In terms of preseason performances, it's hard to ask for much more than what we witnessed from the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 of the 2023 preseason. While they had numerous standout performers, it came against a depleted Bucs team that didn't play many starters.
Now the Steelers will get a much bigger test in Week 2 of the preseason against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that QB Josh Allen will play and that he plans to deploy his starters for roughly a quarter and a half of action. Mike Tomlin confirmed that his starters will play longer in this game as well.
Though this is still exhibition action, it will come against one of the better football teams in the league. Standout rookies from Week 1 of the preseason will have a chance to stack promising performances. Here's everything you need to know about the Steelers vs Bills game this weekend.
Steelers vs Bills kickoff time:
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills are set to kick off Week 2 of the preseason at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, August 18th. This will be the second of three preseason games for both teams in 2023.
Steelers vs Bills location:
The Steelers vs Bills game will be played in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium (formerly known as Heinz Field). It might be a preseason game, but we are expecting a packed house for this AFC matchup.
Steelers vs Bills streaming:
You can catch the Steelers vs Bills locally on ABC. You can stream the game with a subscription to NFL+. We recommend using FuboTV (blackout restrictions may apply).
Steelers vs Bills odds:
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-point home underdogs to the Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Pittsburgh has a moneyline of +105 and the over/under for this game is set at 42.0 points.
Steelers vs Bills: What to watch for in Preseason Week 2
Last week, Kenny Pickett had a prototype opening drive that was capped off with a 33-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens. Though we can't expect such flawless results against a better defense this week, fans should be looking to see if Pickett can keep the momentum going against the Bills.
Steelers fans should also be interested in the battle at left tackle. Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones have made it a fun contest through training camp. If the rookie first-round pick can make strides in his second preseason game, Jones could be making a push to start at some point early in the season.
Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton, Calvin Austin, and Anthony McFarland were some of the standout performers in the preseason opener. We will see if they can rise to the challenge for a repeat performance against Buffalo.