RC NOTE: Tony Serafini’s debut preseason game report for FFM. Tony will be covering the Bills for us this season.
There wasn’t much on Jonathon Brooks from this game, but I made sure to specifically scout his series/touches that he was in to see what I saw. At the very bottom of Tony’s report, I will do the Jon Brooks summary.
BUF 29 - CAR 14 – WK1 Preseason Recap
(by Tony Serafini)
The Bills pushed the Panthers around for the majority of the game, and so they won the game. Sounds basic, but that's the way the game felt for four quarters. The Bills QBs were efficient, completing 20 out of 24 total pass attempts. They completed passes when it mattered most on third and fourth down, extending drives throughout the game. The Bills defense looks improved, or it might be a spike in effectiveness due to playing against Bryce Young and a depleted Carolina O-Line. At no point in this game did Carolina look in sync. There were a few series with starters on each side, so a few important takeaways as we gear up for draft season.
Player Notes
-- Lots of buzz around the DJ Moore/Josh Allen connection, but Josh threw him the ball when he was open, and found other receivers when they were open. I did not see Josh show any favoritism towards Moore or any other receiving option, nor did it seem like the play calling had any 'Moore has taken over' feel to it. To me, this was a typical Bills offense, where everyone had a seat at the table. Khalil Shakir had solid numbers, Coleman scored, and Moore had a few big plays. Perhaps the most alarming part of the Bills offense for this game was the lack of TE usage. The Bills starting TEs were noticeably absent in the passing game. No receptions, but more importantly, no targets for Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox.
-- The Panthers defense had a few QB pressure plays of note, but I believe these were more Buffalo OL issues than CAR defensive surges. Buffalo OT Spencer Brown got beat, quite easily, on the only recorded Josh Allen sack of the game. I say 'recorded' because there was another almost sack on Josh, where Brown got beat again. This time the sack was negated by a face mask, resulting in a first down and subsequent TD to cap the drive. Brown looks a step slow off the ball, and it appears to be causing issues. Reserve tackles Jude Bowry and Chase Lundt. Also gave up sacks in this game, meaning all 4 total Bills sacks can be traced to the OT position.
Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett are battling for a starting guard position, and in my opinion, either of them would be fine, with Anderson holding the slight lead currently. They may have to try Corbett at tackle at some point during the season.
-- How important is the offensive line in the NFL? Carolina, missing 4/5 of their starting OL, runs 9 plays across 3 offensive series and gains 11 total yards. I know the Buffalo defense is not that good. CAR was missing OL starters Ekwonu, Lewis, Hunt, and Moton. Reading deeper into this OL, I found that starting guards Lewis and Hunt were held out of this game to get some rest. I am not sure what an NFL coach thinks when he knows 4/5 of his starting OL are not going to play and decides to roll his starting QB out there for 3 series. Do the Panthers even care if Young gets hurt?
I would love to throw shade on Bryce Young for his performance, but I cannot. A good coach would have seen the OL situation and sat his starting QB and any other significant offensive players. Unless the coach believes that this OL situation is not getting any better, and basically tells Bryce that this is what he has to work with this season. If there is any truth to that, the Panthers are in for a long season.
-- Chuba Hubbard did not play in this game due to a nagging hamstring injury, which is music to no fantasy manager's ears at any point in the football season. Equally as effective as Hubbard was during this game was Tet McMillan, who actually played! Tet was in for all 9/9 starting offensive snaps, ran 6 routes, and received 0 targets. Again, I am going to hold judgment until I see at least 3/5 of the starting OL for CAR play in the game to judge this offense fully, but Tet's stat line paints a vivid picture.
For Hubbard owners, I did see a significant amount of RBs utilized in the passing game during this contest. RBs were being targeted downfield. AJ Dillon made a great catch downfield at one point, and Etienne had 4 catches. RBs accounted for about 30% of the passing game. This involvement suggests a possible reception boost for Hubbard owners when he re-establishes himself as the CAR feature RB.
Some buzz around the Bills Defense...
-- DE TJ Parker has a great jump off the snap. Gets hands up and finds himself in the backfield often.
-- LB Javon Solomon had some good QB pressure along with Parker. Really pushing back the tackles and getting penetration.
-- LB Mike Danna had two sacks on the same drive to start the 4th. He took some really good outside rush lanes and got to the QB with speed and power.
-- CB Kani Walker gets a huge jump on a screen play in the fourth quarter, and Trask shows why he is a 3rd string NFL QB, throwing the ball right into the arms of Walker for the pick.
-- DL Deone Walker had a strong game with 3 tackles and that sack that ended the Panthers' third offensive series.
Player Highlight Ja'Mori Maclin
UDFA Ja'Mori Maclin out of Kentucky was a player I scouted a bit a few months ago. I didn't see much on tape at the time, but his speed and route-running ability jumped out in this game. Maclin came across the field on a drag route with room to run, but Buechele threw the ball behind him. Maclin still made an impressive one-handed catch in stride before eventually tripping himself up. If Buechele puts that ball in front of him, Maclin may score. Later on the 2pt play following the Wheeler TD, Maclin was open in stride, but Buechele throws it behind. Maclin got a hand on it but couldn't reel it in. Maclin is fast and looks like a solid route runner.
RC on Jon Brooks: First off, after watching this game for myself, I want to very much back up the point that Tony made about the Panthers’ situation here. Why the hell did they put their first-team offense out there, at risk of getting injured, after all the early injuries they’ve already sustained in camp? Why risk your quarterback or anybody else? Most importantly, they cannot afford for another offensive lineman to go down, yet they had their would-be starters out there totally at risk—one more injury away from having 60% of their starting offensive line unavailable for Week 1.
