The Buffalo Bills’ defense has started to look a lot more like the group they wanted when they changed things under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
It didn’t begin that way. Early on, the secondary was shaky on the back end, communication was off, and too many big plays leaked through.
The run defense, though, got on track quickly, climbing from 28th in 2025 to 7th in 2026. And over the last two games, the Bills have leaned harder into pressure, blitzing more and asking the pass rush to do more of the heavy lifting.
That shift has put OLB Greg Rousseau front and center. His athleticism and ability to get after the quarterback are showing up in a way that didn’t always happen in Sean McDermott’s scheme.
Against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, Buffalo’s defense produced four total sacks in a 36-10 win, even with third-string quarterback Joe Fagnano under center. Three of those sacks came against the rookie from UConn.
Rousseau, Landon Jackson, Cole Bishop, and rookie T.J. Parker all got in on the action, and Rousseau’s early hit on Lamar Jackson forced the starter out of the game with a thumb injury.
The defense also came away with a first career interception from cornerback Davison Igbinosun late in the second quarter after safety Geno Stone got a hand on a pass from Fagnano and allowed the rookie to make the play. Linebackers Dorian Williams and Kaleb Elarms-Orr added fumble recoveries as well.
Then came Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings, and Buffalo’s defense took another step.
In a matchup of two 6-1 teams, the Bills’ defense looked like the stronger unit, even against Minnesota’s No. 1 ranked defense. Buffalo’s offense helped by grinding the Vikings down on the ground and controlling the clock after the first half, but the defense did its part by keeping Carson Wentz out of the end zone.
Rousseau and EDGE rusher Javon Solomon each had a sack, while Wentz was intercepted twice. Dorian Williams picked him off first on a throw intended for tight end T.J. Hockenson at the Bills’ 11-yard line, and Terrel Bernard later grabbed a slant meant for wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Wentz finished with just 81 passing yards, took heat throughout the night, and the Vikings never found a rhythm. Buffalo held Minnesota to 0 for 8 on third downs, and Igbinosun was a major reason why, shadowing Jefferson step for step in man coverage.
The Bills also got a boost before the Tuesday NFL trade deadline, when they added former Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker to the secondary.
Hooker has been the one bright spot in Tennessee’s rough 1-7 start, leading the league with five interceptions while also proving to be a strong run defender. For Buffalo, he gives the defense another playmaker in coverage and another body who can help reinforce a top-ten run defense when lined up in the box.
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Josh Allen Brings Another Bills Milestone Chase To The Jets
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The bigger chase still belongs to Allen, who is closing in on the NFL mark for combined passing and rushing touchdowns through his first 10 seasons, while also nearing 90 career rushing touchdowns. There are other Bills storylines tucked into the same stretch run, too, with Greg Rousseau edging toward a personal best in sacks and Dawson Knox climbing the teams all-time receiving touchdowns list, giving Buffalo a handful of individual milestones to track as the season tightens up. [Read more 🡒]