Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - For the first time since 2018, the Buffalo Bills lose a game in the preseason.
In the final preseason game of the year for the Bills, they ended up getting shut out by the Carolina Panthers, 21-0, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Buffalo's loss was its first in the preseason since losing to the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 26, 2018.
After a lightning delay pushed kickoff back from 7 p.m. ET to 7:36 p.m. ET, Carolina opened the scoring for the game on their second drive. The Panthers were led down the field by Baker Mayfield in six-and-a-half minutes, as he capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to D'onta Foreman.
At the end of the first quarter, the Bills had two unsuccessful drives leading to no production on the scoreboard. Leading the way for the offense was wide receiver Jake Kumerow with 14 yards on one reception. Rookie running back James Cook also had 13 yards rushing on three carries.
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The Bills offense opened the second quarter with quarterback Case Keenum tossing an interception on a pass that was intended for wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins. However, Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn came up with the football, which eventually led to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to wide receiver Shi Smith.
Buffalo's offense struggled to get going again to start the second half.
Sam Darnold took over at quarterback for the Panthers to start the third quarter, and got his turn to lead the Carolina offense. He helped the Panthers drive 45 yards in 10 plays, ending with a one-yard scamper to the end zone.
Ultimately, the Bills were not able to produce anything offensively all game. Despite flashes late in the third quarter and early on in the fourth, the team fell short every drive.
Matt Barkley led the way for the Bills under center with nine completions on 13 attempts for 100 yards.
Undrafted rookie running back Raheem Blackshear was Buffalo's leading rusher on the night with 13 carries for 47 rushing yards. He also added two receptions for 12 yards.
Finally, wide receiver Neil Pau'u was the leader in the receiving department with four catches for 46 yards.
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GAME SUMMARY
First Quarter:
7-0 CAROLINA: Panthers touchdown (6:05) - Baker Mayfield dumps off a two-yard pass to D’onta Foreman for the touchdown. (Zane Gonzalez’s extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:30
Second Quarter:
14-0 CAROLINA: Panthers touchdown (12:09) - Baker Mayfield tosses a 19-yard touchdown pass to Shi Smith. (Zane Gonzalez’s extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 3 plays, 27 yards, 1:35
Third Quarter:
21-0 CAROLINA: Panthers touchdown (7:00) - Sam Darnold rushes for 1-yard touchdown run. (John Hekker’s extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:07
Fourth Quarter:
- No Scoring Plays
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SKYWORKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME:
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What's next:
The Bills will have trim the roster down to the final 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 30. Then it's on to the regular season for the NFL season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Sept. 8 at SoFi Stadium.
Kickoff for Week 1 is slated for 8:20 p.m. ET on the official home of the Buffalo Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.