Bills 'Unacceptable' Struggles vs. Steelers, Questions Arise: Notebook

Similar struggles that haunted the Buffalo Bills in the past reared their ugly head against the Pittsburgh Steelers during Saturday's preseason action.

Any hopes of seeing the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl took a devastating hit after how their starters looked against the Pittsburgh Steelers' starters in a 27-15 loss on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. 

All jokes aside, it's the preseason for crying out loud. If there's a time to hit bumps in the road, it's when the games don't count. 

But at the same time, it'd be great to see some growth in areas that need improvement. That wasn't exactly the case for the Bills' starters against a Pittsburgh team that can make some noise in the AFC. 

"They outcoached us, outplayed us," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. " ... It's clear we're not where we need to be right now."

Here are three takeaways from Buffalo's performance.  

Von Miller's absence looms large

You didn't need McDermott's glasses to see Buffalo's lack of a pass rush without defensive end Von Miller. 

Whenever Kenny Pickett dropped back to pass, he had as much time as he needed and maneuvered in the pocket without any trouble. That was perfectly evident on the first third down of the game when the Steelers QB found receiver Allen Robinson for 10 yards. On the ensuing play, running back Jaylen Warren took it to the house for a 62-yard touchdown in the first quarter. 

Pickett also had plenty of time on his 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth. 

Miller's ability to impact the game changes how offenses attack Buffalo's defense. And the attention he draws makes it easier for other Bills pass rushers like A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau to get to the quarterback. 

If Buffalo's defense is going to reach its full potential, they need Miller back.

Special team struggles

It's hard for the Bills' offense to get anything going when they're starting deep in their territory. It's also tough for Buffalo's defense to get a stop when a drive starts at its 25-yard-line.

Buffalo's struggles on special teams led to both units finding themselves in those situations. The Bills' offense started each drive in the first quarter inside their 20-yard line. 

A 54-yard punt return by Calvin Austin set up Pickett's touchdown to Freiermuth. Pittsburgh also tipped a punt by Sam Martin in the first quarter, which only went for 28 yards.

Special teams will make or break Buffalo. If the Bills don't get those issues resolved, it could be the difference in close games.

Offensive line woes, penalty problems

This was originally going to be about how Buffalo's offense looked the same. 

Then there was a flag on the offensive line. 

Then this point was going to be about rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid's performance. 

And then there was another flag on the offensive line. Kincaid also got in on the action with a false start of his own.

McDermott called the penalties "unacceptable."

“I thought we addressed it last week by pulling guys out of the play. That obviously didn’t work," McDermott said.

It's tough enough to have success against the Steelers defense as it is. Three straight penalties on the offensive line to set up second and 34 when they were starting to find success is the definition of shooting yourself in the foot. 

If Buffalo's offense is going to maintain its success and improve in the running game outside of quarterback Josh Allen, they need the offensive line to improve. 

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