ORCHARD PARK — Joe Andreessen was euphoric when he made the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster. But he also received a warning from his agent.
“Things can happen in the next couple days, so don’t be shocked if something happens.”
That thought has never truly left the mind of the Lancaster native throughout his rookie season, especially when he was inactive in four of the first seven games. But Andreessen has been active over the last nine games and he thinks about it a little less.
Seemingly improbable odds to make the team after going undrafted and receiving a tryout offer from the Bills during the spring led to a few strong preseason performances and a spot on Buffalo’s final roster out of training camp. But NFL rosters are fluid and the Bills have been no different. The Bills made 13 transactions involving a signing, release or trade since Week 4, but none of them have included Andreessen.
A few more moves have likely put Andreessen in line for his first career start against the New England Patriots Sunday. Middle linebacker Terrel Bernard has been ruled out with a quad injury, while backup Baylon Spector is on injured reserve with a calf injury and veteran Nicholas Morrow was waived Thursday for the second time in less than a month.
That leaves Andreessen as the last man standing.
“The biggest thing I’ve heard from people is just don’t stress out about it,” Andreessen told GNN Sports. “You might mess up, but even the starters who are Pro Bowl players make mistakes, too. So don’t be worried about making mistakes, just go out there and fly around.”
Andreessen only had two days to impress the Bills coaches during his rookie tryout camp. On the second day, McDermott was watching practice with general manager Brandon Beane and his staff and they wondered, “Is this player better than what we have?”
Still, Andreessen seemed like a longshot to make the final roster, relegated to third-team reps during training camp practices. But when the Bills traveled to Pittsburgh for their second preseason game, a series of events toppled like dominoes.
Matt Milano suffered a torn pectoral muscle in practice that week and the Bills opted to hold Bernard out of the game as precaution. Both Spector and Morrow were dealing with injuries at the time and fifth-round pick Edefuan Ulofoshio had just returned from an injury.
Andreessen showcased his natural football instincts, making 12 tackles — two for a loss — in a little less than three quarters of action. Aside from special teams, Andreessen hasn’t seen much action, playing 50 defensive snaps all year.
Twenty-six of those plays came against the Jets Sunday when the game was no longer in question. Still, Andreessen finished with a team-high eight tackles.
“When he makes a tackle the other day in the game, the crowd loves it,” McDermott said. “The PA announcer loves it, too. So it’s cool. But Joe’s earned every last piece of it. He’ll play quite a bit this week, and I’m excited to watch him. I really am. He’s a good football player.”
Andreessen is steadily gaining confidence on an NFL team, but that still doesn’t keep him from being in awe on occasion. He spent his first five collegiate seasons at FCS Bryant in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and then one with the University at Buffalo.
Neither school has a large stadium nor do they play in conferences with teams that do. So when Buffalo played Wisconsin last year, Andreessen was surprised at how big Camp Randall Stadium was.
He still talks with other rookies about the different stadiums they have played in this season, considering Andreessen had never been to another NFL stadium besides Highmark prior to this year.
“Seeing different fan bases and get to see a lot of guys who I’ve grown up watching out there every Sunday, so it’s definitely cool,” Andreessen said. “And going out there and getting some reps, doing my best to help the team win.”
And while the Bills don’t have anything to play for in the standings, it’s still an NFL game, where the results and statistics all count. So despite the advice of others about nerves, there will still likely be some.
“I think it’s natural,” Andreessen said. “But it’s only an issue if I make it an issue. I think it’s more nerve-wracking during the week, just kind of building a plan and all that goes into execution.”
NOTES: The Bills waived LB Nicholas Morrow and signed QB Mike White to the active roster with a one-year extension. … LB Terrel Bernard (quad) is out. … WR Curtis Samuel (rib) is questionable.