The Pittsburgh Steelers play host to the Buffalo Bills in a NFL preseason showdown from Acrisure Stadium on Saturday evening. Both of these AFC squads enter the season with playoff hopes, while the Bills will certainly expect to be there, though the Steelers will need to impress to get there. Both teams won their first preseason games and even though it only serves as a scrimmage, there's no doubt that the Bills will have their 38-3 win from October on their mind. The Steelers will be hoping to draw more from this performance than that one and this could be a great matchup.
The Bills have put together a great few seasons, though with the AFC East improving this off season, they'll need their depth to be a focal point of improvement as they head into the season. Last year, they went out to the Bills in the AFC semifinals, in a stunning home loss that sent shock waves through the NFL. Last week saw them win their preseason opener, taking down the Colts 23-19, as both teams leaned heavily on their reserves to lead the way. Week two typically sees starters get a few more reps but with the Bills having a great idea of their leaders on both sides, it'll be interesting to see how they handle the playing breakdown on Saturday. After dominating this matchup last season, there is still likely to be some idea of momentum and confidence still built up from that dominating performance.
The Bills already have a few injuries of concern as they get ready for week one. V on Miller (knee) is the key one to keep an eye on, as he will certainly miss this matchup, and is questionable for week one. When it comes to players who might get time in this one, Zach Davidson won't get a chance to impress at tight-end, as he remains on the IR.
Last week saw Matt Barkley make the most out of his opportunity and while he isn't going to surpass Allen on the depth chart, he's a more than capable backup. He went 14-15 for 172 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts and could lead them to another win in this one. Andy Isabella has been a nice addition as well and the speedster added 42 yards last week, though the wide receiver depth, or lack thereof, is evident.On the defensive side, look for Buffalo to focus more on getting to the quarterback, while the secondary will look to make more of an instant impact.
Free Daily Lock Pick: NFL: Cleveland vs. Philadelphia – August 17th – (100% Confidence Release) Click to see the pick now