The Buffalo Bills kicked off their preseason with a lackluster performance in losing at home last week to the Chicago Bears, 33-6. The only positive to take from that game was that the Bills seemed to get out of it injury-free. That bit of good fortune didn't last very long as the Bills lost All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano for most of the regular season.
Coming into the road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills certainly looked to come away with something positive after a discouraging week. While it was just a preseason game, the contest did give the Bills an important opportunity to regain some momentum and confidence.
A Defensive Battle in Pittsburgh
With both offenses out of sync, the game quickly became a defensive struggle against the Steelers. The first half was hard on the Bills, and they did manage to break the scoring drought late in the second quarter. Tyler Bass kicked a 27-yard field goal after a nine-play, 50-yard drive—the important figure in the game—to lead 3-0 at the end of the first half.
The Steelers responded on their last drive of the half. Following an uninspiring debut by quarterback Russell Wilson, Justin Fields took over and led a drive that ended with a 43-yard field goal by Chris Boswell, sending them to the locker room tied 3-3.
Trubisky Suffers Injury and Bass Stays Solid
The second half opened with the Bills losing their backup quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, to a knee injury whose severity was not immediately known. But even with that setback, it seemed like the Bills' offense was going to lean on its running game—which had been among the few positives in this otherwise drab performance.
Running back Ray Davis had an electrifying performance, punctuated by a 19-yard run that brought the Bills inside the Steelers' 10-yard line, but penalties and incomplete passes relegated the Bills to another Tyler Bass field goal—a 26-yard kick to put the Bills ahead 6-3.
Bass continued to be the most consistent player for the Bills, as he connected on a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to stretch the advantage to 9-3. Their defense continued to hold, and the Bills piled up 159 on the ground in running.
Looking Ahead
Though this may not have been such an offensive showcase as the Bills would have desired, it did have its silver linings in a strong performance on defense and consistent kicking by Tyler Bass. Preseason can be more about talent evaluation and depth assessment than wins, and if the Bills are to be ready for the regular season, then they will need to put things together on offense.
Though those are not small things, considering both Matt Milano and Mitchell Trubisky were out with injuries, the Bills still have some time to work on adjustments before the games count. For now, though, they're going to have to be satisfied with their defensive effort and strong performances from the likes of Ray Davis and Tyler Bass as they look forward to the next preseason test.
