Mitch Wishnowsky’s Buffalo edge gets its first live test against Tommy Doman

Buffalo’s August 11 depth chart kept Mitch Wishnowsky ahead of rookie Tommy Doman. The Bills’ second preseason game against Cleveland now offers the clearest comparison yet of incumbency, holding duties and punting execution.

The job is Wishnowsky’s to lose — for now Mitch Wishnowsky enters Saturday’s meeting with Cleveland in the position Buffalo’s first unofficial depth chart established: first-string punter and holder, ahead of seventh-round rookie Tommy Doman Jr. That is not a final roster decision, but it is the clearest indication yet that the Australian has converted last season’s experience with the Bills into an early advantage. (nfl.com)

The distinction matters because Doman was not drafted merely as camp depth. Buffalo used the 239th overall pick on the Florida punter, giving the club a developmental alternative with a fresh contract window and a potentially longer runway. Wishnowsky, by contrast, has the operating knowledge of Buffalo’s protection calls, coverage expectations and game-day communication. The rookie has to prove he can close that experience gap quickly. (nfl.com)

Cleveland is a comparison point, not a verdict The Bills play their second preseason game at Cleveland on Saturday, August 22, after beating Carolina 29–14 in the opener. That makes this a useful checkpoint, but not a decisive audition: Buffalo still has a third preseason game against Pittsburgh on August 27 before the regular season begins. (nfl.com)

The important question is not simply who punts farther. Buffalo’s special-teams evaluation has several connected pieces: operation time, ball placement, hang time, coverage-field position and reliability as Tyler Bass’s holder. A punter who wins one isolated distance comparison but loses the operation or placement battle has not necessarily improved his roster position.

The holding battle gives Wishnowsky another route to separation Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass said both Wishnowsky and Doman were working effectively as holders during camp, while special-teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers stressed that comfort would come through repetition rather than shortcuts. That keeps the holding competition relevant even if one punter produces a better ball in Cleveland. (buffalobills.com)

Wishnowsky’s advantage is therefore broader than familiarity with the punt team. He is already integrated into the Bills’ field-goal operation, and Buffalo has publicly described him as one of two new holders working with Bass. Doman can reduce that edge only by showing that he is equally dependable under live-game timing and communication demands.

What to watch from the Australian For Wishnowsky, the cleanest performance would be technically unremarkable: consistent strike quality, controlled directional placement and no disruption to Bass’s operation. Preseason punting is often judged in small samples, so the evaluation should focus on repeatability rather than one highlight kick.

The roster context also favours a conservative reading. NFL.com lists Wishnowsky as active for Buffalo and records his 2026 preseason log, but the available public statistical page does not yet provide a meaningful Week 1 punting line. That means Cleveland is less about defending a bad result than demonstrating that the incumbent can make the coaching staff’s decision straightforward. (nfl.com)

Doman’s presence changes the pressure without changing the hierarchy. If Wishnowsky handles the first-team work cleanly and remains the more dependable holder, Buffalo can continue treating the rookie as a challenger who needs to force the issue. If Doman receives comparable opportunities and separates in placement or operation, the Bills will have a genuine decision before Pittsburgh.

For now, Wishnowsky has the advantage that matters most: the first-team role, the existing NFL experience and the trust built through the holder relationship. Saturday’s game is the first live opportunity for Doman to make those edges look less secure.

Sources Buffalo Bills 2026 Draft Picks | NFL.com NFL 2026 Buffalo Bills Schedule | NFL.com What we learned about the Bills on Day 6 of Training Camp 2026 Mitch Wishnowsky 2026 Logs Stats | NFL.com Buffalo Bills: What we learned about the Bills on Day 6 of Training Camp 2026 NFL: Buffalo Bills 2026 schedule Buffalo Bills: Bills at Browns — 2026 Preseason Week 2 NFL: Buffalo Bills 2026 draft picks Buffalo Bills first official depth chart report