Series history, broadcast information, connections and more from Friday's Redskins-Bills 2016 Preseason Week 3 matchup at FedExField in Landover, Md.
PRESEASON WEEK 3WASHINGTON REDSKINS (1-1) vs. BUFFALO BILLS (1-1)
Friday, August 26 | 7:30 p.m. ET
FedExField (82,000) | Landover, Md.
The Washington Redskins will continue their 2016 preseason campaign on Friday, Aug. 26, when the team hosts the Buffalo Bills at FedExField. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Redskins earned their first victory of the preseason last Friday in a 22-18 win against the New York Jets at FedExField. Rookie quarterback Nate Sudfeld led an 11-play, 84-yard drive in the final four minutes that culminated in a game-winning 18-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Kendal Thompson.
The victory came largely on the backs of players outside of the team's starting lineups, as Head Coach Jay Gruden opted to rest many of his starters in favor of examining the team's depth.
"We have a lot of good players in this locker room and I wanted to make sure our backups were ready to play at all times," Gruden said. "We had a lot of our backups step up into starting roles last year and I thought it was important for Colt [McCoy] to get some quality work and quality defense, along with some of the other guys that played in first-team roles."
SERIES HISTORY--Bills lead regular season series, 8-5
--Redskins lead preseason series, 10-5
--Last meeting: Dec. 20, 2015 (35-25, WAS)
--Last preseason meeting: Aug. 24, 2013 (30-7, WAS)
TELEVISION: CSN Mid-Atlantic/NBC4--Kenny Albert (play-by-play)
--Joe Theismann (color)
--Clinton Portis (sidelines)
**
Check out these photos of the Redskins' offense preparing for their Week 3 Preseason Buffalo Bills Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2016, at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park.
RADIO: Redskins Radio Network**
--Larry Michael (play-by-play)
--Sonny Jurgensen (color)
--Chris Cooley (analysis)
--Rick "Doc" Walker (sidelines)
THE OPPONENTThe Buffalo Bills enter the 2016 season coming off of an 8-8 record and thirdplace finish in the AFC East last year. This will be Rex Ryan's second season as Buffalo's head coach.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor is in his second season with the Bills. He started 14 games last season, completing 242 passes on 380 attempts (63.7 percent) for 3,035 yards. He recorded 20 passing and six interceptions last season in addition to adding four scores on the ground.
Running back LeSean McCoy also enters his second season in Buffalo after starting all 12 games in which he appeared last season. McCoy led the Bills in rushing with 203 carries for 895 yards and three touchdowns.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins recorded 60 catches for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the team in all three categories. Tight end Charles Clay posted 51 receptions for 528 yards and three touchdowns and wide receiver Robert Woods contributed 47 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns.
Linebacker Preston Brown led the Bills last season, finishing the year with 117 tackles (63 solo) and two interceptions. Safety Corey Graham started in 16 games and recorded 122 tackles (91 solo), one sack, two interceptions, and one touchdown. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore posted a team-high three interceptions.
Kicker Dan Carpenter enters his fourth season with the Bills after making 23 of his 27 attempts (85.2 percent) last year. Punter Colton Schmidt averaged 46.3 yards on 82 punts.
Now in his 10th NFL season and his first with Buffalo, Reggie Bush sits atop the Bills depth chart at kick returner and punt returner. Bush has recorded 100 career punt returns an average of 7.8 yards with four career touchdowns. Bush has one career kickoff return to his credit, a 32-yard effort with New Orleans in 2010.
PRESEASON SERIES
Friday's contest between the Redskins and Bills will be the 16th preseason meeting between the two franchises since 1969. The Redskins are 10-5 all-time against the Bills in preseason play.
The matchup will be the first preseason contest between the two teams since a 30-7 Redskins win in Week 3 of the 2013 preseason. The Redskins have earned five straight preseason wins against Buffalo dating back to 1999.
