It is hard to imagine now, but the Buffalo Bills were entering the 2024 season in a soft rebuild. However, thanks to the excellence of Josh Allen, that reset landed them in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though they came away empty-handed in that game, the Bills had the ideal foundation to add pieces to their roster to get over the Chiefs’ hump.
So far this preseason, the fan base hasn’t gotten a chance to see the full contingency of their roster in action. In Week 1 against the New York Giants, most of the starters, including Allen, didn’t get a lot of, if any, playing time. But in a matchup against the Chicago Bears, will head coach Sean McDermott change his plans this time around?
Will Josh Allen and Key Bills Starters Play Against the Bears?
So far, McDermott hasn’t given a clear signal on what his game plan is for the game against the Bears. Even after joint practices, the longtime head coach in Buffalo chose to keep his plans close to his chest.
Instead, all he offered regarding the quarterback spot was about the reigning MVP. “Yeah, I would love to if you could put him in a bubble that would guarantee me that he wasn’t gonna get hurt.”
But his final comments made it seem like the chances of Allen suiting up against Chicago were slim. “Josh has been in a good spot, it’s just his continual development this preseason with making sure he feels good about where he’s at and with his receivers in particular, I think that’s going to be big for him.”
In his absence, it’ll be interesting to see if Mitch Trubisky gets the starting nod again, or if they will give Mike White a chance to start against the Bears. With or without Allen, the focus for a large contingency of the fan base will be on defense.
Last year, they were in the bottom half of the league on that side of the football, and McDermott will be hoping to reverse that trend quickly. Similarly, another key area of emphasis will be the wide receiver spot.
Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, and Keon Coleman are projected to be the starters in the group. But the trio of Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, and Tyrell Shavers will also be trying to carve out a consistent niche for themselves in the offense.
The second preseason game is likely going to be the last time a prohibitive playoff contender like Buffalo sends out its starters. In Week 3, protecting their investments will become a bigger need than getting additional reps.
As a result, McDermott’s decision for this week is going to likely determine when Bills Mafia gets to see their new starting group in action for the first time.