Bills-Bears preseason game No. 2: Here's whose stock went up and whose stock went down
The Buffalo Bills’ punter looked pretty good Sunday night against the Chicago Bears. After that, well, the positives were few and far between for the Bills in preseason game No. 2. Here are the players whose stock improved or dropped.
Let’s start with some good news, shall we?
The Buffalo Bills’ punter looked pretty good Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.
After that, well, the positives were few and far between for the Bills in preseason game No. 2.
Brad Robbins punted five times for an average of 46.6 yards in the first half of the Bears’ 38-0 victory. Robbins placed two of those five first-half punts inside the Chicago 20-yard line.
Did we mention there weren’t many positives to take out of this game?
Robbins, who is line to replace Sam Martin as the Bills’ punter, has done a nice job in each of the team’s preseason games. Here are the other players whose stock improved or dropped in the second preseason game.
Buffalo Bills receiver Tyrell Shavers (80) celebrates a first down against the Chicago Bears during the first half of the game at Soldier Field on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Stock up
Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver: He made a 22-yard catch in the first quarter that stood as the Bills’ only play of note for most of the first half. Shavers also drew a pass interference penalty in the third quarter to give the Bills a first down. Late in the second quarter, he won decisively at the line of scrimmage, but a Mike White pass sailed just out of Shavers’ reach for what would have been a long gain. Through two preseason games, Shavers has made a strong push for a spot on the 53-man roster.Jordan Hancock, safety: The rookie defensive back finished with eight tackles, including one for a loss. Hancock showed great toughness at the goal line, stopping Bears running back Ian Wheeler for no gain on a third-and-goal run from the Bills’ 1-yard line coming out of the two-minute warning in the second quarter. Unfortunately, Hancock was hurt with 9:54 remaining in the third quarter when he went low to make a tackle on Bears tight end Joel Wilson. Hancock missed the rest of the game with a shoulder injury. His status will be one to monitor in the coming days, because Hancock has impressed in the first two preseason games.
Michael Hoecht, defensive end: He got home for the Bills’ first sack of the night in the dying seconds of the second quarter, bringing down Chicago quarterback Tyson Bagent for a 12-yard loss. That gave the Bills a look at a 56-yard field goal attempt that kicker Caden Davis missed wide right.
Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) had a tough showing during brief playing time Sunday night in his team's preseason loss to the Chicago Bears.
Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Stock down
Ryan Van Demark, offensive tackle: Van Demark did something rarely seen in the first half, committing back-to-back false starts. It looked like he could have been called once or twice more for the same penalty, although the flag didn’t come out. Nevertheless, it was not a good showing for Van Demark. Bills coach Sean McDermott has very little patience for pre-snap penalties. Committing the same mistake twice will not sit well with himElijah Moore, wide receiver: The veteran had a pair of drops. He also got open and had a poor pass from White sail over his head. That’s not on Moore, but he didn’t do much to separate himself in the wide receiver competition. Moore has consistently underwhelmed throughout the summer.
Cole Bishop/Damar Hamlin, safeties: The starting safety duo looked lost on the Bears’ opening, 92-yard touchdown drive. Both players looked out of position multiple times on the drive, including on the 36-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus that ended the drive. Bishop ended up playing only that one series, which is a bit of a confusing move by the coaching staff. It would have been nice to see if Bishop could have bounced back from what was a miserable series. Overall, safety is going to be the position that causes Bills fans the most concern going into Week 1 of the regular season.
Joe Andreessen, middle linebacker: It wasn’t just Bishop and Hamlin who looked out of place on the Bears’ opening drive. The same could be said of Andreessen, who struggled in coverage. Andreessen doesn’t have a lot of competition for the backup middle linebacker job, so his spot on the 53-man roster is probably secure. Still, his performance Sunday could be enough for the Bills to wonder whether they need to add another player at the position to reinforce its depth.
Zach Davidson, tight end: He was hit with a pair of costly penalties – a face-mask penalty that was deserved and an offensive pass interference call that probably should not have been called. Nevertheless, Davidson do anything to help his cause, especially after he had a tough showing in the first preseason game.
Frank Gore Jr., running back: He ran eight times for a team-leading 51 yards and caught a team-leading four passes for 30 yards, but a lot of the production came in garbage time, of which there was plenty. What's more, Gore showed poor ball security, leading to a lost fumble in the second half. That type of mistake will not be looked at favorably by offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
Mike White: Given a chance to start, White couldn’t do anything with it. He went 4 of 11 for 54 yards, a passer rating of 52.8. White was slow to get the ball out of his hands, leading to a pair of sacks. It wasn’t entirely on the quarterback, as he had poor protection at times and at least three drops by his intended receivers, but White didn’t do anything to close the gap on Mitch Trubisky for the No. 2 job behind Josh Allen.
