Bills Preseason Week 2 Positional Battles

The Buffalo Bills may have solidified a couple of positions that we listed last week (MLB and CB2), but there are still some battles that have yet to end. Some new, and some that will continue on throughout the summer.

Buffalo takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Saturday at 6:30 pm at Acrisure Stadium (or Heinz Field if you still call it that). Let’s take a look at some of these position battles.

QB2

The Bills may have a bigger competition here than they expected with Matt Barkley shining against the Colts last week, throwing for 172 yards and two TDs. Meanwhile, Kyle Allen started off slower, going 8-15 for 122 yards and one INT. Based on their latest depth chart, the Bills say Kyle Allen is the QB2 this week, but Barkley could give him a run for his money for the second week in a row.

Who makes the most noise this week? Matt Barkley.

DE

I say defensive end, but it’s really Shane Ray vs. Boogie Basham; and let’s throw A.J. Epenesa into the mix as well. Epenesa didn’t have the best game last week, with many fans saying he reverted back to the way he played his first two seasons in the league. Ray had a good game, including a tackle to force a fourth down and a lot of special teams work, which could significantly impact his roster status come cutdown day. Ray, who’s 30 years old, has a big hill to climb. But he is looking like a good post-draft addition by Brandon Beane and company.

One other player that wasn’t mentioned here is Kingsley Jonathan. He played a good amount of special teams as well and, like Ray, it could make a big difference over some other DEs.

Who makes the most noise this week? Shane Ray.

WR

This may be an underrated competition, but it’s been present all summer with the Buffalo Bills adding Andy Isabella to their wide receiver room. After Isabella, Tyrell Shavers and Dezmon Patmon each had a good showing against Indianapolis. However, only one will be able to make the roster/practice squad. Both Isabella and Shavers offer special teams flexibility, with Isabella showing he can give the Bills some good attempts at returner. Shavers, who I’ve been high on since the draft, is a perfect gunner to replace Jake Kumerow, who was not brought back in free agency.

If Buffalo wants to see more of Deonte Harty on offense, they could elect to keep Isabella over the others for his return ability.

Who makes the most noise this week? Andy Isabella.

Other Notable Battles

• DT: Poona Ford vs. DaQuan Jones
• MLB: A.J. Klein vs. Baylon Spector

Featured Image: AP Photo/Charles Krupa