The Buffalo Bills opened their 2024 preseason with an abysmal 33-6 loss at home to the Chicago Bears where the only bright spot was nobody was injured.
But you can scratch that bright spot now, too, after Buffalo lost All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano for the majority of the regular season.
While tonight's road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is just preseason football, you must think the Bills would like to have something to feel good about after a miserable week.
Buffalo Bills picked up their first win of preseason in a game where the defense outshined their offense.
The defense performed much better than they did last week against the Bills.
Tyler Bass is now 3-for-3 on field goals after making a 31-yard kick early in the fourth quarter. Bills 9, Steelers 3.
The Bills continue to run the ball well and now have 159 yards rushing in the game.
Backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky suffered a knee injury which prevented him from finishing the first half. The severity of the injury is unknown.
Bills had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Tyler Bass after their promising first drive of the second half ground to halt inside the 10. Bills lead 6-3.
Running back Ray Davis was electric for Bills, highlighted by 19 –yard scamper inside the Steelers 10-yard line.
But a penalty, a blown up run and incomplete pass forced the Bills to settle for 3 points.
Justin Fields took over at quarterback for the Steelers on the second-to-last possession of the half following an uninspiring Pittsburgh debut by Russell Wilson.
Fields did nothing on his first series, but on the second, his 20-yard scramble to the Buffalo 30, and then his five-yard completion to Scotty Miller set up Chris Boswell for a 43-yard field goal that tied the game at 3-3 heading to halftime.
In a first half that was dominated by defense, the Bills finally broke through as Tyler Bass kicked a 27-yard field goal to cap a nine-play, 50-yard drive.
The Steelers’ Chris Boswell missed a 52-yard field goal that clanged off the left upright, so the Bills took over at their own 42, and the drive got off to a poor start as a holding penalty on the first play set them back.
However, Mitchell Trubisky hit Quintin Morris for 17 yards, Ray Davis converted the first down, and then Trubisky completed a 27-yard pass to Zach Davidson on a third-and-5 to the 14. The drive stalled there on a pair of incomplete passes.
Buffalo has just 3 first downs in after three series. Trubisky and the rest of the starters are still in the game and tosses an interception.
Steelers take over on their 44-yard line.
As we close out the first quarter, both defenses are playing better than the opposing team’s offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers starting QB Russell Wilson has been sacked three times, and the Bills’ Trubisky has been sacked twice.
There's Just over 12 minutes left in the second quarter, and both teams have been forced to punt three times.
The Bills planned to start their star quarterback against the Steelers, but at the last minute Sean McDermott changed his mind and Mitch Trubisky is starting.
It is believed that the heavy rain that fell before the game, and after the tarp had been taken off the field, altered the night for Allen as the Bills don’t want to risk him getting hurt on a wet field.
The Bills already depleted safety unit has taken another hit as Damar Hamlin, a native of Pittsburgh who was so excited about playing in his hometown, is not dressed for the game.
He left the joint practice Thursday with an injury, though it was not disclosed what happened. He said that day that everything was fine and he was taken out as a precaution, but obviously, it’s enough of an injury to keep him sidelined along with fellow safeties Cole Bishop and Mike Edwards who have been out more than two weeks each.
Also not dressed are wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Lawrence Keys III, offensive lineman Travis Clayton, linebackers Matt Milano, Nicholas Morrow, and Baylon Spector, and edge rusher Casey Toohill.
This is certainly a blow for Toohill who was signed to a one-year free agent deal but has not distinguished himself in a fierce competition at the position.
The weather forecast in Pittsburgh is improving and the fans were just given the OK to re-enter the stadium, and the teams have started to return to the field for their pre-game warmup.
The referees are telling the players that there will be a 7:05 p.m. start.
- Play-by-play: Andrew Catalon
- Sideline reporter: Maddy Glab
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect in Pittsburgh and the stadium has been evacuated with fans being told to seek shelter in the concourses at Acrisure Stadium. Both teams have exited the field and gone back to their locker rooms.
The warning went out about 15 minutes ago, and there is a very good chance the 7 p.m. kickoff will be delayed.
- Network TV: CBS. The game will be available locally via the following stations: WROC (Channel 8, Rochester), WIVB (Buffalo area), WSYR (Syracuse), WPNY/WFXV/WUTR (Utica); WETM/EETM (Elmira); WWTI (Watertown); WTEN/WXXA (Albany).
- Cable TV: NFL Network, with the exception of the local Buffalo market.
- Online streaming services: You can watch games on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, and you can subscribe to NFL+, the league’s own streaming service, though you can’t cast the games to your TV - you must watch on your phone or tablet.
- TV streaming: You can also stream games if you have subscriptions to Spectrum, DirecTV, fuboTV, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV+.
A thunderstorm was rolling through at 5:10 p.m. at Allegheny County Airport, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies this evening, with a chance of a passing shower or thunderstorm. The high will be near 87.
As of Friday, head coach Sean McDermott was planning for the starters, including Josh Allen, to play around a quarter and a half tonight, according to Maddy Glab , a reporter who works for the Buffalo Bills. But with rain in the forecast, those plans might be adjusted, she said.
Without a doubt, the big question is do the Bills have an in-house player who can replace Milano after he tore his bicep in practice Tuesday.
Head coach Sean McDermott sees promise in second-year player Dorian Williams. Williams was wildly inconsistent last season with veteran Tyrel Dodson eventually taking over the position. If Williams can't handle it again this season, there's veteran offseason free agent signees, Nicholas Morrow or Deion Jones.
The Bills lost the battle in the trenches last week against the Bears and it showed in the running game.
It would also be nice to see better production from Buffalo’s quarterbacks, especially Josh Allen’s backups, Mitchell Trubisky and Ben DiNucci, who the Bills signed earlier this week.
The return game was only meh against Chicago, with missed opportunities and a botched return by KJ Hamler. Maybe the blazing-fast WR Damiere Byrd , signed by the Bills after Chase Claypool was put on the IR and later released, could bolster the unit.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Final: Buffalo Bills defense has plenty to be proud of in win against Pittsburgh Steelers
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