Four Bills players who must meet 'standard' in preseason outing vs. Steelers

The Buffalo Bills visit the Pittsburgh Steelers for a preseason game on Saturday after a stinker in last week's opener.

Nov 13, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) is tackled by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills have the challenge of proving that last week's preseason performance was an aberration.

After failing to play up to the expected "standard" against the Chicago Bears in the eyes of head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills will get a chance to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers in a road exhibition on August 17 at 7 p.m. ET.

Buffalo has announced that the starters will play at least one quarter on Saturday. Although Josh Allen and a few others have little to gain from the outing, there are multiple players who need to take advantage of any reps they get.

Here are four individuals who have something to gain during Preseason Game No. 2.

OL Alec Anderson

The versatile offensive lineman has been auditioning for backup center duties and has periodically experienced difficulty with the center-quarterback exchange. In the loss to Chicago, Anderson caused a false start penalty by failing to recognize the proper snap count and also snapped a couple too high.

In the joint practice against the Steelers on Thursday, reporters witnessed two fumbled snaps between Anderson and Trubisky during goal line work. Anderson will make the team as the quintessential Swiss Army knife, but he needs to show reliability at center.

S Damar Hamlin

As a result of injuries to free-agent addition Mike Edwards and second-round rookie Cole Bishop, Hamlin has assumed a starting role this summer. Against the Bears, he started alongside safety Taylor Rapp in the defensive backfield and logged 20 snaps there. He made two tackles.

Emotions will likely run high for the Keystone State-born Pitt product when he runs out of the tunnel at Acrisure Stadium, which is where he played his college games along with a number high-profile high school contests.

"This is truly home. If you know me, I'm a hometown kid. This is my place. My heart started racing a little bit just getting off the plane, just being back home," said Hamlin, who made a triumphant return to football last year after suffering cardiac arrest during a 2022 game in Cincinnati.

DE Javon Solomon

The fifth-round rookie made a name for himself as a premiere pass rusher in college but needs to show ability to defend against the run in order to earn substantial NFL playing time. Solomon, Troy's all-time Division I sacks leader, logged 21 defensive snaps against the Bears and made two solo stops on run plays.

For what Solomon lacks in height, he makes up for in length and bendability. He is vying to become a regular in the edge rusher rotation. He also has value on special teams.

RELATED: Sean McDermott delivers stern message in Orchard Park

QB Mitch Trubisky

Trubisky took some heat for a couple of off-target passes after relieving Josh Allen in the preseason opener. Although the former No. 2 overall draft pick is in no danger of losing his QB2 status, it would be nice to see Trubisky bounce back against the Steelers.

Although it's only an exhibition, Trubisky may gain extra motivation from going up against the team that released him after the 2023 season. Last week against the Bears, he completed 10 passes for 82 yards and gained 12 total yards on three rushes.

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