ORCHARD PARK — Whether or not Josh Allen will play against the Carolina Panthers in the Buffalo Bills’ preseason opener likely won’t be revealed until head coach Joe Brady speaks Thursday. But defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard offered a glimpse into the plan.
Leonhard said Tuesday he anticipates his starters to play. He didn’t say how much, but they will play some as the Bills get a chance to put their new defensive scheme to work against an opponent.
Panthers coach Dave Canales already said his starters will play against the Bills, which is likely a factor in whether or not the Bills plan to do the same.
“It’s always good to play another offense,” Leonhard said. “It’s not what you’ve seen every day. And sometimes you fall into a rhythm of, ‘I know this block or I know how this blocker is going to attack me.’ Any time you get against different competition, things change.”
Leonhard wants an aggressive, physical defense and they have brought in players to fit the mold. The Bills are breeding that idea during practice, with Brady and Leonhard both declining to admonish players for scuffles. But to be aggressive and physical, the Bills must be able to tackle well.
Statistically the Bills were among the NFL’s top tackling teams last year. The Bills had the fourth-fewest missed tackles (78), according to Pro Football Reference. But the misses were magnified because defensive backs and linebackers accounted for 59 of the 78.
And because of NFL rules and injury risk, the Bills can’t haul players to the ground in practice. There are limited ways to simulate tackling, so preseason games offer a better way to evaluate players on the roster bubble.
“It’s the first opportunity to finish,” Leonhard said. “… Getting guys on the ground in live situations, making plays on the ball. … The quarterback doesn’t get hit. As camp goes on, generally offense has a little bit of an upper hand because quarterbacks get comfortable, they know the looks, they see what you’re doing and we can’t touch you. So they take a little bit more time.”
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Whether Allen plays against the Panthers is a true mystery. Sean McDermott fluctuated with his philosophy of playing the franchise quarterback during the preseason.
Allen did not appear in the preseason last year and only played eight snaps in 2024. He played in two games over 27 snaps in 2023, while getting just six snaps in 2022. The most Allen’s played over the last five preseason games was nearly the entire first half against the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
Teams generally have different philosophies, as reigning MVP Matthew Stafford hasn’t played a preseason game since being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs generally trot out Patrick Mahomes during one or more preseason games.
• WR Skyler Bell, S Cole Bishop, CB Maxwell Hairston, RB Ty Johnson, WR Ja’Mori Maclin, C Connor McGovern and CB Kani Walker did not practice Tuesday. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson participated only in individual drills.
• DT Zane Durant (two missed practices), WR Stephen Gosnell (one), CB D.J. Miller (three) and P Mitch Wishnowsky (three) returned to practice.
• WR Joshua Palmer made a pair of catches that would have resulted in over 20 yards, including a touchdown against rookie CB Toriano Pride Jr.
• CB Dee Alford jumped a short out route by Keon Coleman and intercepted Josh Allen during a two-minute drill session. With Walker out, Alford also spent some time playing boundary cornerback along with his nickelback duties.
• K Tyler Bass went 5 of 5 on field goals ranging from 33 to 44 yards. Bass has not missed during practice yet during the preseason.
• The Bills hosted five players for a tryout: DT Evan Anderson, CB Anthony Kendall, DB B.J. Mayes, CB Troy Pride and DT Cam Rice.