Bills to Play Josh Allen, Other Starters vs. Steelers on Saturday

The Buffalo Bills will start star quarterback Josh Allen for the team’s Week 2 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, head coach Sean McDermott announced on Thursday.

McDermott said that most of his starters will play about a quarter and a half on Saturday. The Steelers faced very few starters in their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday night.

The Steelers are well aware that Allen represents a strong test. He lit them up for 424 yards and four touchdowns in Orchard Park last October. 

That was his career-best performance against the Black and Gold. Pittsburgh’s defense held Allen to 270 yards and a touchdown while upsetting the Bills in the 2021 season opener and 238 yard, two touchdowns and an interception on a frosty Buffalo night in 2020. In 2019. Allen threw for just 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Steelers at Heinz Field.

The Steelers’ revamped secondary will certainly welcome the challenge, now that it’s getting healthy. The Steelers didn’t hold many players out in Week 1 against Tampa, but had a number of defensive backs that did not play because they were banged up.

So cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Patrick Peterson and safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee could all make their Steelers preseason debuts against the Bills and the likes of Allen, Stephon Diggs and company.

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Several Buffalo players are unlikely to play because of injury, including running back Damien Harris, wide receiver Gabe Davis, defensive tackle Eli Ankou and linebacker Terrell Bernard.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not yet addressed which Steelers are expected to play in the game. He will speak to the Pittsburgh media today at 11:30 a.m. Last season, the Steelers starters played about a quarter in the first preseason game.