The NFL preseason game between the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears was a brutal watch for the record Fox audience of 5.1 million viewers. Luckily, preseason games aren’t known for game planning. That means the collective effort is less important than individual efforts.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at rookie defensive back Jordan Hancock to see how he played. The Bills have been known to find/coach-up gold in the secondary, and perhaps the fifth rounder has some bright spots for us to review.

Blitz attempt

One of the first things to note is that Hancock played corner in college, but due to a depleted roster at safety for Buffalo, he’s been working there in practice and in preseason.

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Back to the GIF, Hancock is tasked with blitzing but starts a bit early and tips off his intent. Worse, he has to stop, step back, and then try to regain momentum. Despite all that, he’s nearly in the backfield in time to try and make a play — but “nearly” means there’s room for improvement.

I highlight the rock, papers, scissors nature of play calling on this one. The running play makes Hancock’s success less likely, for sure.

Let’s try this again

This should look pretty familiar to you, but, with improved timing, the end result is quite a bit more preferable for Bills Mafia. This isn’t entirely just a change in singular effort by Hancock, but that change is a big factor.

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In a regular-season game, there’d be a bit more support for Hancock by virtue of a better game plan as well as film study that might help reveal snap timing.

Touchdown allowed

The GIF does the heavy lifting on the explanation for this play. Hancock shadows pretty well but doesn’t go deep enough to be a true impediment to the pass. This is something that’s hopefully easily coached.

Good hustle

In coverage, the chaos of the team’s lack of cohesive strategy and few passes coming directly his way led to an incomplete grade in my eyes for Hancock. More on that in just a second, but for now let’s see him making a tackle downfield after the team allowed a large chunk on a catch. Hancock’s hustle and tackle were both good.

The Final Straw

It was preseason. The Bills as a whole were uncharacteristically bad for even that low bar. Jordan Hancock is learning a new position on a team known for some cerebral schemes. He looked hesitant at times. He looked out of sync at times. He looked pretty normal, considering the circumstances.

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What he did not look like was afraid to mix it up or wanting for effort. I wouldn’t go on record and say I’m in love with the idea of Hancock having to play significant reps come the regular season, but there are tools to work with and the Bills have had good success overall getting the most out of defensive backs.

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High school football kicks off on Aug. 22 for teams in the N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association. 

Grimsley and West Charlotte, a pair of reigning state champions, will be featured in one of the marquee matchups to open the 2025 season. Those two teams, along with Hough and South Pointe (S.C.), are playing in the Keep Pounding High School Football Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Those games kick off at 4 p.m. and 8, with the state-title teams capping off the night.

As a new season gets underway, let’s highlight players from the Tar Heel State who are committed to play for head coach Bill Belichick and UNC football in the future. 

Entering the opening week of high school football in North Carolina, five players in the state are committed to play for the Tar Heels. Four of those prospects are included in a 2026 class that is ranked 17th nationally, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, as of Aug. 19. 

Trashawn Ruffin, defensive line, North Duplin 

A four-star recruit as a 6-foot-3, 340-pound defensive lineman, Ruffin was originally a Texas A&M commit before flipping his choice to UNC in mid-March. In nine games at North Duplin as a junior, Ruffin logged 34 tackles, including four for loss, and a fumble recovery. 

Zavion Griffin-Hayes, defensive end, Rolesville 

A four-star recruit and 6-foot-6, 225-pound edge rusher, Griffin-Hayes helped Rolesville advance to the NCHSAA 4A state championship game in 2024. As a junior, he was credited with 84 tackles, including 16 for loss and 7 sacks. Griffin-Hayes committed to UNC in early June.

Jayden Griffin-Hayes, linebacker, Rolesville 

The older brother of Zavion, Jayden is a three-star linebacker who racked up more than 100 tackles for the Rams in 2024. He finished with 107 tackles, 10 quarterback hurries, six sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception as a junior. 

David Green, kicker, High Point Christian Academy

The top-ranked kicker in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, Green made 7-of-9 field goals as a junior and made each of his 59 kicks on extra-point attempts. The High Point Christian Academy kicker picked UNC over Virginia Tech in mid-April. 

Amir Brown, running back, Rolesville 

One of two recruits in the 2027 class committed to the Tar Heels, Brown is a 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back from Rolesville. The four-star prospect committed to UNC on Aug. 3, picking the Tar Heels over Penn State and Notre Dame, among others. As a sophomore, Brown had 624 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.

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MOSCOW, Idaho — Physicality was on display as the Idaho Vandals wrapped up their fall camp with a live scrimmage. The defense made its presence felt with a few hits, something head coach Thomas Ford Jr. has been emphasizing since he took over the program.

“Our guys are physical. We are out here playing like a game almost every single practice, especially when our ones are going against our ones and our twos are going against our twos. And so I think that they’ve done a phenomenal job this fall camp, just really setting the standard for physicality at our practices, and then doing it the right way, keeping guys off the ground,” Ford Jr. said.

The first-team offense and defense played only a few drives, choosing instead to give the second- and third-team guys reps to help finalize the depth chart and determine who will get playing time and who will transition into the scout team. Many veteran players didn’t suit up as they take care of their bodies in preparation for a 12-game season.

Joshua Wood made good use of his time, scoring a touchdown on a read option in the red zone. Quarterback Sawyer Tweeny took reps with the second-team offense and showed his athleticism, maneuvering in the pocket and delivering throws on the run — something Ford Jr. said they noticed this fall.

“Sawyer has really kind of solidified himself as our number two quarterback. Obviously, he’s a true freshman; he doesn’t have a ton of experience. And we’re trying to add to that experience tonight,” Ford Jr. said.

The defense also showed its teeth, with freshman Trenton Fisher picking off Tweeny on a deep ball thrown into tight coverage.

The Vandals now shift their focus from themselves to their week one opponent, Washington State. Ford Jr. said he’s excited for the opportunity to play a regional rival.

“Anytime you get to play a road game and your opponent is something like 8 miles away, you’re excited. I know our kids love playing FBS opponents because we players that could play for FCS programs, or FBS programs, I should say. So, I think the opportunity to compete with an FBS program right down the road is right up our alley,” Ford Jr. said.

The Vandals and Cougars will kick off under the lights in week one with a 7 p.m. start in Pullman. Both programs have a new head coach and plenty of question marks that will be answered when they face off Aug. 30.