason game against Carolina.
With Milano, Bernard, Nicholas Morrow and Baylon Spector all out, Andreesen started the entire game, and he took full advantage of his opportunity. Andreessen, who grew up a Bills fan while attending Lancaster High School and the University at Buffalo, was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in the spring.
He was the absolute underdog to make the team, and his path to the 53-man roster is likely still blocked, but he has certainly shown enough to earn a spot on the practice squad.
Andreessen was everywhere, contributing to 12 tackles, including a shared sack with JaMarcus Ingram of Justin Fields on a fourth-and-2 play at the Buffalo 9 late in the third quarter that ended the Steelers’ scoring opportunity.
Tyler Bass is on the move
The fifth-year kicker with the new contract extension has been a bit inconsistent in practice, but he has now converted all five of his preseason attempts, three of them in this game, although all of them were chip shots from 27, 26 and 31 yards.
Bass is responsible for all 15 points scored by Buffalo as the offense failed to score a touchdown. It is vital that Bass regains his confidence after his poor postseason performance last January, as it looks like the Bills will be involved in a lot of close games this year.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades, including 35 years as a full-time reporter for D&C, and has written numerous books on the team’s history. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @salmaiorana. https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
