The Buffalo Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:00 PM EST on Saturday, with a third different starting quarterback in the preseason.  Third-year quarterback EJ Manuel will get the nod for the Bills as they continue to search for that franchise guy that has eluded the team for over a decade.  Manuel has been very good in the preseason playing late in the games when the third string players are in. He has completed 13-of-22 for 188 yards and two touchdowns, while recording an impressive passer rating of 117.2. That is the highest passer rating on the Bills roster, but that was against weaker defenses.

This will be Manuel’s opportunity to prove himself as a starter this preseason. He has looked good against the third team defenses, but now it is time for him to step up and lead the Bills starting offense against the Steelers first team defense. The Bills are without most of their running backs and have lost some key assets at the receiver position as well.

Running back's LeSean McCoyBryce Brown and Anthony "Boobie" Dixon aren't expected to play, as well as wide receiver's Sammy WatkinsPercy HarvinChris Hogan and Robert Woods.

This means Manuel will have to attack the Steelers with less weaponry than expected. A good sign for the Bills is that veteran running back Fred Jackson is ready to go, upgrading the Bills rushing attack. 

The Bills defense has been incredibly impressive in their first preseason outing, holding Cam Newton to only one touchdown and intercepting Josh McCown twice.  Rookie cornerback Ronald Darby had both interceptions after struggling against Kelvin Benjamin in the first preseason game.  The Bills secondary will still be without cornerback Leodis McKelvin, and Darby’s development will be critical to the Bills’ success early in the season.

For the Steelers, the biggest news of the week came when wide receiver Martavis Bryant violated the league’s substance abuse policy and received a four-game suspension pending an appeal.  The Steelers will be focusing more this Saturday on which receiver will be able to replace Bryant’s production for the first four weeks of the regular season. Receiver's Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey are going to have an opportunity to show they can fill that void while Bryant is out.

Another focus for the Steelers would be for their young defense to continue to bond and become more cohesive as a unit. Pittsburgh's front seven should try to put pressure on EJ Manuel and force him into making mistakes. If they can do that the Steelers could spoil his entire afternoon. If not, Manuel may just make the quarterback controversy even more interesting.  A lot of storylines in this game, but Manuel’s opportunity to start and the Bills’ quarterback competition continues to be one of the more interesting topics of the preseason.

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About the author
Jordan Hansgen
Wake Forest Student Sports Writer for Vavel.com Analyst on 91.3 FM Buffalo Blitz show