Bills vs. Steelers: How to watch, what to watch Week 2 preseason game

On Saturday, August 19, The Pittsburgh Steelers will be hosting the Buffalo Bills for a preseason Week 2 matchup. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17 in their preseason opener, the Steelers will be looking to build on what worked last week while also continuing to get a feel for their 2023 roster. The Bills, also 1-0 this preseason, will be taking a close look at their starting lineup, who will be taking the field for the first time this season.

How to watch Bills vs. Steelers in Week 2 preseason

Date: Saturday, August 19
Start time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: KDKA (local market only)
Live stream: NFL+

DraftKings Odds: Steelers +1, Over/Under 42

With many teams using their second preseason game as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the regular season, this week’s slate of games should have plenty for fans to watch for.

3 things Steelers fans are watching for

Can the Steelers’ offense sustain success?

The Steelers’ starting offense looked fantastic against the Buccaneers in Week 1 of the preseason. The catch is that they only played one drive. And that drive was against backups. Playing for a longer period of time against the Bills’ starting defense should provide a much bigger challenge for Kenny Pickett and co. It’ll be their first real test of the season — but if they can look good on Saturday, that will show that the Steelers offense has some real potential this season.

How will Joey Porter Jr. look in his first NFL game?

Pittsburgh’s high-profile second-round pick missed the Tampa game last minute due to injuries. But Joey Porter Jr. is set to finally take the field as a Steeler for the first time on Saturday. It’ll be interesting to watch how his game translates to the pro level: will his highly-touted physicality result in penalties? Will he have the quickness to keep up with NFL-caliber receivers? We’ll start to get answers to those questions and others against the Bills. If Porter Jr. wants to crack the starting lineup some time this season, Saturday’s game will be an important step.

How will the starting specialists look?

Sure, special teams aren’t the most exciting thing to put in a “what to watch” article, but football fans know all too well that big plays (or mistakes) made by specialists can easily turn the tide of a game. The Steelers are expected to play their projected starters: kicker (Chris Boswell), punter (Pressley Harvin), kick returner (Anthony McFarland), and punt returner (Calvin Austin) for the first time this preseason, and with Harvin being known for consistency issues and McFarland and Austin being fairly new to their roles as returners, the Bills game will certainly be a big moment for them.

The Steelers have lacked game-changing players (or even consistent ones, for that matter) in the punting and return games for the last several years. Even Boswell is coming off a season plagued with injury and a 71.4 field goal percentage. If the Steelers’ specialists look good on Saturday, it’ll be one less thing for fans to worry about this season.

What will you be watching for as the Steelers take on the Bills? Join our Behind The Steel Curtain community and let us know in the comments!