CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are traveling back to the northeast this weekend for another preseason game, this time against the Buffalo Bills.

The Panthers are 2-6 all-time against the Bills. Carolina is 1-2 at home and 1-4 on the road at Buffalo. The two teams also concluded the preseason against each other in 2022, a 21-0 win for the Panthers.

Before Dave Canales and crew head north, get to know the (preseason) Bills a bit better.

No starters on the Bills side

The Bills announced on Monday that their starters would not play this Saturday versus the Panthers. However, as Sean McDermott told reporters, that was not the original plan. The head coach wanted to play his first string to start the game, but a rash of injuries has caused the coach to change his plans out of safety concerns. Furthermore receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) and TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) will be out multiple weeks. In addition to starters being in ball caps for the Bills, the list of players not practicing includes safety Damar Hamlin, safety Terrell Burgess and receiver Curtis Samuel, among others.

The Panthers announced Thursday that their starters actually will be playing. They didn't in the first two weeks. The Bills did play their starters in the first preseason game, and all but Josh Allen versus the Steelers last week.

Locking up Coleman

Rookie receiver Keon Coleman quickly became a fan favorite, with his personality and affinity for the sale's rack for winter coats at Macy's. As the Bills have worked through the preseason however, Coleman has become a hot topic of debate, for lack of targets, and little production when the targets do come. through two weeks, Coleman has two receptions on six targets for 20 yards. Versus the Steelers, Coleman had a shot for a touchdown that was a little ahead and dropped, but Coleman said this week he should have caught it.

With Valdes-Scantling and Samuel both out, Coleman's snap count will likely stay up on Saturday. His big play ability will give the Panthers arguably their best look at game-changing receiver ahead of the season, something necessary as the Panthers defense works out answers at the starting corner position opposite Jaycee Horn.

All backups at QB

No starters obviously includes quarterback Josh Allen. However, the Bills are also without backup QB Mitch Trubisky (knee), who will be out for several weeks. The Bills signed Ben DiNucci ahead of their second preseason game, and he was the only available quarterback for Saturday, until the Bills signed former Oregon quarterback, Anthony Brown.

DiNucci will likely be the starter against the Panthers, after playing in the offense last week against the Steelers. DiNucci has only been with the Bills since August 12 though, meaning it will be a paired down offense to test the Panthers defense. He went 3-5 for 20 yards last week against the Steelers. Brown last appeared in two regular-season games with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, going 22-49 for 302 yards and two interceptions during those two games. He was most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders.