The Bills' preseason opener against Washington wasn’t pretty, by any means. But there were some players that stood out -- both good and bad -- to kick off the preseason.
Vince Young: Young continues to struggle with his reads and accuracy, but it didn’t take him very long to remind everyone how dangerous he is with his feet. Young led the team in rushing with 37 yards on five attempts and was as elusive as ever in picking up a long third-down conversion in the third quarter, rushing for 21 yards on a third-and-20. If pressed into the lineup, there’s no doubt Young can still make plays with his feet.
Brian Moorman: The punter was exceptional, placing four punts inside the Redskins 20 and finishing with a net average of 43.2 yards per punt. Moorman is facing a challenge at training camp from rookie Shawn Powell, but performances like that show why the veteran is set to keep his job for the 12th year in a row.
T.J. Graham: The rookie led the Bills in receiving with three receptions for 37 yards. He’s not a finished product, but he continues to show improvement as a route runner.
Scott Chandler: The tight end continues to catch everything in sight. He had a remarkable 26-yard catch over the middle in the first quarter, taking a shot while making the reception.
Stock down
Ryan Fitzpatrick: The Bills made a point to work on their no-huddle attack when their starters were in the game, and Fitzpatrick didn’t call a single running play against the Redskins. He should improve once the team starts planning for opponents, but Fitzpatrick was inconsistent against the Redskins (6 of 14, 16 yards).
The offensive line: The entire offensive line deserves a mention here. The Bills had eight false starts against the Redskins, including three in the span of four plays. Coach Chan Gailey accepted responsibility for the penalties after the game, but false starts should be attributed to the line, not Gailey.
Tyler Thigpen: The backup quarterback worked with the second unit ahead of Young and had a few nice throws, but his consistency remains an issue. As Gailey said after the game: “There were some good things, but to play that position you have to be consistent.” Young will get his turn with the second unit at Buffalo’s next preseason game, and Thigpen needs to improve to have any chance of sticking around in September.
For more updates on the Bills follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLBUF and @MarkLud12.
