The Buffalo Bills absolutely capped off their preseason perfect, hitting that 3-0 mark with a dazzling comeback win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Now, the real work begins for the front office, with those brutal 53-man roster decisions looming just ahead of Sunday evening. You know the drill, every snap matters, especially for those guys fighting for a spot. So, who seriously stepped up and made a final, undeniable case? Let’s get into it.
Mike Danna Played His Heart Out
EDGE Mike Danna, man, you just gotta admire the grit. This guy was out there for a whopping 43 snaps against the Steelers, and most of that action came in the second half, bleeding well into the fourth quarter. If you’re looking for a sign about his future, the sheer volume of snaps late in a preseason game tells a story, doesn’t it? But seriously, Danna did absolutely everything he could with that time on task. He stacked up three tackles, added two more pressures, and even tacked on another tackle for loss, building on what was already a stellar preseason. The guy is 29 years old, and he’s just a wily, versatile, thick defensive lineman with a ton of deep playoff experience. If I’m the GM, I’m keeping that kind of player in my back pocket. Whether the Bills find room for him on the 53-man roster or he becomes a poaching target on the practice squad, Danna made his case loud and clear.
Keonta Jenkins Is On The Rise
Then you’ve got linebacker Keonta Jenkins, who just kept making plays. Seriously, does anyone else see shades of Tremaine Edmunds when this guy flies around in the No. 49? I know, Edmunds was a first-round pick, 6’5″ and 250 pounds, while Jenkins is an undrafted dude out of Virginia Tech, coming in at 6’2″ and maybe 220-230. But that long hair spilling out of his helmet and the way he just effortlessly glides to the football, it’s straight-up Edmunds-esque. Jenkins had a monster game with six tackles against the Steelers, including a thudding tackle for loss, and he even added a sack in his 24 snaps. Joe Andreessen didn’t play defense, which probably means he’s locked in as the primary inside linebacker contingency, but Jenkins definitely put an emphatic stamp on a summer where his arrow is pointing decidedly upward.
Frank Gore Jr. Is A “Pro’s Pro”
And we can’t forget about Frank Gore Jr.! It’s wild to think he’s already three years into his professional career. This dude just feels like a real pro’s pro at this point, even though we’ve mostly seen him in camp and preseason. Whether he’s making cornerbacks whiff in space on those flat catches, knifing his way through tiny gaps between the tackles, or turning into a small cement wall in pass protection against an A-gap blitz, Gore Jr. proved for the third-straight preseason that he does everything a modern-day running back needs to do. Yeah, it wasn’t against first-teamers, but the consistency is there. He put multiple exclamation points on his performance, showing he’s ready.
With Sunday evening’s deadline for the 53-man roster decisions looming, these Bills players laid it all on the line. It’s going to be tough calls, but Danna, Jenkins, and Gore Jr. certainly made their case for the next chapter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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