Bills Central

Bills Bouncing Back, Lead Bears at Halftime in Preseason Finale

The Buffalo Bills' starting offense provided a soothing preseason parting gift before donning baseball caps in Chicago.

Geoff Maggliocchetti

In this story:

What a difference a weekend .... and distance to Week 1 ... make.

The Buffalo Bills recovered from a stagnant showing last weekend in Pittsburgh, putting together a pair of touchdown drives en route to building a 17-10 lead on the Chicago Bears headed into halftime in each side's 2023 preseason finale on Saturday at Soldier Field.

Facing the Bears' top offensive unit for a majority of the opening period, the Bills' defense likewise came to play, limiting the Bears to a single field goal before the substitutes came in.

Bills (17)

PASSING: Kyle Allen (13-of-19, 115 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)
RUSHING: Damien Harris (7 carries, 25 yards, 1 TD)
RECEIVING: Quintin Morris (1 catch., 29 yards, 1 TD)

Bears (10)

PASSING: Justin Fields (2-of-6, 51 yards)
RUSHING: Tyson Bagent (2 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD)
RECEIVING: DJ Moore (1 catch 40 yards)

Exhale

Only in the cursed bizarro world of the NFL preseason could extra snaps be interpreted as a punishment, but that's what Saturday's starters' showcase felt like when they were forced to don helmets instead of baseball caps amidst the traditional laissez-faire aura the final week of exhibitions often carries.

It's safe to say that Allen, Diggs, and Co. took things personally: after they looked downright lost against a makeshift defense in Pittsburgh, the unit put together a safely efficient 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a two-yard punch-in by newcomer Damien Harris. Diggs had two grabs on the drive, as did Deonte Harty, who took full advantage of inclusion amongst the starters. Harris put up a nice showcase in an extended chance with the premier group and more, as the former New England Patriot is set to emerge as a reliable red zone option.

Back-Up Plan at Back-Up

When the waiver wire madness opens up after this weekend's games, the Bills will probably have an eye on the quarterback market. Familiarity has been the name of the game beyond Josh Allen but his friend Kyle Allen (no relation) continued to struggle in the form of an underthrown interception on a would-be Gabe Davis deep-ball. 

The second half will likely belong to the tenured Matt Barkley, who is coming off a multi-turnover game in Pittsburgh. Kyle Allen was almost able to more or less cap off his preseason on a positive note with an aerial score to Quintin Morris, but a lost fumble offered Chicago one more offensive chance before the half let out. 

A Ja'Marcus Ingram interception limited the damage, but, alas for the veteran backup Allen, Buffalo was eyeing the Trey Lance situation for a reason. The Dallas Cowboys' assertiveness will probably do little to deter them. 

Christian Name

Christian Benford has held one of the more intriguing narratives of this Western New York summer. Some see the Villanova alum as a diamond in the day three rough but others feel he could be part of a Brandon Beane trademark late summer trades. 

Whether Benford's playing for the Bills or one of the 31 Buffalo brothers, he put up a solid showing when offered a chance among the premier defenders: he kept Justin Fields' mobile antics to a minimum and also earned a solid pass break up against Windy City newcomer DJ Moore, one that forced a fourth down and got the Bills the ball back. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Maggliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

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