Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills have a Chicago Bears problem. For the second summer in a row, they find themselves on the wrong end of a steamroll loss. In 2024, Buffalo dropped a 33-6 snoozer to a rookie quarterback the defense couldn’t stop, one Caleb Williams.
Tonight, they bested that busted effort, losing 38-0 while letting Williams and the rest of Chicago’s offense look like the second coming of the Greatest Show on Turf. Hold up: It’s preseason, none of this matters. Right?
That’s 100% true. But humor me for a few moments below. I’m not here to alarm anyone, but it’s my job to report on Bills games, and something far different unfolded late Sunday night. Something far too reminiscent of a Gregg Williams canvas. You’re welcome, America!
Let me reason with you. There’s a lot to ignore from tonight’s Bills-Bears clash. Really, all of it if you’re a Bills fan. Sure there were some highlights, namely the continued hustle from defensive tackle Deone Walker who’s shown capable of rushing the pass.
Yes, the punting game looked good, and that opening boot by rookie kicker Caden Davis was a thing of beauty. There was also the in-box interview from general manager Brandon Beane in the third quarter, which included an amusing story about his cell phone during the Steinfeld-Allen wedding.
But then you stop and realize that in order to find enough positives, one begins to suffocate in negative plays. I’m one of the first to tell people that thinking too hard about what unfolded in any preseason game is a fool’s game, especially with the McDermott Bills, at best. Yet, still… Sunday night was truly awful football from Buffalo. Truth be told, it was fundamentally flawed play in nearly every aspect. Remember, however, that it is just preseason play.
As head coach, Sean McDermott takes a certain approach to preseason games, and that’s to exit them healthy and without revealing much in strategy. McDermott even told reporters following the Week 1 preseason loss against the New York Giants that there’s very little (perhaps zero) game-planning put into these scrimmages. He values the role evaluation plays in looking at players stripped down to their barest element void of team-specific game planning. It’s my guess that very little of the team’s playbook is revealed in these games — instead it may simply be more conceptual ball within the confines of a preferred general scheme.
But then injuries throw things off, as was the case with rookie defensive back Jordan Hancock. After Hancock was ruled out with a shoulder injury, the Bills shifted to a 4-3 base defense. The short story here is that it’s impossible to get a clear read on this team from preseason play.
Will that come back to haunt Buffalo when the regular season begins? It remains to be seen, but it’s worth mentioning that the Baltimore Ravens have tread similar waters in holding out starters in the preseason. That said, I won’t worry that reserve linebacker Joe...