But honestly, I have all but written off the Panthers for everything fantasy this season because of the O-Line injuries they’ve already sustained, so I’m not sweating this too hard.
As it pertains to Jonathan Brooks, I’m not a big fan one way or the other. My big beef is that everybody in the world is proclaiming him a superstar who’s going to take over the Panthers’ backfield coming out of training camp—and that could not be further from the truth. It’s a great delusion perpetrated by the media and the fans, in my opinion.
But I do have to give him a pass on this bad preseason game tape because you really can’t blame him for a terrible offensive line. No one could determine how good or bad Jonathan Brooks is from this game tape. He had limited touches, and most every time he got the ball, there was no hole. But that’s part of my argument as to why he’s so overrated for FF. As a talent, he’s fine (or was). But you’re talking about a guy coming off two ACL injuries, now working behind a broken offensive line with a pretty bad NFL-talent quarterback, and then you’re completely dismissing Chuba Hubbard as if he’s the world’s worst running back that is going to be benched in favor of Brooks...it’s not reality...in reality the head coach absolutely favors Hubbard over everything—even if it doesn’t make sense or not.
The public Jonathan Brooks ball washers cannot understand the nuance of the situation here. But they're so absolutely arrogant and brainwashed that they know that they're right because ESPN has said it a lot--then anyone who comes along and challenges the narrative must be demeaned and dispatched.
For all those reasons, I’m against Jonathan Brooks. But in this game, the sad showing wasn’t his fault. Which makes me laugh that now people online are crushing Brooks because he didn’t tickle their fancy in a preseason game. Their hype had no validity to it, and now their angst has no validity to it either.
How the Mainstream views it – ChatGPT Top Ten Storylines Developing after Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers
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#1 - Josh Allen + DJ Moore Connection
Allen and Moore provided perhaps the clearest headline coming out of the game. Allen looked completely ready for the regular season, completing 6-of-8 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Moore caught 3 passes for 61 yards. Their 32-yard connection on Moore's first target immediately reinforced the offseason narrative that Buffalo may finally have found the high-end outside receiving weapon it has been searching for. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#2 - Deone Walker / Defensive-Line Dominance
Walker generated some of the biggest buzz of any young Bills defender. He was consistently disruptive, getting into the Carolina backfield and finishing with 3 tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry. His combination of size, power and penetration stood out even in limited snaps and continued to build excitement about his potential role in Buffalo's defense. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#3 - Keon Coleman
Coleman delivered an encouraging performance at an important point in his Bills career. He caught all four of his targets, including Allen's 9-yard touchdown pass, which became the first touchdown scored at the new Highmark Stadium. His receiving wasn't the only positive, as his blocking also drew praise. The performance was another positive step for a player Buffalo needs to become a more consistent part of the offense. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#4 - Bills Starting Offense Looks Regular-Season Ready
Buffalo's first-team offense accomplished just about everything it needed to. Allen led two scoring drives, Moore flashed big-play ability, Coleman scored a touchdown, Khalil Shakir contributed two catches for 41 yards and James Cook averaged over four yards per carry. The starters looked much more like a group tuning up for September than an offense still trying to figure itself out. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#5 - Starting Defense Overwhelms Carolina
Buffalo's starting defense was arguably just as impressive as its offense. The Bills smothered Bryce Young and Carolina's first-team offense, forcing three-and-outs on each of the Panthers' first two possessions. The defensive front consistently created pressure and disruption, providing an encouraging first look at Jim Leonhard's new defense. (Cat Scratch Reader)
#6 - Kani Walker Keeps Making Plays
Undrafted rookie defensive back Kani Walker continues to make himself difficult to ignore. Walker anticipated a Kyle Trask pass in the fourth quarter and came away with an interception, adding another big play to an impressive summer. His continued production is beginning to turn him from an interesting camp story into a legitimate candidate for the 53-man roster. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#7 - Tyler Bass' Return / Kicking Situation
Bass kicked in a game for the first time since last season and did so in an entirely new environment at Highmark Stadium with rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. serving as his holder. Bass made multiple field goals but also had a miss, keeping Buffalo's kicking operation an interesting storyline as the preseason continues. (Buffalo Bills)
#8 - Offensive-Line Depth Remains Questionable
While Buffalo's starting offense moved the ball effectively, the depth behind the starting offensive line wasn't nearly as convincing. The reserve tackles struggled at times with pressure, with Spencer Brown, Chase Lundt and Jude Bowry among those drawing scrutiny. Backup offensive tackle remains one of the more legitimate concerns coming out of the preseason opener. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#9 - Ian Wheeler / Crowded Running Back Depth Chart
Wheeler made the most of his opportunities, rushing 7 times for 41 yards and a touchdown. With Buffalo evaluating the bottom of its running-back depth chart, Wheeler's performance gave the coaching staff something to consider. His combination of production and preseason opportunity makes the RB competition worth watching over the remaining games. (Buffalo Rumblings)
#10 - New Highmark Stadium / Beginning of the Joe Brady Era
The game itself carried significance beyond normal preseason football. It was the first Bills game played at the new Highmark Stadium and Joe Brady's first preseason game as Buffalo's head coach. The Bills opened the building with a 29-14 victory, while Allen threw the first Bills touchdown pass and Coleman caught the first touchdown in the stadium. The combination of a new stadium, new head coach and familiar dominance from Allen became a major theme of the broader coverage. (Reuters)
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