Tampa, Fla. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - After a pair of losses to open the 2025 preseason, the Buffalo Bills wrapped up their exhibition action on a high note with a 23-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Despite the Bills sitting a majority of its starters, and even their second-string players on both sides of the football, the defensive unit hit the field first with second-year safety Cole Bishop taking some reps as he prepares for a potential starting role in the Buffalo secondary.
It was a solid start for the defense, as the Bills were able to force a punt from the Buccaneers on their opening drive of the game, led by quarterback Kyle Trask.
The Bills turned to quarterback Shane Buechele under center for the entirety of the game, meaning starter Josh Allen was not going to get any action in the preseason for the first time in his eight-year NFL career.
The offense got to work right away and closed the book early on the possibility of being shut out for a second-straight preseason game. Frank Gore Jr. capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to cap off a 12-play drive and give the Bills the early lead.
The Bills flashed defensively early and often, as fourth-round rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker picked up his first sack of the preseason, while Bishop helped forced a punt with a pass breakup on a third down passing play on the next Tampa Bay drive.
While the first quarter came to a close with the Bills still leading 7-0, perhaps the highlight of the opening 15 minutes came when backup tight end Zach Davidson booted a 62-yard punt, filling in for Brad Robbins, who was limited on Saturday due to an illness.
Tampa Bay managed to finally get on the scoresheet on their next drive with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Chase McLaughlin with 10:05 left in the second quarter.
However, the highlight of the night came omn Buffalo's very next drive, courtesy of wide receiver Tyrell Shavers.
With a spot on the 53-man roster potentially on the line, Shavers continued his very strong preseason with his first touchdown grab of exhibition play, and did so in style with a one-handed grab to give Buffalo a 14-3 lead.
Just before the half, Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson was able to cut into Buffalo's lead with a one-yard touchdown grab for his eighth catch of the night.
The Bills were left with just enough time at the end of the second quarter for Buechele to lead a seven-play drive that resulted in a 37-yard field goal from kicker Tyler Bass to put Buffalo up 17-10 at halftime.
The third quarter opened with a trio of field goals, two from the Bills and one from the Buccaneers.
Bass was, once again, able to connect from 37 yards out to extend the Bills' lead to 10 points after an 11 play drive to open the second half.
After a 50-yard field goal from McLaughlin on Tampa Bay's opening drive of the half, Bass was good again, this time from 39 yards out, to give Buffalo a 23-13 lead with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter.
The first turnover of the game came at the end of the third quarter when Bills cornerback Zy Alexander forced a fumble of Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp, which was recovered by linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo.
As the game bled into the fourth quarter, the Bills were able to chew up 8:01 off the clock thanks to a long 13-play drive into the Buccaneers' red zone. However, a missed 26-yard field goal from Bass with 4:27 left in regulation gave Tampa Bay one last slimmer of hope.
It took the Buccaneers 14 plays and 80 yards to drive back into scoring position, ultimately ending with quarterback Connor Bazelak finding wide receiver Garrett Greene for a one-yard touchdown pass. However, a chance to cut the deficit to two points failed when a two-point conversion attempt by Tampa Bay was unsuccessful.
With three timeouts in hand, the Buccaneers elected to kick the ball back to the Bills with 1:47 remaining in regulation. However, Buechele and the Buffalo offense was able to successfully burn through Tampa Bay's timeouts and run down the clock to secure the 23-19 win.
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Scoring Recap:
First Quarter:
- 7-0 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (5:32) - Frank Gore Jr. punches in a 1-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:22
Second Quarter:
- 7-3 BUFFALO: Buccaneers field goal (10:05) - Chase McLaughlin's 35-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:09
- 14-3 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (6:26) - Tyrell Shavers snags a one-handed catch for an 11-yard touchdown from Shane Buechele. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:39
- 14-10 BUFFALO: Buccaneers touchdown (0:58) - Kyle Trask connects with Tez Johnson for 1-yard touchdown pass. (Chase McLaughlin's extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:28
- 17-10 BUFFALO: Bills field goal (0:00) - Tyler Bass' 37-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 7 plays, 49 yards, 0:58
Third Quarter:
- 20-10 BUFFALO: Bills field goal (7:43) - Tyler Bass' 37-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 11 plays, 63 yards, 7:17
- 20-13 BUFFALO: Buccaneers field goal (6:25) - Chase McLaughlin's 50-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:18
- 23-13 BUFFALO: Bills field goal (1:33) - Tyler Bass' 39-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:55
Fourth Quarter:
- 23-19 BUFFALO: Buccaneers touchdown (1:41) - Connor Bazelak finds Garrett Greene for a 1-yard touchdown reception. (Tampa Bay's two-point conversion attempt is unsuccessful)
Drive info: 14 plays, 80 yards, 2:37
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SKYWORKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME:
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What's next:
Roster cut-down day is slated for Tuesday, where the Bills will have to trim their roster to 53 players by 4 p.m.
The Bills will then begin preparations for their 2025 regular season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7 when they host the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff for "Sunday Night Football" is slated for 8:20 p.m., and can be heard on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.