Sitting with a cup of coffee the day after an explosive 9-3 field-goal victory over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium resonates through my aging brain. No touchdowns yet this preseason for the boys in blue, but we’re not hitting the panic button just yet here in Wyoming.
I write this having NOT looked at social media or any postgame review articles about the game because I like to post my thoughts before I see what anyone else has written or said. There’s a lot that could be said about this game, mainly good… but in some cases there are areas of significant concern.
Here are a few things that stood out in my mind after the game:
On Offense
First up, Tyler Bass.
He is now perfect in the preseason so I hope the negative nellies will get off his back and let him concentrate on being the kind of kicker he’s been in the past; a dawg. Although it’s great his leg is getting a good workout, it would be nice if Buffalo would start putting some touchdowns on the board as well. That being said, it’s good to see Bass begin to get into a groove. The winds at Highmark Stadium didn’t seem to bother him last week against the Chicago Bears and he stacked another perfect outing against the Steelers on Saturday.
The Curious Decline of Mitch Trubisky.
Few quarterbacks are as puzzling as Mitch Trubisky. How can a QB who performed at such a high level as a rookie crater as precipitously as Trubisky did? Chicago apparently is the NFC’s version of the Jets as far as developing quarterbacks. Hopefully Caleb Williams won’t follow Mitch’s fall from grace. He’s much more physically talented and the Bears look like they may finally have landed a good one.
Trubisky’s performance against Pittsburgh only amplified the ranting and raving by Bills fans that started after the Bears game. Mitch went 9/13 for 86 yards, no TDs and one INT. He was also sacked twice for 21 yards and had a QB rating of 55.3. He made a horrible pass attempt to Keon Coleman in the end zone that would have seen Coleman get trucked by the defender. He also missed open receivers, held on to the ball too long and telegraphed where he was going with his often inaccurate passes. Trubisky apparently hurt his knee in the second quarter and was replaced by Ben DiNucci… who’s been on the roster for less than a week.
Bottom line:
Regardless of Trubisky’s injury status, Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane are undoubtedly concerned about the backup QB situation. As well they should be. While Josh Allen’s input is important to consider when selecting a backup, it definitely needs to take a back seat to finding a suitable backup for the Buffalo Bills in the future. Mitch Trubisky does not meet the criteria necessary to instill a modicum of confidence if Josh Allen is injured.
Hopefully the brass at One Bills Drive will move this priority up the list in the next NFL draft. If Ryan Tannehill could be had on the cheap right now, I would be all over supporting that move. It’s way past time for the Bills to find a quality backup like Jim Kelly had in Frank Reich back in the day. Mitch Trubisky is not IT.
Tantalizing Running Backs
While James Cook fiddle-farted around with the first string, Ray Davis came in and showed why Buffalo drafted him in the fourth round, overall 128. This dude has juice. He’s going to be a problem for opposing defenses because he is strong, shifty and fast enough. His wearing number 22 brings a smile to my face because there’s no one who’s stood out in that number since Fred Jackson ruled during the drought years. And like Freddy, he’s got soft hands!
It also came as no surprise to see Frank Gore, Jr. have another great preseason showing, this time against Pittsburgh’s defense. Admittedly these are not first string players Gore is up against, but you can see the straight ahead strength he has pushing straight up the middle like Daddy used to do. He is making a case for himself at RB3. Ty Johnson will have something to say about it, but putting Gore on the practice squad looks dicey if a team has a sudden need for a running back.
All in all, the offense clearly missed competent QB play in the passing game. Thankfully, Ben DiNucci will have another week to learn more about Joe Brady’s playbook. I did not get a good enough look to comment about the offensive line performance as a whole except to note OT Spencer Brown’s obligatory penalty. While Buffalo reduced their penalties in this game overall… eight penalties for 50 yards… no one in the Bills kingdom is pleased with this number of penalties, least of all Sean McDermott.
On Defense
Joe Andreessen.
