What We Saw: Preseason Week 2

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Bills @ Steelers

Final Score: Steelers 27, Bills 15

Writer: Chad Simpson (@CaoChadTTV on Twitter)

The Steelers’ defense dominated the Bills en route to 12 point victory. From TJ Watt to the backups, constant pressure was the theme of the evening for the Steelers, capitalizing on four Matt Barkley turnovers to ensure their lead was held. Meanwhile, Dalton Kincaid flashed some of the limitless potential that have people fascinated with his profile.

Three Up

Kyle Allen – A clean game and Barkley falling on his face sees Allen thrust back into the battle for QB2.
Jaylen Warren – His lone touch showcases why he is one of the most coveted backup RB’s in fantasy.
Kenny Pickett – He didn’t have to do much but what he did was engineer two drives where the Steelers offense eviscerated the Bills’ starting D.

Three Down

Matt Barkley– After being given a huge head start in the QB2 battle last week, Barkley proceeded to give back the lead and then some with a miserable day vs the Steelers.
Damien Harris – Latavius Murray continues to make his case while Harris is unable to get on the field.
James Cook – After an electric 1st outing Cook had a chance to put a stamp on him being a breakout candidate and instead showed none of the same instincts en route to a nothing line.

Buffalo Bills

| Preseason Week 1 |

Quarterback

Josh Allen: 7/10, 64 Yards | 1 Carry, -6 Yards

Uneven night leads to 0 points for the Allen led offense. Allen struggled with pressure and some decision making but sandwiched in a strong drive that sputtered out due to a holding call that negated a huge Gabe Davis reception.

Notes

Made dangerous incomplete throw with Watt in his face.
Showcased his elite play-extending ability, allowing Gabe Davis to find a way to open space for a 1st down.
Good sideline throw to Diggs to build momentum on the drive.
Looking locked in with 3 consecutive completions on the money.
Bad decision making on broken play where Allen had positive yardage and a line to potentially get a 1st down but chose to cut back twice and instead settle for a sack of 6 yards.

Missed Opportunities

Deep connection to Gabe Davis negated by holding.

Kyle Allen: 12/15, 112 Yards, TD

Solid night from Allen sees him climb back into the QB2 battle. Utilized screens and took advantage of having a giant WR in Justin Shorter to engineer a long drive to end the game.

Notes

Favored the safety valves on the field (the giant body of Shorter and the screen opportunities with Mims and Evans)
Good throw to Shorter for the TD

Matt Barkley: 7/12, 93 Yards 3 INT 1 Fumble (Lost)

Notes

Accuracy issues early in his 1st drive.
Grounded an easy throw to Kincaid
Grounded a 2nd one on what would’ve otherwise been a hospital ball.
1st INT was a throw into quadruple coverage.
2nd INT was thrown right to Joey Porter Jr.
3rd INT was a great tip and dive at point of throw by the defender.
Fumble was a punch out on pass attempt.

Missed Opportunities

Let Kyle Allen back into QB2 competition

Running Back

James Cook: 3 Carries, 3 Yards

Notes

Poor decision making on his 1st carry, bouncing too far outside too deep and having to fight to salvage no gain.
Did good job of preventing a sack blocking an incoming LB.
Had a real chance to shine against a tough D and failed.

Latavius Murray: 6 Carries, 26 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards

Murray continues his Latavius Murray ways. No spectacular runs, no terrible runs. Murray just plods along in his quest to send Damien Harris packing for #2 duties.

Darrynton Evans: 6 Carries, 25 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards

Jordan Mims: 4 Carries, 24 Yards, TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards

Notes

Nice cutback on his 1st carry for 14 yards.
All-around package could see the UDFA put pressure on Darrynton Evans for RB3/ST duties
TD was an easy 2 yard run after Rudolph botched snap.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Stefon Diggs: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards

Caught a couple nothing balls and he’s Stefon Diggs. It’s the preseason but you know what you’re getting from him come September.

Gabe Davis: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards

Davis only had three plays of note in an abbreviated outing. In spite of only having three plays of note, Davis showed flashes of the guy we saw at the end of 2021 that failed to show up in 2022. More importantly, he seemed like a legitimate part of the play-calling rather than someone who gets targets when coverage breaks down.

Missed Opportunities

Deep connection negated by holding.

Dalton Kincaid: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 45 Yards

Kincaid’s offensive debut dazzles. Kincaid looked like the big bodied target in the middle of the field this team has been missing for seemingly ever.

Notes

First pro catch is a simple slant from Allen.

Missed Opportunities

Should’ve gone 4 for 4 but Barkley grounded one into his feet.

Justin Shorter: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 47 Yards, TD

Shorter shines in ugly Bills loss. Peppered with targets from Kyle Allen, the big-bodied receiver was the most effective offensive player from the end of the 3rd quarter through the end of the game.

Notes

Featured target of Kyle Allen
Touchdown was a 17 yarder thrown into coverage, utilizing Shorter’s mammoth frame.

Missed Opportunities

One ball he didn’t haul in was an overthrow from Allen that if accurate could’ve been housed.

Trent Sherfield: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 21 Yards

Lone catch was a flying grab that put his body in the hands of the defender.

Andy Isabella: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 19 Yards

Flashed speed and tackle breaking ability on lone reception.

Jace Sternberger: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 27 Yards

Lone catch with a great YAC run on a short pass that the defender mistimed the jump on the ball, which gave the Bills a shot at scoring.

Pittsburgh Steelers

| Preseason Week 1 |

Quarterback

Kenny Pickett: 3/4, 43 Yards, TD

Short but effective night for the Steelers’ starting QB. Got every member of the offense involved in his short time.

Notes

Good job extending play on 1st drive but couldn’t get the ball in Robinson’s hands.
Follows up with a tight window throw back to Robinson for the 1st down.
Good placement on TD pass to Muth.

Mitch Trubisky: 10/13, 78 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 13 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

Trubisky has uneven outing boosted by endless Bills penalties.

Notes

Ugly deep ball attempt on 1st drive that was thankfully out of bounds.
Good job of avoiding sack with his legs in 2 minute drill after the Barkley INT put them in the red zone.
Manages to sneak in a throw to Heyward for the TD after five attempts from the 1.

Mason Rudolph: 5/7, 52 Yards | 2 Carries, 12 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)

Notes