Preseason football is a weird beast. You’re sitting there in mid-August, the humidity in Orchard Park is thick enough to chew on, and you’re watching a guy wearing number 46 miss a tackle. Most people check out by the second quarter. They see Josh Allen take a seat on the bench after one series—if he plays at all—and assume the rest of the game is just filler until September. They're wrong. Honestly, the Buffalo Bills preseason game isn't about the stars; it's a high-stakes job interview where careers are made or evaporated in the span of a three-and-out.
High stakes. Real pressure.
If you aren't looking at the depth chart, you're missing the actual story. When the Bills take the field for these exhibition matches, Sean McDermott isn't looking for a win on the scoreboard. He's looking for the guy who can play gunner on punt coverage without blowing a lane assignment. He’s looking for the backup guard who doesn’t get folded like a lawn chair when a defensive tackle stunts inside. It's about the "grinders."
Why the Buffalo Bills preseason game actually dictates the season
The general consensus among casual fans is that preseason results don't matter because the 0-4 Lions once went 16-0 in the regular season—wait, it was the other way around. The 2008 Lions went 4-0 in preseason and 0-16 in the regular season. But for Buffalo, these games are the only time the front office gets to see "live-fire" reps for the bottom third of the roster. Brandon Beane, the Bills General Manager, has built a reputation on finding gems in the late rounds and undrafted free agency. You don't find a Taron Johnson or a DaQuan Jones by accident. You find them because they showed something when the lights were on in August.
Think about the backup quarterback situation. It’s the most stressful position for a fanbase that relies so heavily on a dual-threat superstar. If Allen goes down for two quarters, can the backup move the chains? A Buffalo Bills preseason game is the only environment where a guy like Mitchell Trubisky or whoever is currently holding the clipboard can prove they won't sink the ship.
It’s about rhythm. It’s about the "no-huddle" operation. If the backup QB can't get the play call in from Joe Brady fast enough in a meaningless game against the Bears or Steelers, he sure as heck won't do it at Arrowhead in December.
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The roster bubble is where the drama lives
Every year, there are about five spots on the 53-man roster that are up for grabs. Imagine working your entire life for a shot at the NFL, and it all comes down to a Thursday night game where half the stadium is already at the concession stands. That’s the reality.
- Special Teams value: If a wide receiver is the 5th or 6th option, he won't make the team unless he’s a demon on special teams. We saw this with players like Taiwan Jones for years.
- The "Practice Squad" stash: Sometimes, the Bills will purposely limit a player's reps in the final Buffalo Bills preseason game to try and "hide" them from other teams' scouts. It’s a game of poker. If a young linebacker plays too well, another team might claim him off waivers when the Bills try to move him to the practice squad.
- Conditioning checks: High-tempo drills in training camp at St. John Fisher are one thing, but 60 minutes of game clock is another.
Reading between the lines of the box score
Don't look at the final score. It literally doesn't matter. Seriously. Instead, look at who is playing with the first-team offensive line. If a rookie tackle is getting snaps with the starters during the second Buffalo Bills preseason game, that’s a massive signal. It means the coaching staff is losing faith in the veteran incumbent.
The defensive rotation is equally telling. McDermott loves to rotate his defensive linemen to keep them fresh. During the preseason, he’s testing out combinations. Who works well together on a "T-E" stunt? Which edge rusher has developed a counter-move to his bull rush? These are the nuances that win games in the AFC East.
There's also the "eye test" for speed. NFL speed is different. You can see it immediately when a rookie wide receiver tries to stack a veteran cornerback. In a Buffalo Bills preseason game, you're looking for that separation. Does the kid look like he's running in sand, or is he gliding?
The injury factor: A necessary evil
Nobody wants to talk about it, but injuries during the preseason can derail a Super Bowl run before it starts. The Bills have had their share of scares. This is why you see the "starters" playing less and less every year. The league has moved toward joint practices—where two teams scrimmage during the week—to get high-intensity reps without the full-speed tackling that leads to broken bones.
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However, joint practices don't replace the stadium environment. The noise, the play clock, the officiating—it’s all part of the "mental" preseason.
How to watch like a pro scout
Next time you flip on a Buffalo Bills preseason game, try focusing on one player for an entire series. Don't follow the ball. Watch the left guard. Is he keeping his weight back? Is he identifying the blitz? Or watch the safety. Is he cheating toward the deep middle, or is he flat-footed?
You’ll start to see why the Bills make the cuts they do. Sometimes a guy has "great stats" in the preseason—maybe three sacks—but the coaches cut him anyway. Why? Because he blew his gap containment on five other plays. In Buffalo's scheme, discipline is everything. One "hero" play doesn't make up for five "losing" plays.
The "Preseason Legend" trap
We’ve all seen it. A player dominates against third-stringers who will be selling insurance in three weeks. Fans fall in love. They scream on social media that this guy is the next Stefon Diggs. Then, the regular season starts, and he disappears.
The jump from "preseason speed" to "regular season speed" is like jumping from a Vespa to a Ducati. The Bills' staff is looking for the guys whose technique holds up when the game speeds up. They aren't fooled by a long touchdown run against a tired undrafted free agent in the fourth quarter.
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Actionable insights for Bills fans this August
If you're heading to Highmark Stadium or watching from home, here is how you can actually get value out of the experience:
Track the "second-year jump." Look for players drafted the previous year who were quiet as rookies. If they are dominating their reps in the Buffalo Bills preseason game, it means the game has "slowed down" for them. This is usually the best indicator of a breakout season.
Monitor the kicking battle. If there's a competition at punter or kicker, every single attempt is a data point. Buffalo weather is notoriously difficult; seeing how a new leg handles the swirling winds in the preseason is vital information for the coaching staff.
Watch the sideline energy. It sounds "woo-woo," but notice how the starters react to the backups. A cohesive team celebrates the "bottom-of-the-roster" guys. It reflects the culture Sean McDermott has spent years building.
Keep an eye on the waiver wire. Immediately after the final preseason game, the Bills will cut their roster down to 53. This is a chaotic 24-hour period. Often, the player who will make the biggest impact as a depth piece isn't even on the roster yet—they're currently playing for another team's preseason squad and will be claimed by Beane.
Preseason isn't a chore. It's a puzzle. If you know which pieces to look at, you can see the entire season taking shape long before the first kickoff in September. Stop worrying about the score and start watching the feet, the hands, and the hustle. That's where the real Buffalo Bills football is happening.
Check the official Bills mobile app for real-time jersey number updates before kickoff, as many training camp invites wear duplicate numbers that can be confusing. Focus your attention on the offensive line depth during the second half—this is traditionally Buffalo's thinnest unit and the most likely to determine the success of the run game in late-season weather.