NFL Preseason Recap: Bills Rally, Browns Dominate and Rams Finish Unbeaten

Buffalo completed a dramatic comeback against Pittsburgh, Cleveland overwhelmed New England, San Francisco won without scoring a touchdown, and the Rams capped an unbeaten preseason Thursday night.

The final week of the 2026 NFL preseason opened Thursday, Aug. 27, with four games that provided late drama, impressive individual performances and one last evaluation opportunity before teams trim their rosters.

The Buffalo Bills scored a go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minutes to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cleveland Browns received three touchdown passes from Dillon Gabriel in a decisive victory over the New England Patriots, while San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Piñeiro supplied every point in a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

In the final game of the night, rookie quarterback Ty Simpson helped the Los Angeles Rams complete a perfect preseason by holding off the Los Angeles Chargers.

Buffalo Bills 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 27

The Buffalo Bills erased a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit and completed an undefeated preseason with a 28-27 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium.

Pittsburgh carried a 27-20 advantage into the closing minutes, but Buffalo quarterback Shane Buechele directed the decisive drive. Ian Wheeler scored on a 2-yard run with 1:06 remaining, bringing the Bills within one point. Buffalo elected to play for the victory, and Buechele completed the two-point conversion pass to Dante Pettis.

Buechele played the entire game and completed 26 of 38 passes for 196 yards. Skyler Bell produced one of Buffalo’s most explosive performances, catching seven passes for 49 yards and scoring on his only rushing attempt, a 28-yard run. Frank Gore Jr. added 27 rushing yards and caught five passes for 45 yards.

The Bills rested Josh Allen, while Pittsburgh kept veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the sideline for the entire preseason. Will Howard started for the Steelers and completed 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Drew Allar took over in the second half and finished with 88 passing yards.

Pittsburgh jumped ahead 14-3 in the first quarter, but Buffalo remained within striking distance and produced the night’s biggest comeback. The Bills finished the preseason 3-0, while the Steelers closed at 1-2. (Reuters)

Cleveland Browns 37, New England Patriots 13

Dillon Gabriel made a strong final statement in Cleveland’s quarterback evaluation, throwing three first-half touchdown passes as the Browns routed the New England Patriots 37-13 at Huntington Bank Field.

Gabriel completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards without an interception. He opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Luke Floriea and found Floriea again for a 14-yard score after New England briefly pulled even. Gabriel later connected with Ahmani Marshall from 7 yards, giving Cleveland a commanding 27-10 advantage before halftime.

Floriea’s two-touchdown performance strengthened his case for a roster position, while rookie Taylen Green provided a different dimension after halftime. Green completed 5 of 7 passes and led all players with 66 rushing yards on eight attempts. Davon Booth added a fourth-quarter touchdown for Cleveland.

Tommy DeVito started for New England and delivered the Patriots’ biggest offensive play, a 45-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams. Rookie Behren Morton handled most of the remaining quarterback work, completing 18 of 28 passes for 123 yards but throwing two interceptions.

New England rested Drake Maye, while Cleveland did not play Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders. The Browns finished the preseason 1-2, and the Patriots concluded their schedule at 1-1-1. (Reuters)

San Francisco 49ers 18, Las Vegas Raiders 12

The San Francisco 49ers did not reach the end zone Thursday night, but Eddy Piñeiro’s powerful right leg was enough to deliver an 18-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

Piñeiro accounted for all 18 of San Francisco’s points by converting six field goals. Three came from at least 50 yards, including successful attempts from 51, 54 and 59 yards. His perfect performance allowed the 49ers to win a game featuring 10 total field goals.

San Francisco also kept Las Vegas out of the end zone. Linebacker Tatum Bethune intercepted rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards, threw one interception and took two sacks during an uneven appearance.

Veteran Kirk Cousins started for Las Vegas and completed 8 of 11 attempts for 51 yards. He moved the Raiders into scoring range on each of his two possessions, but both drives ended with Matt Gay field goals. Gay made four of five attempts, including one from 53 yards.

Mike Washington Jr. led the Raiders with 49 rushing yards on eight carries. Mac Jones started for San Francisco in place of a resting Brock Purdy but completed only 1 of 5 passes for seven yards.

San Francisco finished its preseason 2-1, while Las Vegas ended at 1-2 with questions still surrounding its Week 1 quarterback decision. (49ers.com)

Los Angeles Rams 20, Los Angeles Chargers 18

The Los Angeles Rams completed a perfect 3-0 preseason by surviving a late Chargers comeback and earning a 20-18 victory at SoFi Stadium.

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson continued his push for the Rams’ backup job, completing 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. Simpson connected with Brennan Presley for an 11-yard score, while running backs Dean Connors and Jordan Waters kept the offense moving on the ground.

Connors carried 18 times for 69 yards and caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Matthew Caldwell. Waters added 53 rushing yards on 15 attempts. The Rams finished the preseason unbeaten despite resting their established starters throughout the exhibition schedule.

The Chargers played their first-team units for two series. Justin Herbert’s opening possession ended with a fumble, but he responded by launching a 65-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston on his second series. Herbert completed 2 of 3 attempts for 74 yards.

Gregory Desrosiers fueled the Chargers’ second-half comeback, rushing nine times for 118 yards. His 34-yard touchdown run, followed by DJ Uiagalelei’s two-point pass to Evan Svoboda, reduced the Rams’ lead to two points.

The Chargers received one final opportunity, driving from their own 1-yard line across midfield. Rams linebacker Darryl Peterson III ended the threat by sacking Uiagalelei and forcing a fumble with 49 seconds remaining. (therams.com)

NFL Teams Turn Their Attention to Final Roster Decisions

Thursday’s NFL preseason results will not count once the regular season begins, but the individual performances could shape several roster and depth-chart decisions.

Buechele led a pressure-filled winning drive for Buffalo, Gabriel delivered one of the sharpest quarterback performances of the night, Piñeiro demonstrated his range for San Francisco, and Simpson strengthened his bid to become Matthew Stafford’s primary backup with the Rams.

Coaches must now evaluate the final game film and make difficult personnel decisions before the 2026 NFL regular season begins. For players occupying the roster bubble, Thursday night represented their last opportunity to prove they belong on a 53-man roster—or at least deserve another opportunity elsewhere.