Buffalo’s 38-0 preseason loss to Chicago exposed a night of rough execution and unsettled depth for the Bills. They couldn’t win the line of scrimmage, drew penalties, and failed to compete against Chicago’s starters and reserves. Sean McDermott stressed fundamentals and the need to evaluate the roster, particularly the young players getting extended looks as starters rested.

Cole Bishop worked on a rep-count while Joshua Palmer returned to build endurance, but the offense still looked out of sync. Jordan Hancock left with a shoulder issue as Buffalo rolled through its depth, with Deone Walker, Landon Jackson, and TJ Sanders logging meaningful snaps. Chicago capitalized on the moment, underscoring that preseason threads often reveal where teams must improve most before Week 1.

Moving forward, the Bills must translate joint-practice momentum into cleaner execution, less penalties, and sharper trenches. Depth evaluation becomes real when starters sit, and Buffalo will use practice reps this week to sharpen the run game, pass protection, and overall tackling while monitoring injuries and the growth of its youth core.