Four Glaring Disappointments From Bills' Preseason Win Over Panthers

Despite the large margin of victory for Buffalo at the conclusion of its recent preseason opener, the team still has a few glaring holes that need repairing before the start of the regular season.

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Carolina Panthers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills really did it.

Regardless if it was a preseason outing or not, Western New York’s favorite football franchise finally played an actual game inside the new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Saturday afternoon.

And, by most accounts, the exhibition matchup versus the Carolina Panthers went about as smoothly as one could have hoped for under first-year head coach Joe Brady, as the Bills defeated the Panthers in a lopsided manner, taking home a 29-14 victory to start the preseason off with a win.

A lot of good things to be gleaned from Saturday’s victory

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore (2) makes a catch against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen and new veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore were sensational in their debut together as Allen went 6-of-8 passing for 111 yards and one touchdown, which went to fellow wideout Keon Coleman on a nine-yard play inside the red zone in the first quarter, while Moore added 61 receiving yards on three catches to lead the team in both categories.

The defense also looked stellar under the guidance of first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who has shifted the team to his preferred 3-4 scheme this offseason, as the unit forced a three-and-out on each of Carolina’s first three drives in the game, which resulted in the Panthers’ offense registering a measly 11 yards on those possessions.

Overall, it was a solid debut for Bills Mafia’s beloved team.

Blunders from Buffalo that still need improvement

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive back Corey Thornton (31) is called for pass interference on a play intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stephen Gosnell (89) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, with that in mind, there were also a few mishaps during the afternoon, as well.

There’s still time to correct them, though.

Another preseason contest is just days away as Buffalo takes on the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, August 22, at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

So, on that note, here are four disappointments from the Bills’ preseason debut against the Panthers on August 15 that must quickly be corrected going forward.

Kicker Tyler Bass’ struggles continue

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass (16) makes a field goal with punter Tommy Doman Jr. (19) holding on the play as Carolina Panthers defensive back Will Lee (24) rushes | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saturday’s outing against Carolina marked the first time that Bills’ veteran Tyler Bass kicked in a “competitive” setting since the end of last August in the 2025 preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 29-year-old subsequently landed on injured reserve following that game for the entirety of the regular season and the playoffs after a battle with a multitude of ailments that required sports-hernia surgery. 

It’s been a long road to recovery, but Bass appears to be Buffalo’s only option at the position despite him missing an entire calendar year without seeing any live action up until this past weekend.

That’s what made his performance against the Panthers so discouraging.

After nailing a chip shot from 33 yards to open the scoring in the team’s new home venue, the former 2020 sixth-round pick shanked his next attempt wide right . . . and it was from the same distance—44 yards—that he missed from in the AFC divisional round at the old Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024, against the Kansas City Chiefs that would’ve likely forced overtime in that postseason contest.

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills place kicker Tyler Bass (16) kicks a field goal against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bass did finish the day 3-of-4 for the afternoon, which included hitting two other field goals from 46 yards and 29 yards, as well, but only making 75% of your kicks in a preseason setting isn’t acceptable at this point, especially when each attempt was from less than 50 yards.

Those need to be almost automatic, but they’re just not right now for the seventh-year veteran out of Georgia Southern.

We’ll see if the team remains confident in Bass as the summer carries on or not. Could Matt Prater be on speed dial?

Bills’ pass protection struggled all game

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (26) hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Allen (11) during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Whether it be veteran right tackle Spencer Brown or rookie offensive lineman Jude Bowry, who both surrendered sacks, the pass protection from Buffalo up front wasn’t up to snuff for the majority of the afternoon on Saturday.

Quarterback Josh Allen was officially only brought to the ground one time during his limited action, but another sack was erased on a third-down play from a 15-yard facemask penalty by Panthers’ EDGE defender Trevis Gipson that wound up extending the drive for the Bills.

In total, the team surrendered three sacks through the first half for a total loss of 24 yards, and—although he wasn’t sacked during the afternoon—backup quarterback Shane Buechele was constantly on the move during the second half.

With that said, it was only the first action of the preseason. So, it’s not quite time to panic yet. However, it was a little discouraging to see how much success that Carolina had in creating pressure throughout the entirety of the game, not just against the backups. New Bills’ offensive line coach Pat Meyer must get it corrected in short order.

Pair of recent highly-drafted Bills’ DL fail to impress vs. Carolina

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers' backup quarterback Kenny Pickett (12) easily escapes out of the pocket while Bills' defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (98) fails to disengage from a block | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Much has been made this offseason about the potential that former 2025 second-round pick T.J. Sanders and former 2024 third-round pick DeWayne Carter have to be game-wreckers in Buffalo’s new 3-4 defensive scheme under Jim Leonhard this upcoming season.

Sanders struggled to get acclimated to the NFL game last year in his rookie campaign out of South Carolina, while Carter is returning this summer from a torn Achilles that he suffered at the end of August just a little more than one calendar year ago.

On Saturday, neither player made any notable splash plays against the Panthers like Sanders’ fellow 2025 draft pick Deone Walker, who finished his day with three tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack in just 10 snaps of action.

Buffalo Bills defensive lineman DeWayne Carter (90) hydrates during a muggy day of Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University on Thursday, August 5, 2026 in Pittsford, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Walker was dominant, while the other two aforementioned defensive lineman were practically invisible when going up against lesser competition later in the game. And, although Sanders did manage to get one pressure on the quarterback that led to rookie EDGE rusher T.J. Parker getting his first NFL preseason sack midway through the contest, it’s not enough from the former No. 41 overall pick. In fact, it was last year’s third-round pick Landon Jackson who received the start along the defensive line with Walker and Ed Oliver, and not Sanders.

Needless to say, both him and Carter need to be much better. 

No punt game . . . is a bad thing?

August 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; A general view of the new Highmark Stadium during the second half of a preseason game between the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Normally, not punting in a game where your team scores nearly 30 points would be considered a good thing.

However, when you’re a team like the Bills that has a rookie punter waiting in the wings to take over this upcoming regular season, it’s not necessarily the best outcome.

2026 seventh-round pick Tommy Doman Jr. has been battling it out with veteran Mitch Wishnowsky this offseason for the right to earn the starting punter job in Western New York this season, and on Saturday it was the youngster from the University of Florida who received all of the reps . . . holding the ball for placekicker Tyler Bass.

Buffalo Bills' rookie punter Tommy Doman Jr. (39) sends a punt downfield during Day 5 of Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If the Bills are going to have a true competition, then both Doman Jr. and Wishnowsky must get some valuable game reps in during the next two matchups to finish out the month.

Then, a proper roster decision can be made at the position.

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