The Buffalo Bills have plenty to work on after another inconsistent preseason performance. Here’s a look at who stood out in Friday’s loss to Minnesota:
Stock up
Vince Young: Young finds himself in this category for the second week in a row. In Buffalo’s preseason opener, he stood out with his legs. Against Minnesota, he stood out with his arm. Young was 8 of 14 for 123 yards, which included a perfectly thrown 64-yard bomb to rookie WR T.J. Graham. Young has been the favorite all along to win the open No. 2 job behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he certainly helped his case against the Vikings.
Donald Jones: Jones was one of the few first-teamers to stand out on offense, catching a short 5-yard pass over the middle and maneuvering his way to the end zone for a 31-yard score. Jones didn’t exactly impress as the team’s No. 2 WR last year, but the TD was an extension of his strong performances at training camp.
Delano Howell: The rookie safety showed flashes for the second week in a row and is making a push for one of Buffalo’s final roster spots. At the start of camp, GM Buddy Nix said the team may look to the waiver wire for their final safety spot. The Bills even brought in Jim Leonhard for a free-agent visit during camp but did not sign him. Howell has been a physical presence on the back end in preseason games, and coach Chan Gailey has noticed.
Stock down
LB unit: The Bills are going to need better play from their LBs once the season starts for real. The Vikings moved down the field with ease early in the game, picking up chunks of yardage at a time. The LBs struggled a bit in coverage and were a step behind on some of Minnesota’s big plays.
Tyler Thigpen, Brad Smith: Thigpen started off all right after replacing Young but ended his night with a pick-six. Smith, the projected No. 3 QB, reminded everyone why he should stick to the wildcat with a pick-six of his own just moments later.
Cordy Glenn: The rookie had two more penalties at LT and has plenty of work to do to round out his game. The Bills are counting on him to help on the blind side, but he needs to step his game up.
For more updates on the Bills follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLBUF and @MarkLud12.
Preseason Week 2: Bills -- stock up, down
Who's up, and who's down in the Buffalo Bills stock report for Week 2 of the preseason.
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2 min read