ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The list of positives that Bills coach Sean McDermott could conjure up Saturday following Buffalo’s 33-6 preseason opening loss to the Chicago Bears was short.
The injury situation was OK, kicker Tyler Bass made both of his field goals and “maybe” the red zone defense stood out early in the game. Other than that, McDermott said, there is “a ton to work on.”
“Our standard was not out there today,” he said. “That’s not how we play, so there is a lot we need to do to get [ourselves] ready to go here.”
The frustration was evident following a game in which the Bills struggled to get anything going on the ground — with four running backs gaining 36 yards on 19 carries — and experienced difficulties on the offensive line that resulted in eight sacks. The quarterback play by backups Mitchell Trubisky and Shane Buechele also was shaky throughout the day.
The Bears, on the other hand, gave up only one sack and averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
“We didn’t control the line of scrimmage from the jump, all the way down to one of the last series we had on offense, trying to get a first down on third-and-1 … and can’t get a yard,” McDermott said. “That’s where the challenge comes in. We’ve got to embrace that challenge. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen played some of two drives, going three-and-out on his first drive then finishing five more plays before being removed — or “yanked,” as he later described it — mid-drive at the end of the first quarter. He went 2-of-3 passing for 22 yards and had one scramble for 7 yards.
“I wanted to finish out the drive,” Allen said. “So, a whole lot of effort getting ready to play and getting those few snaps. But I understand the reasoning behind it.”
The wind had an impact on special teams, including returners KJ Hamler and Daequan Hardy having trouble tracking the ball and punter Sam Martin having an up-and-down performance.
McDermott also said the Bills’ 11 penalties, especially the pre-snap miscues, were self-inflicted.
“If you had a blood pressure cuff on me during that game, it probably would have exploded,” McDermott said. “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you know to try and keep perspective. That’s why they call us coaches also, to take a team where it may be and make it better. That’s what we’ve done here, and that’s what we’re planning to continue to do.”