The Buffalo Bills opened their new, $2.2 billion stadium with a 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The game had a little extra energy in the air, as in addition to the first game action at the new Highmark Stadium, the Bills starting lineup saw multiple series on the field.
Josh Allen rolled out with the starters and led Buffalo to two scoring drives in the first quarter. Tyler Bass opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal. Buffalo scored a touchdown on their subsequent drive, a nine-yard pass from Allen to Keon Coleman.
Defensively, Buffalo limited the Panthers from obtaining any type of rhythm. Outside of a late first-half touchdown pass from Carolina backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to Ja’seem Reed and a late garbage-time touchdown in the fourth quarter, there wasn’t much to be disappointed about on the defensive side of the ball.
As with any preseason game, the fourth quarter became a massive audition for depth spots and practice squads.
Here is how The Bills Wire analyzes Buffalo’s opening victory Saturday afternoon.
What went right?
The Bills offense came out firing, with Allen completing passes to Khalil Shakir and DJ Moore. On two drives, Allen completed six-of-eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Allen extended a play on Buffalo’s second drive and found Keon Coleman in the end zone. Allen seemed very comfortable with all three of Buffalo’s starting wide receivers.
Kyle Allen made a statement to be Josh Allen’s backup, going 14-of-16 for 108 yards.
Buffalo’s run game was solid. Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. each scored a touchdown in the second half. Mecole Hardman burst out with a 27-yard run on a reverse. The offensive line looked good in the trenches, creating holes for runners. All told, the Bills ran 25 times for 152 yards.
Defensively, Buffalo limited the Panthers to 201 total yards, with 75 yards coming on the final garbage-time drive for Carolina. The Bills allowed only 61 yards on the ground to the Panthers.
Mike Danna recorded two sacks, while TJ Parker and Deone Walker each added one sack to the ledger. The new-look defense suffocated Bryce Young, giving him little time to push the ball down the field.
Undrafted free agent Kani Walker intercepted Panthers third-string quarterback Kyle Trask for the game’s sole turnover.
As a whole, the defense made several solid plays to thwart the Panthers’ offense. The starters won the battles against Carolina with ease. The depth of the defense, especially the perceived second-stringers, limited any sort of meaningful passing attack from Kenny Pickett and completely shut down the Carolina run game.
Tyler Bass made three-of-four field goals and was successful on both of his PATs. He did miss a 44-yarder in the second quarter, but Bass rebounded to make his next two field goals.
What went wrong?
Buffalo dominated their first preseason game, so it’s a bit nitpicky right now with respect to what could be seen as a downside from this game.
The quarterbacks still had moments where they had to break out of the pocket due to free rushers. And while the first touchdown in the new Highmark Stadium was exciting, it was caused by Allen having to escape and extend a play due to avoiding rushers.
As with any preseason game, penalties are an issue. Buffalo committed nine fouls for 98 yards.
On special teams, and this is a stretch, the punt coverage team did not receive any reps. We will have to wait until next week to see this unit on display.
The bottom line
It was a great start to the preseason for the Bills. The first-team offense looked like they were in sync. The Bills moved the ball well, with the starters finding points on both of their drives. This is promising to see what the offense could look like with newcomer DJ Moore.
Defensively, the decisions will be challenging. The starting defense was stout during their time on the field. The reserves played well, showing comfort on the field and making plays throughout the afternoon.
As of now, there will still be some difficult decisions as the Bills look to finalize their roster over the next few weeks. Everyone seemed to keep their name on the radar for the final roster after today’s performance.
What’s next?
Buffalo travels to Cleveland for their lone road preseason game next Saturday at 1 p.m. Expect to see fewer starters next week against the Browns, as the BIlls will focus on finding players to round out the depth of the roster.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Instant analysis: What went right, wrong in Bills’ win vs. Panthers
Reporting by Justin DiLoro, Bills Wire / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Justin DiLoro, Bills Wire | USA TODAY Network
