ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills (5-1) enter the second half of their season with Super Bowl expectations, but their defense is lagging in several key categories. According to the report, Buffalo ranks 30th in points allowed per game (28.5), 31st in yards allowed (386.8), 31st in passing yards allowed (285.8), 27th in third-down conversion rate (45%) and last in first downs allowed per game (25.7).
As the Bills prepare for their Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS), those numbers are a central concern. Coach Joe Brady said, “Our best football has to be ahead of us, whatever that means. You never want to peak early in the season…. If we’re playing our best football right now, it’s not going to look good as the season goes. So I hope better is ahead, and that’s what we’re chasing,” according to the report.
The weakness is concentrated in the secondary. The report notes only the Detroit Lions allow more passing touchdowns per game than Buffalo, and only the Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints have a higher success rate on pass attempts. The seven defensive backs who have played the most snaps combine to allow a passer rating of 107.8, which the report says sits five points better than Bills QB Josh Allen’s rating this season; Allen is identified as the front-runner for MVP.
First-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard acknowledged the problems stem largely from the back end. According to the report, the Bills rank among the NFL’s top 10 in quarterback pressure rate and quarterback knockdown rate despite facing quarterbacks with quick releases such as Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff and C.J. Stroud. Leonhard said the shift to his preferred 3-4 scheme has helped the rush but that coverage — with more match concepts and fewer disguises — has taken longer to settle.
Leonhard described the issues as communication and trust rather than personnel. The coordinator outlined a “lead communicator” role for each play and stressed that chatter must continue after the snap. Cornerback Christian Benford said, “Everyone should be vocal about what they’re seeing. Everyone should be talking pre-snap alerts, post-snap. It’ll help us all play as one string,” according to the report.
The report also cites turnover and injuries as complicating factors. Several defensive backs are holdovers from the previous coaching staff, while additions include rookie Davison Igbinosun and veterans C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Dee Alford. Offseason and in-season injuries limited reps for Maxwell Hairston, Cole Bishop, Benford, Alford and Jordan Hancock, and Gardner-Johnson faced ejection and a looming suspension. Coming off a bye week and with the calendar turning toward November, the expectation is for early-season communication problems to be addressed, the report says.