Our Western New York native and UB linebacker had a magical debut as the inside linebacker for the Bills against the Steelers in front of family and friends… as well as teammates who cheered him on as he led the defense with 12 tackles, 7 solo, and two TFLs. He played all four quarters of the game. McDermott praised Andreessen after the game and remarked about Joe’s terrific story… about how a University at Buffalo guy walked on to the Bills roster and is now making a case for himself as a competent and heady player in the NFL. Just wow. We can’t help but root hard for this young man.
Bobby in the Box is working.
There was another “Junior” who made a great showing on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Bobby Babich, Jr. called a terrific game on defense, safely ensconced in the box [w/a birthday nod to @NickelCityCrew’s Rob Crippen, lol.] The NFL world is not ready for what Greg Rousseau is about to unleash this season. He ravaged poor old Russell Wilson (who looked every bit the burned-out QB) and had 4 tackles, 3 solo, 2.5 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits in the FIRST QUARTER OF THE GAME.
Bobby immediately and rightfully sat Rousseau’s butt down at that point. I would not be opposed to putting Greg in bubble wrap the rest of the way and letting young guys like Javon Solomon get some work (one tackle, 4 QB hits not shabby).
Other notables on defense who deserve an honorable mention:
The defensive line had a solid overall performance. DT DeWayne Carter is improving weekly and Ed Oliver would have wreaked havoc all day if he played the entire game.
While many of us obsessed about how Dorian Williams would perform as the heir apparent to Matt Milano’s outside linebacker position, Williams did just fine. Dorian’s stat line of one solo tackle did not reflect his play on the field. He is a heavy hitter and as he settles in as a starter, I believe his ceiling is high. If Matt Milano is done, Dorian Williams won’t be a cliff sized drop off in a couple years. He’s young and in a defensive scheme very different than the defense at Tulane. Milano came from a 4-2-5 system at Boston College like McDermott runs, so his uptake was much further ahead when he was a rookie. Patience with Dorian Williams will likely pay off.
Photo of Tyler Bass by © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn.com, LLC.
Special Teams
All in all, there weren’t any serious gaffes by Special Teams. Bass made all three field goals (long = 31 yards) and Sam Martin’s five punts/52.8 yard average kept the Steelers in their own end for much of the game. Daequan Hardy’s five punt receptions for 63 yards (12.6 avg/long = 31 yards) were adequate and if he works at it, he looks to be a great option moving forward.
Final Thoughts
Many preseason games are downright painful to watch. As obsessed fans of the Buffalo Bills, we know not to take preseason games too seriously in terms of final scores or team record. That stated, there are certainly position groups and tendencies to be concerned about.
Unless Cole Bishop is the second coming of Terrel Bernard, it’s reasonable to be concerned about both safety positions. Bishop lost valuable time ramping up for the regular season. Taylor Rapp and anyone currently on the roster certainly do not inspire fear like the Hyde/Poyer combination we took for granted for so many years. Time will tell how much of a liability it will be to lose these two heralded safeties.
Apparently Sean McDermott made the decision to put Josh Allen on the sideline because of considerable rain right before the game. He said there wasn’t enough time for Josh to go through a proper warm up… and his gut instinct told him to bench Allen. [wink and nod to @NickleCityCrew] We hope McDermott’s gut instincts are better than his record at challenges to date.
In this case it turned out to be necessary albeit painful experience to watch Mitch Trubisky remind Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott they now have a problem at QB2… after just finding a replacement for QB3 Shane Buchele… who is out now for an undetermined period of time with a neck injury.
Let’s just hope the injury list does not get any worse. But old folks like me have learned not to obsess about injuries. We’re all pawns to the vagaries of life.
One more thing. Joe Brady and Bobby Babich have done a good job of showing NOTHING for opponents to seize upon in terms of game planning. Babich sitting Terrel Bernard was interesting… and afforded an opportunity for our shining star, Joe Andreessen. Magic often comes from unexpected places.
Editor’s babble: One more game to see how the ‘retooled’ Buffalo Bills will fare in the 2024 NFL regular season. I’ll be blabbering one game at a time here and Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.
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