The Lancaster, NY native is likely to see a lot of snaps this weekend
The Buffalo Bills face off against the New England Patriots this weekend in a game that means absolutely nothing in terms of the standings. The Bills would set a franchise record for wins in a season if they are victorious, as the team has never surpassed 13 wins in a regular season. With a loss, the Patriots would clinch the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
So, both teams have something to play for, in theory, but the Patriots have more to lose by winning than the Bills do. Buffalo is going to rest plenty of starters on Sunday, and while NFL roster rules prevent the Bills from taking every single starter out of the lineup, they’re going to remove certain key players from harm’s way as soon as they can (we’re looking at you, Josh Allen).
With that in mind, this weekend will feel a bit like a preseason game, as the Bills will shuttle some players into the lineup who haven’t seen much time otherwise. That makes it really difficult to concoct a list of players to watch, as I feel like my real answer — all of them — is more of a cop-out than when I do those [insert positional group here] posts.
With that said, my five players to watch are below. I’m even more interested in hearing from you all, though, on which players you’re looking for, so give me some suggestions as to who I’m missing in the comments!
QB Mitchell Trubisky
To borrow a phrase from legendary offensive assistant Tom Moore, if Josh Allen goes down, the Bills are [something that rhymes with trucked], so this isn’t necessarily to see whether Trubisky is capable of leading the Bills to victory. In short, we know that without Allen, Buffalo would be in bad shape. We don’t want that to happen. However, it would be nice to know that, if Allen were to bang his elbow on a helmet again and he needed a minute for his hand to regain feeling, Trubisky could come in and handle a series in the midst of meaningful action.
New England’s pass defense gave the Bills a tough time two weeks ago, and while I don’t expect Trubisky to put it in the air 35 times, it would be nice to see him complete some throws, sustain some drives, and use his legs to lead the Bills to their 14th victory. We also want him to stay healthy, as we don’t need to live in a world where Mike White is one snap away from taking over a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
FB Reggie Gilliam
While I would love to see the Bills throw a touchdown pass to a record-breaking 14th receiver and have that person be an offensive lineman, I’m not going to wager on Alec Anderson being the man who breaks the record. I think Anderson will be the 15th player to catch a scoring pass, and he’ll do it in a playoff game — but I digress.
Gilliam is a solid bet to be the guy who scores, and I imagine the Bills will look to put that in the books early. Gilliam might see some carries, as well, especially if the team doesn’t elevate Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad. The team only has two elevations, and my gut says that they’ll prioritize resting defensive players.
Look for Ray Davis and Gilliam to do most of the running, with Gilliam being the guy who sets the record as the team’s 14th person to catch a passing touchdown.
C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
I imagine the reserve offensive line is going to see plenty of run, and that means the backup center should have plenty of chances to work. Connor McGovern has been phenomenal this year in his shift from left guard to the pivot, and the Bills will want to make sure that he’s healthy. Chances are good that McGovern will only play as many snaps as Allen does, and then Trubisky and Van Pran-Granger will tag in for the rest of the afternoon.
The rookie out of Georgia might be upset that his Bulldogs lost to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoffs, but he has a chance to make a good impression against a big, strong New England front this Sunday.
DE Javon Solomon
What better time for the rookie pass rusher to be unleashed than in this game? The Patriots have a dynamic athlete at quarterback in Drake Maye, and while it’s possible that the Patriots take him out both to help him avoid injury and also better their chances of losing, I’m not sure that I’d remove the rookie. Every rep against a real defense is a valuable one for a young player, which is why I’d love to watch Solomon sack Maye rather than veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Solomon has excellent quickness and agility, but the book on him has been that he struggles to set the edge in the run game. With Von Miller likely in his last season with the Bills (unless general manager Brandon Beane works some wizardry with the salary cap), Solomon has a chance to show that he can be a bigger part of the rotation next season — and perhaps even in the postseason.
LB Joe Andreessen
If you’re reading this website, chances are good that you’ve dreamt at some point about doing exactly what Andreessen has done this year. I remember playing in the backyard when I was a kid and throwing myself passes while pretending to be both Jim Kelly and Andre Reed (and then both Doug Flutie and Eric Moulds).
Andreessen is literally living the dream, and with starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard sitting Sunday out thanks to a quad injury, it’s Andreessen who will see plenty of reps. Here’s hoping that the Lancaster High School product shows out on Sunday. He had a team-leading eight tackles in the blowout win over the New York Jets last weekend. Perhaps he can better that total against the Patriots.