🏈 FINAL: Buffalo Bills 29, Carolina Panthers 14
The Buffalo Bills christened their new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium with a 29-14 preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon.
Carolina’s first-team offense struggled in its preseason debut, going three-and-out on each of its three possessions with Bryce Young at quarterback. The Panthers finished with just 201 total yards on the day while Buffalo rolled up 396.
Carolina’s two touchdowns came on a 6-yard pass from Kenny Pickett to Ja’Seem Reed late in the first half and a 9-yard pass from Kyle Trask to John Metchie III with 20 seconds remaining.
🔄 Last Updated: August 15, 2026 4:33 pm
🔍 Panthers-Bills: Quick Takeaways
Bryce Young and the starters struggle
Young completed 3-of-5 passes for 18 yards and was sacked once as Carolina failed to get a first down on its opening three possessions. A penalty wiped out what would have been the first-team offense’s only first down during the third series.
Carolina was missing some important starters, including offensive guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.
Jonathon Brooks returns
Running back Jonathon Brooks played in a game for the first time since December 2024, getting four touches on Carolina’s first nine offensive snaps. Brooks carried three times for 5 yards and caught one pass for 9 yards.
Running back Chuba Hubbard did not play as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.
Buffalo moves the ball against Carolina’s defense
Buffalo’s first-team offense had considerably more success. Josh Allen completed 6-of-8 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, including a 9-yard scoring pass to Keon Coleman in the opening period.
The Panthers were without defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and Carolina’s starters didn’t remain in the game long. One bright spot: the Panthers’ defense did not allow Buffalo to convert a third down in the first half. Buffalo went just 1-for-7 on third down for the game and still produced 396 yards and 29 points.
📊 Numbers to Know
- 396-201: Buffalo nearly doubled Carolina in total offense, finishing with 396 yards to the Panthers’ 201.
- 6.4 vs. 3.5: The Bills averaged 6.4 yards per play compared with just 3.5 for Carolina.
- 151-61: Buffalo held a 90-yard advantage on the ground. The Panthers averaged only 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.
- 3-for-5, 18 yards: Bryce Young’s final line over three possessions. Carolina went three-and-out on all three series with Young at quarterback.
- 6-for-8, 111 yards, 1 TD: Josh Allen’s line in limited action for Buffalo, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman.
- 4 touches, 14 yards: Jonathon Brooks had three carries for 5 yards and one catch for 9 yards in his first game action since December 2024.
- 1-for-7: Buffalo’s third-down conversion rate was surprisingly poor despite its overall offensive success. Carolina finished 3-for-11.
🏈 Scoring Summary
First Quarter
BUF — Tyler Bass 33-yard field goal, 11:22 — Bills 3-0
BUF — Keon Coleman 9-yard pass from Josh Allen (Bass kick), 5:12 — Bills 10-0
Second Quarter
BUF — Bass 46-yard field goal, 3:22 — Bills 13-0
CAR — Ja’Seem Reed 6-yard pass from Kenny Pickett (Ryan Fitzgerald kick), 0:29 — Bills 13-7
Third Quarter
BUF — Bass 29-yard field goal, 1:29 — Bills 16-7
Fourth Quarter
BUF — Ian Wheeler 6-yard run (two-point conversion failed), 8:46 — Bills 22-7
BUF — Frank Gore Jr. 3-yard run (Bass kick), 4:33 — Bills 29-7
CAR — John Metchie III 9-yard pass from Kyle Trask (Fitzgerald kick), 0:20 — Bills 29-14
⏭️ Up Next: Preseason Game 3
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Date: Friday, Aug. 21, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
⏪ Pregame Center: Panthers at Bills
The information below was published and updated in the days leading up to Saturday’s game, including how to watch, Panthers news and our pregame storylines to follow.
The Carolina Panthers, fresh off a thrilling Hall of Fame Game victory over the Arizona Cardinals, will play their second preseason game Saturday afternoon, Aug. 15, against the Buffalo Bills. This time, Bryce Young and the starters are expected to join the action.
