The Bills head into Week 5 trying to shake off their first loss of the season, but the trip out west doesn’t come with much comfort. Buffalo opens a two-week road stretch on the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams on deck, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders. A bounce-back win would be the clean answer after the Patriots handed them a loss, but not everyone sees that happening.
Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone put out his Week 5 score predictions and had Buffalo falling to the Rams, 30-8. In his view, that would mark the third time this season the Bills’ defense has allowed 30 or more points.
“ Both teams are very good, but both teams do have some flaws. The Bills are 3-1 on the season, but QB Josh Allen really hasn’t played that well in the past two games. Allen has thrown one touchdown pass against three interceptions during this stretch, and this could be the part of his season where he endures a rough stretch.”
“ The defense has also not been that good this year, either. Buffalo’s unit ranks just 25th in points allowed per game.
The top-ranked scoring offense is what has kept them in games and has helped them start 3-1.” Scataglia added.
“ Los Angeles wins this one by two points thanks to a late-game field goal to take the lead.”
Buffalo’s defense has only delivered one clear standout performance so far, and that came against the Los Angeles Chargers. The rest of the time, the unit has been shaky, and against New England it unraveled completely.
The Bills haven’t looked like a defense that can consistently shut down the pass the way Sean McDermott’s teams have in the past. The run defense has been a little better, but the overall picture is still uneven. They are generating pressure, yet there are still too many snaps where the quarterback gets the ball out just in time to avoid the hit or the sack.
That’s the part wearing on Bills fans. When an offense is still putting up 20 to 25-plus points a game, it’s hard to pin everything on that side of the ball.
Yes, the offense is leaving some mistakes on the field. But the defense is supposed to stop the other team from settling in and finding a rhythm, and that hasn’t been happening often enough.
The Rams’ offense hasn’t been at its best this season, but Buffalo just watched a Patriots offense that looked rough heading into Week 4 pile up more than 400 total yards and 29 points. If the Bills’ defense brings that same energy Monday night, it could be a long one.
In Other News...
Bills Offense Has A Growing Problem Defenses Keep Exploiting
The Bills opened the season looking like one of the leagues most efficient offenses, but the last stretch has exposed how quickly things can tilt when defenses start finding answers. Josh Allens recent turnovers have been part of the issue, yet the dip has gone beyond one player. Buffalo has also watched Dalton Kincaid, who gave the passing game an early boost, get effectively taken out of the plan over the last two games.
Joe Brady has made it clear the fix has to come from everyone, not just the quarterback, which is where the challenge gets bigger for Buffalo. If opposing defenses are squeezing Allens options and limiting Kincaids impact at the same time, the Bills need more consistent support across the offense to get back to the level they showed in September and early October. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Faces A Growing MVP Concern Bills Fans Will Feel
Josh Allen still sits near the top of the NFL MVP race, but the margin is getting tighter as the season moves along. A mix of quieter recent performances, a knee injury and a dip in his rushing volume have all played into a shift at the sportsbooks, where his odds have shortened just enough to make the chase feel more real than it did a few weeks ago.
For Bills fans, the bigger concern is not just the award board but what it says about Allens overall rhythm and health. Interceptions have crept into the conversation, and with Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence gaining ground, traders and analysts are watching every snap for signs that Allen can stabilize before the race becomes a full-blown sprint. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Rams Shift That Could Decide Monday Night
Matthew Staffords tape is still worth the Bills full attention heading into Monday night, because the Rams passing game has shown how much it can change when the pocket starts to close. Buffalo will also have to sort through a Los Angeles offense that has leaned on Kyren Williams as more than a runner, using him as a receiving option to keep drives moving and make the structure of the defense work a little harder.
On the other side, the Rams defense has been built around a steady dose of Cover 1 man coverage, with safety Trent McDuffie playing at a high level and Byron Young emerging as the top edge threat off the outside. For Buffalo, the matchup is less about one isolated wrinkle than the way all those pieces fit together, because the Rams have enough shifting parts to make Monday night feel like a test of patience as much as execution. [Read more 🡒]