Five Winners, Three Losers from Bills' Preseason Week 2 Win vs. Browns

Which players stood out as winners and losers for the Bills as they defeated the Browns in Week 2 of the NFL preseason?

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Trent Sherfield catches a pass as Cleveland Browns cornerback Tre Avery defends. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills were in Northeast Ohio on Saturday to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. The game got off to an interesting start as the Bills moved into Cleveland territory in a hurry after Trent Sherfield hauled in an 18-yard reception at the Browns' 41.

As soon as that play ended, both teams had to exit the field when play was stopped due to a lightning delay. The game wound up resuming around 2:15 p.m. and the Bills finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Ray Davis, who scored one hour and nine minutes after their drive began.

Cleveland answered quickly, but then it was a lopsided affair with Buffalo winning 31-7. With this game behind us, here's a look at which players stood out as both winners and losers.

Winner: Trent Sherfield, Jr.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Trent Sherfield runs a pass pattern during training camp at St. John Fisher University. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wide receiver is a deep position for the Bills, with the first five spots seemingly locked up. That means multiple players are fighting for the sixth spot, assuming Buffalo goes that deep. If they do, Trent Sherfield is ensuring his name is in the mix.

The veteran wideout is in his second stint with the team and has been making waves during camp and that carried into this game. Sherfield hauled in two passes on the opening drive, gaining 35 yards as he helped the Bills get into range for the opening-drive touchdown.

Loser: Jude Bowry, OT

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Jude Bowry lines up for a play against the Carolina Panthers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following a long opening drive, the Bills were on the field for just three plays on the second drive. It was an ugly drive that was derailed when Mike Hall beat rookie offensive tackle Jude Bowry on a speed rush. Hall moved past Bowry easily, sacking Kyle Allen for a nine-yard loss. That put Buffalo in a third-and-17 situation, unsurprisingly leading to a punt two plays later.

Buffalo used a fourth-round pick on Bowry, hoping he could provide depth behind starters Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. With the regular season quickly approaching, it's clear that he's not ready for the swing tackle role. There's no reason to panic because he can still develop into a quality player, but the Bills need to lean on someone else if one of their starters goes down.

Winner: Joe Andreessen, LB

Buffalo Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen leaves the field after a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bills' defense was struggling throughout the first half and it looked as though they were going to allow Cleveland to take the lead late in the second half. Shedeur Sanders was leading them on a long drive and was finding open players with ease, sitting at 8-for-8 on the day. Sanders finally made a mistake, however, and the duo of Joe Andreessen and Damar Hamlin made him pay.

On the eighth play of the long drive, Sanders' pass was slightly behind tight end Jermaine Terry, and Andreessen tipped it into the air. He was credited with a pass defense, which allowed Hamlin to record an interception. It was the first incompletion of the day for Sanders and the first time the defense had something to get fired up over.

Damar Hamlin comes up with the INT 🙌

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Andreessen continued to step up after this as he played with plenty of energy. The fan favorite finished with four tackles, but was all over the field, so it felt like much more than that.

Loser: Mecole Hardman, Jr., WR

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. is unable to hold onto the pass against the Cleveland Browns. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Trent Sherfield was making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster, Mecole Hardman Jr. made it tougher on himself. Hardman's path to the team was always going to be as a return man, but the Bills still need him to contribute on offense. They tried to get him involved in this one and Hardman struggled with two drops in the first half. The second was on third-and-three and led to their third consecutive punt.

Hardman responded nicely, recording a touchdown on a screen play on the following drive, giving his team a 14-7 lead. That said, the fact that he was on the field with players not expected to make the team, coupled with his drops, won't help his chances of making the team.

Winner: Te'Cory Couch, CB

Buffalo Bills cornerback Te'Cory Couch takes a knee during a timeout in the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Buffalo's defense made life miserable for Deshaun Watson, holding him to 35 yards on 5-of-12 passing. They also had an interception, which was an impressive grab from Te'Cory Couch.

Te'Cory Couch with the INT!

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Couch showed excellent awareness to bring that pass in. The ball was overthrown by Watson and Couch had multiple players around him and the ball got to him in a hurry. Still, he got both of his hands around it and held on as he hit the ground.

Winner: Kyle Allen, QB

Buffalo Bills QB Kyle Allen throws a pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It wasn't too long ago when there were concerns surrounding Kyle Allen as the backup. After two preseason games, Allen has been impressive and quieted the noise. This weekend, he was especially impressive, going 10-of-12 for 128 yards with a touchdown. He had several impressive throws, including a 37-yarder to Ja'Mori Maclin on their scoring drive just before halftime.

Loser: DeWayne Carter, DT

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter looks on after a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The opening drive was ugly for the Bills entire defensive line. They were struggling to get any pressure, especially on key third down plays. While several players could have been pointed to, it was especially concerning for DeWayne Carter. After missing the 2025 season, Carter bulked up to fit Jim Leonhard's scheme. On Saturday, he was unable to make much of an impact and had a tough time getting off blocks. With Buffalo recently adding Greg Gaines, Carter is on the bubble and didn't help himself out against the Browns. It also wasn't a great sign for Carter that he was on the field in the fourth quarter, which suggests his spot might not be safe.

Winner: Ja'Mori Maclin, WR

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ja'mori MacLin makes a catch in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo put this one away before the fourth quarter, thanks to Ja'Mori Maclin. The undrafted free agent from Kentucky took a pass from Shane Buechele and turned it into a massive gain. Maclin made defenders miss as he turned upfield for a 71-yard touchdown, giving the Bills a 24-7 lead.

Shane Buechele finds Ja'Mori Maclin and he takes it 71 YARDS

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That was his second big catch of the game as Maclin also came down with a 37-yarder from Kyle Allen just before the half. That helped move the chains on their scoring drive late in the second quarter.

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