The Buffalo Bills are now 2-0 this preseason after beating the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, 31-7, at Huntington Bank Field.
It was the first road trip for the Bills under new head coach Joe Brady, and it was a successful one. The Bills dominated despite resting a large chunk of key players, including scoring 24 unanswered points to end the game.
Here are five takeaways from Week 2 of the preseason:
Kyle Allen steps in
Quarterback Kyle Allen got the start on Saturday, with Josh Allen and the rest of the starters not taking the field, and he looked comfortable in the pocket. The Bills’ QB2 went 10-for-12 passing for 128 yards and one touchdown. He led two scoring drives and had the Bills up 14-7 at the half.
A couple wide receivers stand out
Allen found WR Trent Sherfield for three big gains in the first half of 17, 18, and 20 yards. He also found undrafted rookie Ja’Mori Maclin for a big gain of 37 yards at the end of the second half. And in the third quarter, QB Shane Buechele found Maclin for a 71-yard touchdown.
Sherfield is making his case to be on the 53-man roster given his reliability as a depth WR and a special teams player, while Maclin (cousin of former Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin) is making his case to at hang around on the practice squad this year.
Hancock continues to flash
Second-year defensive back Jordan Hancock has had a strong training camp and first week of preseason, and he continued to show that he can contribute when called upon in preseason Week 2. Primarily playing from the nickel, he had a couple big tackles for loss last week, and this week he was able to blow up a couple more run plays, using speed and instincts to track the ball carrier and allow teammates to rally to the ball.
He could be a long-term chess piece for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, as he was clearly one of the leaders out there with the backup defense.
Tyler Bass connects from 52 yards out
Tyler Bass only attempted one field goal on Saturday, a 52-yarder, and he made it. It almost missed, but it narrowly went through the uprights. It was the first 50-yarder in game action for Bass since the 2024 AFC championship game. He also went 4-of-4 on extra points.
Bass is now 4-of-5 on field goals this preseason. These are all meaningful reps for Bass, who missed the entire 2025 campaign due to hip and groin injuries.
Defense causing turnovers
The Bills spoiled the Browns’ quarterback battle, as they forced two interceptions in the game. Damar Hamlin intercepted a Shedeur Sanders pass in the first half and Te’Cory Couch intercepted a Deshaun Watson pass in the second half:
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 5 takeaways from the Bills’ 31-7 preseason win vs. the Browns
Reporting by Kam Towle, Bills Wire / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kam Towle, Bills Wire | USA TODAY Network