Included below are the 15 previous preseason games contested between the Redskins and Bills:
- 8/8/1969 at Buffalo 21-17 L
- 8/28/1970 vs. Buffalo 27-0 W
- 8/17/1973 at Buffalo 37-21 W
- 8/18/1974 vs. Buffalo 16-15 L
- 8/27/1982 vs. Buffalo 20-14 L
- 8/27/1983 at Buffalo 27-19 W
- 8/5/1989 vs. Buffalo 31-6 W
- 8/8/1994 at Buffalo 13-11 L
- 8/2/1996 at Buffalo 17-7 W
- 8/28/1998 at Buffalo 27-17 L
- 8/20/1999 vs. Buffalo 20-19 W
- 8/9/2008 vs. Buffalo 17-14 W
- 8/13/2010 vs. Buffalo 42-17 W
- 8/9/2012 at Buffalo 7-6 W
- 8/24/2013 vs. Buffalo 30-7 W
The Bills hold an 8-6 advantage in the all-time combined regular season and postseason series between the two teams, but the Redskins earned a victory in the teams' most significant matchup, a 37-24 win in Super Bowl XXVI.
The teams most recently met last December, as the Redskins ran out to a 21-0 second-quarter lead en route to a 35-25 victory. QB Trent Williams completed 22-of-28 passes for 319 yards with four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in the victory.
Included below are the 14 combined regular season and postseason games contested between the two squads:
- 12/17/1972 vs. Buffalo 24-17 L
- 12/4/1977 at Buffalo 10-0 W
- 11/29/1981 at Buffalo 21-14 L
- 11/25/1984 vs. Buffalo 41-14 W
- 11/1/1987 at Buffalo 27-7 W
- 12/30/1990 vs. Buffalo 29-14 W
- 1/26/1992**vs. Buffalo 37-24 W
- 11/1/1993 at Buffalo 24-10 L
- 11/3/1996 at Buffalo 38-13 L
- 11/7/1999 vs. Buffalo 34-17 L
- 10/19/2003 at Buffalo 24-7 L
- 12/2/2007 vs. Buffalo 17-16 L
- 10/30/2011 at Buffalo 23-0 L
- 12/20/2015 vs. Buffalo 35-25 W
*Super Bowl XXVI
NOTABLE REDSKINS/BILLS CONNECTIONS
Family:
- G Arie Kouandjio is the older brother of Bills T Cyrus Kouandjio.
Former Bills on Redskins:
- Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Bradford Banta (2004)
- Defensive Backs Coach Perry Fewell (2006-09)
- Wide Receivers Coach Ike Hilliard (2013)
- K Dustin Hopkins (2013-14)
- LB Willie Jefferson (2014 offseason)
Former Redskins on Bills:
- LB Lorenzo Alexander (2006-12)
Redskins from New York:
- T Ty Nsekhe (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Bills from the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area:
- CB Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md.)
- QB EJ Manuel (Virginia Beach, Va.)
- QB Tyrod Taylor (Hampton, Va.)
Redskins who went to college in New York:
- Linebackers Coach Greg Manusky (Colgate)
- Special Teams Coordinator Ben Kotwica (Army)
Bills who went to college in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area:
- WR Jarrett Boykin (Virginia Tech)
- QB Tyrod Taylor (Virginia Tech)
- DE Max Valles (Virginia)
Notable Pro Connections: (Extensive connections with former Redskins coaches excluded)
- Head Coach Jay Gruden worked with Bills RB Boom Herron for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012. Gruden served as the Offensive Coordinator.
- DE Ricky Jean Francois (2013-14) and CB Greg Toler (2013-14) played with Herron with the Indianapolis Colts.
- Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh worked with Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan for the Arizona Cardinals from 1994-95. Cavanaugh served in the same position while Ryan served as the Defensive Line and Linebackers Coach. Cavanaugh and Ryan also worked together for the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-04 in various capacities.
- Special Teams Assistant Coach Bradford Banta worked with Bills Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman for the Detroit Lions from 2010-12.
- Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan (2001-03), Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan (2001-03), and President Bruce Allen (2001- 03) worked with Bills Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer for the Oakland Raiders. Callahan served as Offensive Coordinator (2001) and Head Coach (2002-03), Jordan was a running back (2001- 2002) and an Assistant (2003), Allen served as a Senior Executive and Kromer served as Assistant Offensive Line Coach and in the same position.
- TE Derek Carrier (2013-14), TE Vernon Davis (2011-14), DE Ricky Jean Francois (2011-12) and QB Colt McCoy (2013) played under Bills Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman for the San Francisco 49ers. Davis and Carrier also played under Bills Senior Offensive Assistant Chris Palmer for the San Francisco 49ers in 2014.
- LB Willie Jefferson played with Bills Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Ed Reed for the Houston Texans in 2013.
- S DeAngelo Hall played under Bills Assistant Head Coach/Defense Rob Ryan for the Oakland Raiders in 2008. Ryan served as the Defensive Coordinator.