The Panthers also will be part of a little history in Buffalo. Saturday’s game will be the first contest at the Bills’ new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, which replaces the team’s longtime home next door in Orchard Park.
Carolina launched into the preseason with a 33-30 victory over Arizona on Aug. 6, but the win came with a cost. Quarterback Haynes King, who scored the winning touchdown on the final play, suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to miss time. The Panthers signed veteran quarterback Kyle Trask on Sunday.
🏟️ Preseason Game
Carolina Panthers (1-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
Last Meeting: Buffalo Bills 40, Carolina Panthers 9 (Oct. 26, 2025)
TV: Panthers Television Network (WSOC-TV in Charlotte; WRAL/WRAZ in Raleigh-Durham)
Streaming: Panthers.com and Panthers app (free in-market); NFL+
Radio: Panthers Radio Network
📚 Last time out for the Panthers
Carolina Panthers 33, Arizona Cardinals 30 – Aug. 6, 2026, Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH
- Undrafted free agent quarterback Haynes King scrambled five yards for the winning touchdown on the final play
- King finished 21-of-34 passing, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns in a backup role to Kenny Pickett
- The Panthers twice erased deficits to secure the win on a weekend when former star linebacker Luke Kuechly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
🔍 Panthers at Bills (Preseason): What to Watch
🏈 Bryce Young, starters shift Panthers into season-prep mode
The Hall of Fame Game served largely as a showcase and evaluation opportunity for Carolina’s younger players and roster hopefuls. Saturday represents the next phase of the preseason, with Canales beginning the transition toward preparing his regular-season lineup.
Canales said that starters will play against Buffalo, giving fans a first look at quarterback Bryce Young and others who did not see the field against Arizona. Backups Kenny Pickett and Haynes King handled quarterbacking duties in the opener, with Pickett subbed out in the second quarter.
“We’ll get (Young) out there and probably play something similar to what Kenny and that group played in the Hall of Fame Game — so somewhere between 10 and 20 plays depending on how those drives pan out,” Canales told reporters (Charlotte Observer).
🏃 Jonathon Brooks returns — and gets a look with the starters
Running back Jonathon Brooks is expected to make his preseason debut Saturday, and coach Dave Canales said the third-year back will get work with Carolina’s first-team offense, per Panthers.com. It will be Brooks’ first game action since 2024, giving the Panthers another important offensive piece to evaluate alongside Bryce Young and the starters.
“He’s in great shape; He’s ready to rock, he’s ready to play football,” Canales said. “And so now that’s just the next part of it. And you know, he’ll play with the first group, he’ll mix in and out with Chuba, and we’ll be able to get a good look at those guys with a couple of drives.”
🏟️ Panthers Help Open New Highmark Stadium
The Panthers represent the first opponent Buffalo will face in its new state-of-the-art football home, Highmark Stadium. The Bills drew a crowd of 51,807 fans for its first “Return of the Blue and Red” practice on Aug. 8.
Buffalo will move away from artificial turf and instead use a natural playing surface (Kentucky bluegrass) for the first time since the 1970s.
While this game won’t count in the standings in any meaningful way, the Panthers do have a chance to spoil Buffalo’s new stadium debut by winning the game – which would be a nice little historical footnote one day.
🏥 Haynes King out, Kyle Trask in
King, the hero of the Hall of Fame Game (and a former ACC Player of the Year), injured his hamstring on the final play, a 5-yard TD scramble. He is out for Saturday’s game and is listed as “week to week,” per Canales. Pickett will remain the backup to Young, with recent signee Kyle Trask as the No. 3 option.
Trask, 28, played collegiately with the Florida Gators. He spent multiple seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in 2025. He was in Tampa when Canales was an assistant coach there.
🔗 Carolina Panthers Resources on NC Football News
- Carolina Panthers Hub Page: 2026 Schedule, Team Notes, History
- Carolina Panthers rally past Arizona Cardinals 33-30: More details on the Panthers’ Hall of Fame Game victory
