Bills starting defense shines, Josh Allen-less offense lackluster vs. Steelers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — It was a tale of two sides of the ball for the Buffalo Bills starters in limited first-half action against the Steelers on Saturday night.

While the Bills starting defense looked stout against Pittsburgh’s starters, the Mitchell Trubisky-led offense failed to get past midfield in its first four drives. At halftime, the Steelers and Bills were tied 3-3, and Buffalo went on to win the game 9-3.

With heavy rain pouring down at Acrisure Stadium prior to kickoff, head coach Sean McDermott played things safe and held out some key Bills starters, most notably quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Terrel Bernard. However, most No. 1s were still out there for Buffalo in some capacity.

Most of the Bills’ starting defenders played into the second quarter and held the Steelers’ starting offense, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, to just one first down in four drives. Buffalo’s pass rush looked ready for the regular season, sacking Wilson three times, which included 2.5 sacks from Greg Rousseau.

Lancaster native and undrafted rookie Joe Andreesen got the start at linebacker in place of Bernard and shined, finishing with a game-high seven tackles in the first half. The UB product’s most eye-catching highlight saw him shed a block to get outside and wrap up Steelers running back Jaylen Warren for a short gain.

With no Allen, Trubisky took the reins of Buffalo’s starting offense and looked somewhat shaky in the pocket, holding onto the ball for too long and opting for a check down often. The 29-year-old finished 9-of-13 for 86 yards and an interception that saw him airmail a pass over the middle intended for tight end Quintin Morris. Trubisky led the Bills down the field for a field goal during his fifth and final drive, however, many starters on both teams were already done for the night.

While the quarterback play wasn’t stellar, Buffalo’s run game and starting offensive line play looked improved from their first preseason game against Chicago. Running back James Cook finished with 25 yards on six carries before exiting the game early in the second quarter.

Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling left the game late in the second quarter with a neck injury after staying down on the field for an extended time. He is out for the game, according to the team.

Trubisky (knee), Morris (shoulder) and defensive tackle Austin Johnson (calf) also picked up injuries and are out for the rest of the game, according to the team.

Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here .