Through six games, the Bills have stacked wins and concerns in equal measure, but the 5-1 record still keeps Buffalo sitting near the top of the national conversation.
The latest snapshot came in Sunday’s 33-30 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, a game Buffalo had to survive against a team that has been competitive in five of its six outings this season. That result pushed the Bills into the bye week with a chance to step back and evaluate what’s working - and what clearly isn’t.
The issues are easy to find. DJ Moore, brought in during the offseason to be the team’s No. 1 receiver, has only 12 catches so far.
He missed two games because of a shoulder injury and also left two others early. On top of that, the offense has had a turnover problem, with Buffalo’s minus-three differential tied for sixth worst in the league.
The defense has been the louder concern. The Bills are giving up 28.5 points per game, and the linebackers and secondary have struggled early in Jim Leonhard’s first season as defensive coordinator.
Even with all that, Buffalo keeps winning, and national power rankings still have the Bills firmly in the mix.
ESPN kept Buffalo at No. 3 and pointed to the ball-security issues on offense as the biggest annoyance. The outlet noted that the Bills lead the league in scoring and rank top three in total offense and yards per play, but still left room for improvement because of turnovers.
It also highlighted that running back James Cook III and quarterback Josh Allen have been responsible for too many fumbles, including five lost fumbles and three in opposing territory. Against the Raiders, though, Buffalo cleaned that part up and finished without a turnover.
ESPN also leaned into Allen’s brilliance, writing: “Josh Allen proved once again that he is the closest thing to a superhuman in the sport. The Raiders had him bracketed so severely that I couldn’t imagine him completing a pass, nevermind flicking a touchdown effortlessly. What a treat.”
USA Today dropped the Bills to No. 9, down two spots, while still noting a quirky winning streak: Buffalo has taken seven straight regular-season games when allowing at least 30 points. The outlet summed it up plainly: “Good thing they’ve got Josh Allen. Imagine if they played a lick of defense.”
Yahoo held Buffalo at No. 3 and zeroed in on the play everyone will keep replaying. Allen, under pressure near the 14-yard line, flipped a backhanded pass nearly 20 yards into the end zone for an open Keon Coleman touchdown. Yahoo compared the moment to the kind of improvisation Brett Favre made famous.
Bleacher Report put the Bills at No. 4, also unchanged, and framed the bye week as a chance for Leonhard to get his defense sorted out. The outlet noted Buffalo enters the break with just one loss, that three-point defeat to the New England Patriots, but said the defense had already ranked in the bottom five in scoring and total yards entering Week 6. It also pointed ahead to what could be waiting after the bye: a Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens team and the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings, both tests that will demand more balance from Buffalo than it has shown so far.
In Other News...
Bills Keep Winning But One Concern Isnt Going Away
The Bills kept rolling in Las Vegas, outlasting the Raiders 33-30 in Week 6 to move to 5-1, and Josh Allen did his part with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was the kind of road win that usually says plenty about a teams staying power, especially when it comes in a game that was tight all the way through.
Even so, the mood around Buffalo isnt exactly all-clear. The win helped keep the Bills near the top of the league picture, but the same lingering issue keeps surfacing after every victory: the defense still has to convince people it can be more than just a side note to Allens offense. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Problem Before Tough Stretch
The Bills secondary is suddenly dealing with an unwelcome wrinkle as C.J. Gardner-Johnson sits at the center of an NFL discipline case heading into a pivotal part of the schedule. The league suspended the safety for one game without pay after determining he violated the sportsmanship rule during the game against Las Vegas, leaving Buffalo with an unexpected absence to navigate around after its Week 7 bye.
Unless an appeal changes the outcome, Gardner-Johnson is set to miss the Week 8 matchup with Baltimore, a game that already looms large for Buffalo. Coach Joe Brady said the team will not add any further punishment and expects Gardner-Johnson back in the lineup once he is eligible again, but for now the Bills have to prepare for a stretch that gets tougher with one of their defensive pieces unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Trade Deadline Could Hinge On One Proven Pass Rusher
Buffalos bye week arrives with the Bills sitting at 5-1 and the offense humming behind Josh Allen, but the other side of the ball still looks like the area most likely to shape the rest of the season. With the trade deadline approaching, the front office has a chance to decide whether to simply ride the current formula or go after a defender who can change the tenor of the pass rush.
One name that keeps surfacing is Colts defensive end DeForest Buckner, a proven interior threat who would fit the kind of upgrade Buffalo has been searching for. The fit makes sense on paper, and his contract situation only adds to the intrigue, which is why this is the kind of rumor worth watching as the Bills weigh how aggressive they want to be before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]