Buffalo Bills: 3 Takeaways from the preseason opener

Nathan Peterman and A.J. McCarron make their case for the starting QB job

If Allen is not going to start Week 1 who will be handling the snaps? Will it be Peterman or McCarron? The preseason opener didn’t really provide much of a chance to say whether either stood out enough to get the advantage.

It was clear that both have something to offer coming into this season knowing that they are battling for one job and they didn’t disappoint.

For Peterman, it was nice to see him throw only one interception after throwing five picks in his debut against the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He showed great chemistry with Benjamin connecting with him for the first touchdown of the night.

Peterman completed 9 of 10 passes for 119 yards and the touchdown to Benjamin including seven straight completions on the first drive of the game. The only blemish was a tipped ball that led to an interception but other than that, Peterman was efficient and gives the coaching staff more to look at as camp continues.

McCarron was equally impressive with the second offensive unit and had to deal with the pressure of following up a solid showing from Peterman. He led two straight scoring drives for a combined 10 points going 7-of-10 for 116 yard.

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What this shows is that both quarterbacks are able to be efficient in Brian Daboll’s system which gives them a chance to let Allen develop at his pace. Anything is an improvement on the lack of punch the passing game has had in previous seasons.

The real question now is which receivers get line up behind Benjamin on the depth chart. Brandon Reilly has been turning heads during camp and he had a 59-yard catch showing his ability to make big plays. Jeremy Kerley didn’t play but he’s expected to be a part of the offence and Andre Holmes likely gets in as the third or fourth receiver.

While it’s only the first preseason game, it was an encouraging effort from the Bills who see a chance to compete for the Wild Card in the AFC.

What did you make of the first preseason game? Who impressed you, who didn’t? Let us know in the comments below.