Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers – Preseason Week 3 Preview
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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WHEC) – The Buffalo Bills wrap up their 2022 preseason schedule with an away game in Carolina.
Buffalo Bills Gameday Basics
Teams: Buffalo Bills (2-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-1)
Time: Friday at 7 p.m.
Where: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
What’s At Stake?
Cuts. A lot of them.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills and the other 31 NFL teams will need to trim their active rosters down to just 53. A handful of those guys will make the practice squad. A lot of them will head back to free agency.
Several position groups will have more cuts than others. The battle for roster spots at wide receiver, linebacker, and cornerback are all notable ones, but really all around the board there will be deserving guys who ultimately get beat out.
And there’s always at least one surprise player to get cut, so it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out.
Last Time Out
The Bills eased over Denver last Saturday, winning 42 to 15 in a lopsided matchup.
Buffalo scored touchdowns on its first six possessions, capping all of them off with a Tyler Bass extra point.
Josh Allen started the first series perfect, going 3-for-3 with 45 yards and a touchdown find to Gabe Davis.
Case Keenum and Matt Barkley didn’t cave in, combining for over 250 yards and only missing on three pass attempts.
The Bills defense stood staunch too. The Broncos offense was held below 300 yards, including just 17 rushing attempts for 32 yards.
The win gave Buffalo its 10th preseason victory in a row.
Bills Player To Watch
Isaiah Hodgins
For the second week in a row, a wide receiver is our player to watch, and for good reason. The Bills have a plethora of receiver talent and Hodgins is right on the cut line.
Friday night’s game is the last chance for Bills players to make an impression before Tuesday’s 53-man roster cut. Hodgins is a unique example.
On one hand, he’s impressed as a receiver for both of Buffalo’s games. In game one against the Indianapolis Colts, the second year receiver out of Oregon State led the Bills with 9 receptions, which was good for 77 yards.
Last week against the Denver Broncos, Hodgins had another strong game, finishing with three catches for 28 yards.
Here’s where it gets tricky.
The Bills will likely only keep six receivers on the active roster. Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder, and Khalil Shakir seem like looks.
Hodgins has arguably put up the best numbers of anyone for that sixth and final spot, but Jake Kumerow is a total asset on special teams. Whether or not Hodgins can make an impact on special teams is the biggest question, so that’s really what the biggest focus is for Friday’s game.