The Buffalo Bills kicked off their preseason in defeat against the New York Giants. Of course, though, the win-loss record isn't important in August, it's the individual performances Buffalo is paying attention to, and they had no shortage of standout performances on Saturday. Here are the big winners from Week 1 of the preseason.
LB Joe Andreessen
The legend of Buffalo Joe continues. Andreessen ran with the No. 1 defense today, as Terrel Bernard didn't take the field. He had five tackles, including a tackle for loss. Expect Andreessen to get real defensive snaps come the regular season.
WR Tyrell Shavers
Shavers has been very close to making the 53-man roster in each of the last two seasons, and he had a big game. His most notable play was a 58-yard reception from Mitch Trubisky with less than 10 seconds left in the first half that set up a Bills field goal.
RB Ty Johnson
The dual-threat back only had three carries, but two were explosive and went for big gains.
DT Deone Walker
Walker showcased exactly why the Bills drafted him. He got pressure on Jaxson Dart, put a hand in the air and batted the pass down.
LB Jimmy Ciarlo
The former Army captain made two notable plays in the second half. He laid a massive hit on a kickoff return, and then exploded to the ball for a tackle for loss on a first down run. Circle his name as a guy who will likely have a practice squad spot waiting for him.
WR KJ Hamler
Hamler was a name to watch last season as the team's potential kick returner, but ended up on the practice squad. In the preseason opener, though, he caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Mike White on fourth down.
QB Mike White
Mitch Trubisky played fine, but White had a few more splash plays, including two touchdown passes. The battle for QB2 continues.
CB Jordan Hancock
Even though his interception was negated due to an offside penalty, he had three tackles and still made the play in coverage to come away with the pick.
The Bills will continue exhibition play next Sunday in Chicago against the Bears.
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