The game started with Josh Allen gutting the Green Bay Packers’ backups, and it ended with a 19-0 shutout for the Buffalo Bills.
The Packers failed to win a single game and scored only 21 points during the 2021 preseason, which is essentially meaningless considering how many starters never played a single snap.
The important takeaway is that Green Bay still has plenty of film to evaluate before they have to settle on their final roster by Tuesday, August 31.
To wrap things up before the Packers start their regular season journey, let’s do one more list of standouts from the preseason finale:
WR Malik Taylor
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
If there were any doubts about Taylor making the final 53, those doubts should be gone. Taylor started the game by beating Bills starting corner Tre’Davious White on a deep out-route for a catch, and he finished with five receptions for a team-high 69 yards. Taylor has seemingly caught everything thrown his way this month, totaling 14 catches for 185 yards through three games. Green Bay’s starting offense has sat out every game this preseason, which has paved the way for Taylor to take over as the top receiver.
RB Kylin Hill
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
It’s really hard to wrap your head around 255 guys going before Hill in the 2021 NFL draft. Green Bay basically took a flier on Hill, knowing he would be their third-string running back at best. Well, it seems like every game he shows that it was a smart investment as the seventh-round draft pick continues to make plays on a semi-regular basis. Hill had another strong showing, rushing the ball seven times for 37 yards. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry in his final preseason outing, and again, proved he is the obvious No. 3 behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
DL Jack Heflin
Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss (20) tries to elude Green Bay Packers defenders during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
Heflin has been rock solid during training camp and the preseason, but he had his best performance Saturday against the Bills. The undrafted free agent finished the game with a hit on the quarterback and just one tackle, but his one big stop resulted in a five-yard loss. Heflin had a strong presence on the defensive line and might even be a roster lock at this point. Much like Tyler Lancaster, he is a traditional nose tackle that is limited athletically but difficult to move in the trenches. Heflin may not have a prominent role on the Packers’ defense in 2021, but he is a solid depth piece who should continue to develop.
LB Isaiah McDuffie
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
McDuffie was the most active Green Bay defender in Week 3 of the preseason, finishing with a game-high nine combined tackles and 0.5 sacks. During the fourth quarter, McDuffie was sent on a blitz from the inside linebacker spot and burst through the line untouched for a combined sack with edge rusher Delontae Scott. Later in the game, McDuffie made a physical tackle on a short pass that went for only two yards. McDuffie is still low on the Packers pecking order, but he made a good case for making the 53-man roster as a rookie sixth-round draft pick.
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