The Buffalo Bills earned their first victory of the 2024 campaign, as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the preseason by a score of 9-3. Saturday night was about the debut of new Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. He led five drives, scored zero points and completed 8 of 10 passes for 47 yards. Wilson struggled with the pressure Buffalo's defensive front threw at him, and was sacked three times.
Justin Fields was substituted in for a couple of chances at the two-minute drill before halftime, and was successful on one of those possessions, leading the Steelers 46 yards down the field on seven plays for a Chris Boswell 43-yard field goal. In all, he completed 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards, and led the team with 42 rushing yards. Fields had multiple chances to lead game-winning drives, but Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs on all three of its second-half possessions.
As the final score indicates, this was not a matchup that featured two high-flying offenses. In fact, we didn't see a team cross the 50-yard line until we were six minutes into the second quarter. Josh Allen was supposed to start this preseason game, but when the Bills offense took the field, it was former Steeler Mitch Trubisky under center. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 86 yards and threw a bad interception in the first half, but did lead a field goal drive. Rookie running back Ray Davis stood out with 58 rushing yards on eight carries.
Let's talk about some things we learned Saturday night.
Steelers QB competition
This, of course, was the headline of the evening, as Steelers fans got their first look at Russ in game action. He definitely did not spark the offense, as Pittsburgh went three-and-out on its first two possessions and punted on all four of its first possessions. The offensive line did struggle with protection, although Wilson looked all but spry in the pocket. As for Fields, he came in and led a quick drive that resulted in a field goal on his second possession -- a possession that was sparked by a 20-yard run from him.
Fields' elusiveness stood out. The younger signal-caller was able to get out of the pocket and survey his targets downfield for a few extra seconds. It remains to be seen how effective the Steelers' regular-season starting offensive line will be, but having a mobile quarterback is certainly something that helps your offense.
Fields wasn't perfect. He was almost intercepted in the fourth quarter, and missed T.J. Luther on what was a sure touchdown. He had three chances to take the lead and was unable to do so. If you're a Steelers fan, you're not feeling great about the quarterback battle in general.
Play of the game
Fields is one of those electric playmakers who can surprise you at any given time. Check out this incredible third-down conversion, where he escaped a would-be sack and completed a pass to Dez Fitzpatrick to move the sticks.
Jaylen Warren injured
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury, and was officially listed as doubtful to return. As you would guess, he did not return. Before exiting the contest, Warren caught two passes for 14 yards.
It remains to be seen how serious the injury is, but the "doubtful" designation sounded much better than him being immediately ruled out.
Ray Davis
The fourth-round pick out of Kentucky looked fast and elusive Saturday night. On the first drive of the second half -- a 10-play, 63-yard drive which resulted in a field goal -- Davis rushed for 49 yards on six carries. He's a fun player to watch, and is attempting to carve out a role for himself.
Really, the Bills rushing offense as a whole looked fantastic in the second half. Out of the 245 yards of total offense Buffalo recorded, 167 of those yards came on the ground.
Greg Rousseau
Greg Rousseau was an absolute animal Saturday night. On the Steelers' first three possessions of the game, he recorded four total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and three QB hits.
The Bills picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract this offseason -- keeping the former No. 30 overall pick in Buffalo for the next two years. In 2023, Rousseau recorded five sacks, a career-high 12 tackles for loss and a career-high 18 QB hits. What will 2024 have in store for him?
What's next
The Steelers wrap up the preseason against the Lions in Detroit next Saturday. As for the Bills, they return to Buffalo to host the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.
