The Buffalo Bills kept their undefeated preseason alive with a 24-20 victory over the Detroit Lions on Friday night.

Although there is plenty of room for improvement following the sloppy effort, quite a few Bills players fighting for roster spots stood out against Detroit. With limited spots available, at least eight players can say that they made the most of their opportunity.

Here’s a look at 11 players who helped or hurt their roster odds during the Bills’ third preseason game.

Box score

HELPED

Duke Williams and Isaiah McKenzie

It’s time to seriously consider the Bills carrying seven wide receivers. Duke Williams and Isaiah McKenzie cannot be more different in terms of what they bring to the Bills roster, but both are deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster.

Williams once again used his size to make plays in the preseason. He finished last night’s game with three receptions. One of his catches resulted in a 16-yard touchdown where Williams simply plucked the ball out of the air and pushed his way into the end zone.

McKenzie continued his strong play in the preseason as well. The wide receiver was given a hand-off from Josh Allen in the first half that he took into the end zone for a six-yard score. McKenzie’s ability to be used as a gadget player should help his roster odds.

T.J. Yeldon

After fumbling the ball on his second carry of the preseason, T.J. Yeldon has done nothing but positive things for Buffalo. That continued against Detroit when he showed his value as a receiving option out of the backfield. Yeldon was targeted four times against Detroit and hauled in three passes for 51 yards. His most impressive catch was a 31-yard reception along the sidelines.

T.J. Yeldon nearly went completely horizontal for the grab! 👏 @T_Yeldon pic.twitter.com/ZOkOoSQyvI — The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) August 24, 2019

Buffalo is loaded at running back, but Yeldon is doing everything in his power to show he is worth keeping on the roster.

Ryan Bates

The Bills traded for Ryan Bates about two weeks ago. At the time, it seems liked the Bills were simply adding another depth option along the offensive line due to injuries while sending away a defensive end that had no chance of making the roster.

Now? Now it seems like the Bills may have fleeced the Eagles in the trade. Last week, Bates was the Bills’ second-team center. He held his own on the field and ended up being one of Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) highest graded players.

Bates played left tackle against Detroit and once again played well. Although no grades have been posted by PFF, the analytics site noted that he excelled in pass-protection.

His ability to play all five spots on the offensive line gives him a legitimate chance of sticking on the 53-man roster in one week.

Darryl Johnson and Mike Love

Darryl Johnson and Mike Love cannot create separation from one another, but it is for a good reason. Both players are performing well on the field.

Johnson ended Friday night’s game with two tackles and one quarterback hit. One of Johnson’s tackles came on a play where he flew down the field on special teams. Love, a 2018 UDFA, recorded two tackles including one for a loss. He also added a quarterback hit against the Lions.

Both players are having their fair share of success getting after the quarterback and disrupting plays. Brandon Beane may need to find a way to keep five defensive ends on Buffalo’s initial 53-man roster.

Deon Lacey

Bills LBs coach recently said that the team plans to keep six linebackers. That leaves little wiggle room for players fighting for a spot behind Lorenzo Alexander, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano. One linebacker who performed very well against Detroit was veteran Deon Lacey. Lacey recorded with three tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits.

Lacey is outstanding on special teams so he has a shot of cracking the roster.

Jaquan Johnson

When the Bills defense needed to make a play late, safety Jaquan Johnson came to the rescue.

Detroit was moving the ball deep into Bills territory late when quarterback Josh Johnson hit Travis Fulgham on a 15-yard pass to the Bills’ 15-yard line. As Fulgham tried to pick up yards after the play, Buffalo’s safety came in and ripped the ball out of wide receiver’s hands before also coming away with the fumble recovery.

What's more fun than sealing a win by forcing/recovering a fumble? Celebrating with your teammates - just ask 6th-round rookie Jaquan Johnson (NSFW language edited out to make this family-friendly) @AuthenticMade_Q #Bills #NFL @SPECNewsBuffalo @SPECNewsROC pic.twitter.com/fBIf4N73IY — Ted Goldberg (@TedGoldbergTV) August 24, 2019

Johnson has made the most of his opportunities in the preseason and could end up claiming the fourth safety spot.

HURT

Russell Bodine

Buffalo’s former starting center was on the field late versus Detroit, but still struggled against some of the Lions’ third-string players and was called for offensive holding.

It is just a matter of time before Russell Bodine is looking for work elsewhere.

Victor Bolden

Victor Bolden is buried on the Bills’ depth chart at wide receiver. In addition to playing at receiver, Bolden has experience returning kicks. He received the opportunity to return a kickoff against Detroit and coughed it up. The Lions would go on to turn the ball over on downs, but it was a costly mistake for Bolden.

HELPED AND HURT

Corey Bojorquez

If the Bills focus on Corey Bojorquez’s final three punts, you can make the case that the punter helped his roster odds against Detroit. After two poor punts, including one that could have resulted in a big play for Detroit if the returner did not misjudge the ball in the air, Bojorquez settled down and had three strong punts in terms of distance and hang time.

However, if the Bills focus on Bojorquez’s overall body of work, he may have hurt his roster odds on Friday night. No one is doubting Bojorquez’s leg, but his consistency continues to be an issue. It’s very possible that Buffalo’s Week 1 punter is not currently on their roster.

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