Bills HC says it was 'fun to watch' hometown UDFA LB shine in preseason win

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was complimentary of undrafted rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen after the team's preseason win.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 18, 2024

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If one were to shop a screenplay documenting Joe Andreessen’s story to major Hollywood studios, they’d likely scoff, noting that it’s too formulaic, predictable, and, for lack of a better term, cheesy.

Reality, however, is sometimes more heartfelt than fiction. Andreessen, over the past few months, has lived out the dream had by thousands of Western New York children—a Lancaster, NY native who played his final year of collegiate football at the University at Buffalo after a successful FCS career, Andreessen signed with his hometown Buffalo Bills in May following a successful rookie tryout. With Matt Milano sidelined with a significant bicep tear and Terrel Bernard held out due to general injury concerns at the position, Buffalo deployed Andreessen with its starters in just his second career game, a Week 2 preseason clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Just a few years ago, Andreessen was suiting up for a team that plays in a stadium with a capacity of 5,500. On Saturday night, he started alongside All-Pros for his boyhood club.

And the most preposterous part of it all? He didn’t look out of the place.

Andreessen was all over the field as he started in the middle of the defense in place of Bernard, oft-making his presence felt as he finished the game with a team-high 12 tackles. He splashed early, getting into the backfield on an all-out blitz in the first quarter before meeting Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Warren in the backfield on the very next play. He shined later in the frame when he disengaged from a block to tackle the shifty Warren in the open field before taking down the dynamic Justin Fields in the open field in the second quarter.

It wasn’t a flawless game, but he generally looked like an NFL-caliber linebacker, something few expected the 24-year-old to immediately look like when he signed with the Bills out of UB earlier this summer. He didn’t necessarily propel himself into the starting weakside linebacker conversation, but he entered Buffalo’s Week 2 preseason clash as an extreme 53-man roster long-shot—he’s now firmly in the roster conversation.

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Head coach Sean McDermott praised the rookie following the Bills’ 9-3 win, expressing excitement about Andreessen’s performance.

“He did [have a game],” McDermott said. “Yeah, he did. When a young guy gets an opportunity and he makes the most of it, it’s just fun to watch. Watch a young man like that, especially a local guy. I think I met his aunt in the elevator in the hotel. She was excited, was on the phone with Joe’s mom, who had just called in at the time. You love stories like that, right? Real happy for Joe.”

Andreessen will have his next opportunity to impress Buffalo’s brass in the team’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, which kicks off next Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. He still may be a roster long-shot, but his story, to this point, has been anything but expected—perhaps he can defy the odds yet again against the Panthers.

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