Bills preseason opener: Whose stock went up? Whose stock went down? Here's an early look
Here are the players whose stock improved or dropped in the Bills' preseason opener.
Apreseason game that should have been memorable for Frank Gore Jr. ended with disappointment Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. evades a tackle by Giants cornerback Dee Williams during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium on Saturday.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
The Buffalo Bills' second-year running back had a touchdown reception overturned with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter because his knee was down at the New York Giants' 1-yard line.
Giants fourth-string quarterback Tommy DeVito knelt twice to secure a 34-25 win over the Buffalo Bills, but Gore took advantage of the extra snaps he got in James Cook's absence.
Gore had five rushes for 21 yards and five catches 50 yards, including a catch and run of 19 yards on the Bills' final drive of the game.
"I'm feeling more confident," Gore told The Buffalo News. "You could see it out there. I knew what was going on, and I trust myself more. ... Seeing it more, seeing the looks, learning NFL defenses. I'm getting better, for sure."
After spending his rookie season on the practice squad, Gore was among the Bills who strengthened their case to make the 53-man roster. Here are the other players whose stock improved or dropped in the preseason opener:
Stock up
Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver: A low ankle sprain early in training camp didn't stifle Shavers' momentum. He's been among the Bills' most impressive weapons in practice, and his momentum continued Saturday with his 58-yard catch to set up Caden Davis' 24-yard field goal that cut the Giants' lead to 16-10 with 4 seconds left in the second quarter.Lined up wide right, Shavers acted like he was going to run a vertical route, but he cut back inside to fool Giants cornerback O'Donnell Fortune, who did not have help from a safety. Shavers created three feet of separation and caught the pass from Mitch Trubisky.
Shavers' lack of involvement on special teams may work against him, but he's shown enough as a receiver to make this a difficult decision for general manager Brandon Beane.
"Now, how good can you become on special teams and what phases or how many phases can we get out of you?" Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Shavers.
Joe Andreessen, linebacker: No longer on the fringes of the roster, the Lancaster native has become an important backup on defense and contributor on special teams. He started alongside Matt Milano and totaled five tackles while playing the first half. Andreessen tackled Jonathan Ward for no gain and dragged down Dante Miller for a 1-yard loss. The Bills almost forced a fumble on the first drive, when Andreessen and Milano tackled Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Keonta Jenkins, an undrafted rookie, was a standout among the reserve linebackers with five solo tackles and a quarterback hit.
Young defensive linemen: Deone Walker, a fourth-round rookie defensive tackle, pushed aside Giants guard Jake Kubas and batted down a Jaxson Dart pass. T.J. Sanders, a second-round defensive tackle, had two quarterback hits. Javon Solomon, a second-year edge rusher, batted down one of Jameis Winston's passes in the third quarter.
Overall, the Bills needed more from their pass rush. The defensive line had zero sacks and zero tackles for a loss. A few got close — Michael Hoecht barely missed Dart in the first quarter — but the linemen lower on the depth chart will be challenged by coaches to show more in their joint practice and preseason game against the Bears.
Chase Lundt, offensive lineman: The rookie sixth-round pick showed he's athletic enough to play left tackle and strong enough to be a right guard. He pulled to his right and blocked the safety, clearing the way for Gore to gain 11 yards. Teammates have been impressed by how quickly Lundt can correct a technical issue that leads to a mistake in practice. The Bills value athleticism and versatility on their offensive line, and they've lost a few key backups to injuries during camp.
Te'Cory Couch, nickel corner: A member of the Bills' practice squad last season, Couch got snaps with the first-team defense Saturday after Taron Johnson left the game. It wasn't a perfect performance. Couch missed a tackle on Montrell Washington's 29-yard catch and run, but Couch rebounded with two pass breakups.
"I felt like he got comfortable as the game went on," Bills safety Cam Lewis said of Couch. "He made some plays. That's always the goal. He was out there playing confident and fast. He knows our defense now. ... Just going out there and playing his brand of football."
Stock down
Dane Jackson, cornerback: The first drive in Jackson's return to the Bills did not go well. Lil'Jordan Humphrey caught a 28-yard touchdown with Jackson in 1-on-1 coverage near the left sideline.Jackson had an impressive pass breakup on the next drive, but he needs to be more consistent. The Bills will give him a significant number of snaps in the preseason, in part to protect their starters but also to evaluate whether he can start if there's an injury. One of the corners competing for snaps, Dorian Strong, lost inside leverage when Greg Olszewski caught a slant route for a 7-yard touchdown that regained the lead for the Giants.
Zach Davidson, tight end: Facing an uphill battle to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, Davidson cannot afford to commit any significant mistakes in these preseason games. He was in position to catch a deep pass from Trubisky on second-and-10 late in the second quarter, but Giants safety Raheem Layne knocked the ball out of Davidson's hands while he tried to secure it for a long gain. Davidson dropped another pass in the third quarter, and rookie tight end Jackson Hawes did the same a few plays earlier.
Third-down defense: The Giants gained 13 first downs on five drives to start the game, converting one fourth down and five third downs, including Dart's 28-yard touchdown pass to Humphrey, during that span. The Bills can't allow that to become a trend when the regular season begins. On third down in 2024, they ranked 29th in conversion percentage allowed and 31st in EPA per pass allowed.
The Bills allowed 317 passing yards, and their offense went just 1 for 9 on third down.
"As you can tell, we have a lot of work to do," McDermott said.
Landon Jackson, defensive end: This wasn't a poor performance by Jackson. There were a few highs, like the athleticism he showed by dropping back to cover a Giants tight end while rookie safety Jordan Hancock blitzed. There were few wins at the line of scrimmage, though. Jackson got pushed around by rookie right tackle Marcus Mbow. The Bills' third-round pick will need to use the video to improve. They're going to need him to contribute while Michael Hoecht is suspended. Jackson also committed an offside penalty that nullified Hancock's interception.
Jacob Bayer, center: The undrafted rookie from Arkansas State snapped the ball over Shane Buechele's head when the Bills had their ball at their own 45 line with the Giants leading 27-25 and 2:35 left in the fourth quarter.
Depth at center is currently an issue for the Bills. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Alec Anderson are injured, though Pran-Granger may be ready to return in the final week of preseason. Dan Feeney, 31, joined the team Monday, and he'll likely get more snaps next week in Chicago.
The mistake may lead to fewer snaps next week in Chicago. The Bills signed veteran center Dan Feeney because of injuries to Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Alec Anderson. Feeney didn't join the team until Monday, so he'll be more