The Buffalo Bills completed their 2024 preseason campaign with a 31-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.

Head coach Sean McDermott gave his starting units the afternoon off, allowing depth players to take their last chance at claiming a final roster spot.

Carolina, meanwhile, played their starters early in the game. Bills fans were treated to early drives by 2023 No.1 overall pick Bryce Young.

This final preseason game had much at stake, as NFL teams must name their 53-man roster by Tuesday at 4 p.m. While several players hope to be part of the regular season roster, others compete for practice squad spots. Even more so, this game helps players put together some game tape for other teams.

Here are five takeaways from Buffalo's preseason action against Carolina:

Touchdowns!

It took 10 quarters, but the Bills finally found the end zone this preseason. Ben DiNucci found Darrynton Evans on a wheel route for an 18-yard touchdown.

Buffalo scored their second touchdown of the preseason in the fourth quarter, as Frank Gore Jr. bulled forward for a five-yard touchdown run.

To top it off the Bills scored a late rushing touchdown with KJ Hamler. All of the Bills running backs were sidelined, so Buffalo turned to Hamler. He plowed ahead for a one-yard dive for a fourth-quarter score.

Buffalo methodically moved down the field on all of their scoring drives, using a combination of quick passes and timely runs to move down the field.

The Bills were successful on both of their two-point conversions as well.

Depth backs show well

Frank Gore Jr. and Darrynton Evans were effective with their touches. Both Gore and Evans showed an ability to get extra yards, whether with their shiftiness or with pure power.

Gore Jr. rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a rushing touchdown. Gore Jr. also had a reception on the day. Evans, meanwhile, rushed three times for 15 yards. Evans added three receptions for 28 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Both are candidates for a practice squad spot. James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson are at the top of the depth chart. Both can fill in during the season if necessary.

DiNucci fairs well

With the injury to Mitchell Trubisky, there's some worry regarding the Bills backup quarterback spot entering the season. Trubisky is currently "week-to-week" with a knee injury.

Ben DiNucci did his best to show that he can be the man to lead the Buffalo offense if necessary. DiNucci moved the offense fairly well during this time on the field. Outside of one wayward pass that was nearly intercepted, DiNucci got the ball out of his hands quickly and decisively.

DiNucci ended his time 11-of-15 for 76 passing yards and one touchdown. He added two rushes for 14 yards.

DiNucci's showing gives the Bills some options with the reserve quarterback spot. If Trubisky is not ready for Week 1, Buffalo could turn to the former Cowboy for a short time this season.

Two names make final push

Two names that popped out during this preseason were wide receiver Tyrell Shavers and linebacker Joe Andreessen. Andreessen has moved his way into roster contention with his sideline-to-sideline tackling. The linebacker exploded last week against Pittsburgh with 12 tackles. Shavers has looked good in training camp activities. With injuries depleting the depth chart at both of their respective positions, the duo's names have been mentioned quite a bit in making the roster.

Shavers caught two passes for 15 yards today. However, he just missed out on a touchdown off of his fingertips. Shavers torched the cornerback, but the pass was just out of reach.

Andreessen registered eight tackles for the Bills. He also contributed to special teams. The only downfall was on Carolina's first touchdown, when he and Deion Jones had a miscommunication, leaving Dionte Johnson wide-open in the end zone.

Still, the totality of their contributions this preseason put the duo on the edge of a final roster spot. Their ability to play on special teams helps as well.

Kicking concern

Throughout the preseason, there were reports that Tyler Bass was having some struggles with field goals. The hope was that Bass would get off to a fast start to erase the image of his field goal miss against the Chiefs during the playoffs.

Bass had connected on all five of his field goals prior to today's game. However, Bass missed a 51-yard field goal badly, as the ball never seemed to have a chance. It didn't look like it was struck well at all.

Could it just be one bad kick? Possibly. However, Bass owned kicks of this length in the past. Now, it just doesn't seem automatic.

5 takeaways from Buffalo Bills preseason finale vs. Panthers

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 5 takeaways from Buffalo Bills preseason finale vs. Panthers