Martavis Bryant will be suspended for the first four regular season games for a violation of the substance abuse policy. (Getty)
Final Score
Pittsburgh Steelers 11-8-0-0 — 19
Buffalo Bills 13-10-13-7 — 43
The Buffalo Bills put on an offensive show the likes of which have not been seen in Western New York in years on Saturday. The Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 of the preseason 43-19 at home and amassed over 500 yards in doing so.
The three-way quarterback battle failed to be settled as EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor played virtually flawless football in leading the offense on multiple touchdown drives.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played sparingly, and backup Michael Vick threw a 63-yard pass on his first throw back in the league. Landry Jones played most of the game for Pittsburgh, which struggled to stay on the field by converting just 3-of-11 third downs.
Check below for stats and highlights of the game.
Key Stats
Tyrod Taylor (BUF): 12-for-13, 122 yards, 1 carry, 20 yards, 1 TD
EJ Manuel (BUF): 7-for-8, 170 yards, 2 TD
Fred Jackson (BUF): 5 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD
Mike Vick (PIT): 4-for-5, 106 yards
Martavis Bryant (PIT): 3 catches, 138 yards
Fred Jackson Gave the Bills a 7-0 Lead With a Short Touchdown Run
Veteran running back Fred Jackson broke a 41-yard run, then scored from a yard out to give Buffalo an early 7-0 lead after the Steelers went three-and-out.
Le’Veon Bell Got Into a Scuffle With a Bills Linebacker
Steelers star back Le’Veon Bell only got two carries early in the game, he was feisty with Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham. Jerry Hughes comes over and removes Bell’s helmet.
Michael Vick Threw a Bomb for his First Pass as a Steeler
Michael Vick, signed this week as a free agent, hooked up with Martavis Bryant for a 63-yard gain. The play led to a touchdown to cut the Buffalo lead to 13-11 in a wild first quarter.
Bryant Hauled in Another Long Pass for a Touchdown
Bryant caught three passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in the first half, including a 39-yard pass from Landry Jones to temporarily give the Steelers the lead. The Bills would score the final 10 points of the half though, and take a 23-19 lead into the locker room.
Bills Quarterback Tyrod Taylor Rushed for a 20-Yard Touchdown in the 3rd Quarter
Looking to make a case for the starting quarterback job, Tyrod Taylor dazzled the Bills home crowd with this touchdown run to make it 29-19 in the third quarter.
EJ Manuel Responded With a Touchdown Strike for Buffalo
Not to be outdone by his teammate, EJ Manuel threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to Tobias Palmer. The score increased the lead to 36-19 in the third quarter.
Matt Simms Threw a Touchdown Pass for the Bills in the 4th quarter
Former New York Jets quarterback Matt Simms got in on the party late in the game, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gragg to push the lead to 43-19. The Bills had more than 500 yards of total offense in the game.
Preview: Steelers Dealt a Blow Before Season Begins
Marcell Dareus (R) had 10 sacks last season for Buffalo (Getty)
The Steelers found out days before their Week 3 NFL preseason game with the Bills that wide receiver Martavius Bryant will miss the first four games of the season. Markus Wheaton will take a more prominent role in the offense, which will not include LeVeon Bell for the first two weeks, either.
The Bills and Steelers will meet for the second straight preseason; Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdowns last season as the Steelers won 19-16. Roethlisberger, who hasn’t missed a game in two-plus seasons now after struggling with injuries earlier in his career, will play for part of the game against Buffalo.
The Steelers notched their first preseason win with a win over the Packers last week; they dropped their opening two games against the Vikings and Jaguars. The Bills are 1-1 with both games being decided by one point.