Instant reaction: Bills create more roster questions with loss to Panthers in preseason finale
The Buffalo Bills fell to the Carolina Panthers 31-26 in their final preseason game ahead of the 2024 season. The Bills faired well despite not playing any of their starters in this game.
The Bills offense finally found a pulse, scoring three touchdowns. Ben DiNucci helped end the preseason touchdown drought with an 18-yard swing pass to running back Darrynton Evans. Frank Gore Jr. had a breakout game, culminating with a five-yard touchdown run. To top things off, KJ Hamler scored a one-yard rushing touchdown.
Impressively, quarterbacks Ben DiNucci and Anthony Brown combined to go 22-of-27 for 156 yards and one touchdown. The duo did a nice job for a third preseason game, as the pair were not on Buffalo’s radar until a rash of injuries occurred in the quarterback room.
At the very least, DiNucci made a case to start the season as Josh Allen’s reserve.
Buffalo’s offensive line was solid throughout the afternoon. The group did a solid job of creating space for running backs and providing time for quarterbacks to throw. In particular, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Tylan Grable looked impressive at the point of attack.
The offensive line helped Frank Gore Jr. with his breakout game. Gore rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a rushing touchdown. He was elusive and decisive with his running. In addition, Darrynton Evans was shifty and did a nice job gaining extra yards throughout the afternoon. Evans had three rushes for 15 yards. However, Evans was impressive as a pass catcher, reeling in three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown. Both players put themselves on the radar for, at the very least, a practice squad spot.
While DiNucci and Brown did a nice job with their limited time in camp, it did impact the receivers. Several receivers are fighting for a roster spot, and it was difficult to get the ball in their hands to show off their skills. Shavers did well in training camp, but he did not explode in preseason games. He just missed out on a touchdown reception, as a DiNucci pass just went off his fingertips in the end zone.
Zach Davidson has made his name known, earning extra snaps throughout training camp. The Bills TE3, Quintin Morris, has missed time due to a shoulder injury. Davidson did not have a massive stat line today, with three receptions or 19 yards. However, he had a nice catch and has shown he can compete at this level. It remains to be seen if Morris’ injury creates a roster spot.
Linebacker Joe Andreessen earned a large chunk of snaps today. He had an inconsistent game, as he did well with plugging holes and using his athleticism to move sideline-to-sideline. However, a miscommunication with Deion Jones allowed Jordan Matthews to be wide open for a touchdown. He was also blocked out of place on Mike Boone’s touchdown run. However, Andressen could still be the best option to provide depth for the linebacker group.
The Bills secondary, however, was torched multiple times. Some of the mistakes were mental, while others were just missed tackles. Buffalo allowed 340 yards through the air today. Outside of Ja’Marcus Ingram, it’s challenging to see if any of the depth secondary players who played today will contribute throughout the season.
Another concern connects to Tyler Bass. Bass was perfect for the first two preseason games, successfully making five field goals. However, Bass’ field goal miss was bad. It didn’t look good from the initial strike. Buffalo needs to work with Bass on getting his mojo back. Otherwise, the team will have massive questions when attempting field goals in the 50-55-yard range.
There’s still a lot to be decided by Tuesday’s roster deadline. Right now, it feels like there might be more questions for Buffalo now than when the team arrived at training camp at St. John Fisher.
The biggest concern today is that several of the bubble players did not have a performance that cemented their name into the final roster.
General Manager Brandon Beane has a lot to consider over the next 72 hours. It’s going to be a bit challenging to unpack as the team moves toward naming the final roster.