- Wide Receivers Coach Ike Hilliard and Bills Tight Ends Coach Tony Sparano worked together for the Miami Dolphins in 2011. Hilliard served as the Assistant Wide Receivers Coach and Sparano served as Offensive Quality Control.
- LB Carlos Fields (2014), DE Ricky Jean Francois (2014), CB Greg Toler (2014-15) and Outside Linebackers Coach Greg Manusky (2014-15) worked with Bills S Colt Anderson for the Indianapolis Colts. Manusky served as the Defensive Coordinator.
- WR Colt McCoy played with Bills LB Zach Brown and DE Lavar Edwards for the Tennessee Titans in 2013.
- DE Ziggy Hood played with Bills DT Corbin Bryant for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011.
- WR Rob Kelley played with Bills FB Jerome Felton for the Indianapolis Colts in 2011.
- DE Stephen Paea played with Bills S Corey Graham for the Chicago Bears in 2011.
- T Ty Nsekhe played with Bills LB David Hawthorne for the New Orleans Saints in 2014. Outside Linebackers Coach Greg Manusky (2012), WR Pierre Garçon (2010-11) and T Ty Nsekhe (2012) worked with Bills DE Jerry Hughes for the Indianapolis Colts.
- G Shawn Lauvao (2011-13) and QB Colt McCoy (2011-12) played with Bills WR Greg Little for the Cleveland Browns.
- CB Dashaun Phillips played with Bills WR Walter Powell for the New York Jets in 2014.
- WR Jamison Crowder and TE Derek Carrier played with Bills WR Greg Salas for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. T Ty Nsekhe played with Bills CB Corey White for the New Orleans Saints in 2014.
Notable College Connections:
- Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan (2004-06) and Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan (2004-06) worked with Bills Defensive Line Coach John Blake at Nebraska. Callahan served as Head Coach, while Jordan and Blake served in the same positions.
- S David Bruton Jr. played with Bills S Robert Blanton at Notre Dame in 2008.
- WR T.J. Thorpe played with Bills LB Zach Brown at North Carolina in 2011. RB Chris Thompson and K Dustin Hopkins played with Bills CB Ronald Darby at Florida State in 2012.
- G Arie Kouandjio played with Bills DT Marcell Dareus at Alabama in 2010. Kouandjio (2011-13) and S Geno Matias-Smith (2012-13) also played with Bills T Cyrus Kouandjio at Alabama.
- LB Perry Riley Jr. played with Bills DE Lavar Edwards for LSU in 2009.
- RB Mack Brown (2010-12), CB Quinton Dunbar (2011-12), RB Rob Kelley (2012), TE Jordan Reed (2009-12), WR Valdez Showers (2012) and LB Lynden Trail (2010-11) played with Bills RB Mike Gillislee at Florida. Reed also played with Bills LB Brandon Spikes at Florida in 2009.
- LB Shiro Davis played with Bills WR Marquise Goodwin at Texas in 2012.
- Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan and Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan coached Bills G Richie Incognito at Nebraska in 2004.
- LB Terence Garvin played with Bills T Marquis Lucas at West Virginia from 2011-12.
- RB Chris Thompson and K Dustin Hopkins played with Bills QB EJ Manuel, TE Nick O'Leary, RB Karlos Williams and RB James Wilder Jr. at Florida State at various points of their college career.
- Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh worked with Bills RB LeSean McCoy at Pittsburgh from 2007-08. Cavanaugh served as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach.
- CB Bashaud Breeland (2009-12) and DE Corey Crawford (2011- 12) played with Bills S Jonathan Meeks at Clemson. Breeland (2011- 13) and Crawford (2011-13) also played with Bills WR Sammy Watkins at Clemson.
- G Arie Kouandjio (2012-14) and S Geno Matias-Smith (2012-15) played with Bills LB Reggie Ragland at Alabama.
- S Su'a Cravens played with Bills CB Kevon Seymour at USC from 2013-15.
- T Morgan Moses played with Bills DE Max Valles at Virginia in 2013.
- NT Kedric Golston played with Bills C Fernando Velasco at Georgia from 2003-05.
- LB Martell Spaight played with Bills RB Jonathan Williams at Arkansas from 2013-14.
- DE Ricky Jean Francois played with Bills DT Kyle Williams at LSU in 2005.
- QB Kirk Cousins played with Bills DT Jerel Worthy at Michigan State from 2008-11.