The Buffalo Bills head into Thursday’s preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers with more than a game on the line. The last quarterback and receiver decisions are still open, and Sunday’s cutdown day is close enough to force answers.
Kyle Allen is the clearest reason the backup quarterback discussion has stayed alive this long. He has completed 24 of 28 passes for 236 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the preseason, a run that turned a ragged stretch at training camp into a convincing response when the games started.
That turnaround matters because the Bills are not just looking for a body behind Josh Allen. Joe Brady said the competition for the backup job is still ongoing, even after Kyle Allen led three drives in the preseason opener against Carolina and then played the entire first half in Cleveland, producing two touchdowns in five possessions. Brady also said both Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele will share the quarterback duties against the Steelers, a sign the final decision will wait at least one more game.
There is a simple reason the backup talk keeps hanging over the Bills. Josh Allen has not missed a game since midway through 2018, and Mitch Trubisky provided insurance for him in the last couple years. That history makes the job look settled from the outside, but Buffalo is still treating it as an open competition because the roster is built to survive the season, not just the next snap.
The receiver battle is just as crowded. Skyler Bell will make his game debut against the Steelers after missing the first two preseason games with an injury, and if the Bills keep six receivers, the final spot comes down to Trent Sherfield, Mecole Hardman, Stephen Gosnell, Dante Pettis and Ja’Mori Maclin. Sherfield has the edge because of his veteran presence and core special team ability, while Hardman remains in the running to handle punts and Pettis has also returned punts.
That is the part of the roster picture that makes Thursday different from a normal exhibition. The Bills are no longer searching for upside in the abstract. They are choosing between players with overlapping jobs, and the game at Highmark Stadium is the last clean chance to show who fits where before the team has to trim the roster on Sunday. Kyle Allen has probably done enough to make the backup conversation feel close to finished, but Brady’s setup suggests the Bills still want the final drive before they decide.
