The Buffalo Bills are 3-1 and sitting on top of the AFC East, but the first month of their season has not exactly read like the schedule of a powerhouse. Four games in, the record looks clean enough. The details underneath it tell a messier story.
Start with the opener against the Houston Texans. Buffalo put up 36 points against what was billed as one of the league’s best defenses heading into Week 1, and that part was impressive.
The Bills also needed it, because Houston scored 31 of its own. Still, the Texans are one of the few winless teams left, and their defense is giving up 27 points per game through four games, so that early statement win does not look quite as loud now.
Week 2 brought another high-scoring result, a 41-31 win over the Detroit Lions four days later. Buffalo led 27-7 in the second quarter and looked in full control, but the second half got looser. Detroit outscored the Bills 21-14 after halftime, and that finish left more questions than a 10-point final margin should have.
Then came Week 3, and the Bills were pushed to the edge by the Los Angeles Chargers. Buffalo turned the ball over five times and did not take the lead until the fourth quarter. Without a major lift from the defense, that game could have gone the other way against a Chargers team that had already lost to the Cardinals in Raiders in the first two weeks.
Week 4 was supposed to be the cleanest win of the bunch. Instead, the Bills hosted the 1-2 New England Patriots and gave up a chance to widen their AFC East cushion. New England’s Drake Maye and the Patriots offense piled up more than 400 total yards, and Buffalo’s offense looked lost while the Patriots walked out of Orchard Park with the game-winner.
There is still a reason Buffalo is viewed as a contender: Josh Allen is still under center. But the first four weeks have shown how shaky that 3-1 start really is.
The Bills’ first four opponents are a combined 4-12, and two of Buffalo’s three wins came by one score. Even with the record, that is not the profile of a team that has been overwhelming people.
The Bills now turn to Week 5 and a primetime matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, a chance to reset and show something sturdier against another top team.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Will Feel Mitch Morses Heartbreaking Family News
Mitch Morse shared heartbreaking family news this week, announcing the death of his younger brother Robbie, who passed away last week at 30. Robbie had lived with lifelong disabilities after suffering severe brain trauma as an infant, and the Morse family had long been open about his story, turning their private struggle into something many football fans came to know over the years.
The loss is one that will resonate in Buffalo, where Morse spent part of his career and built a strong connection with the fan base. Condolences poured in from across the NFL, including from former teammates and multiple teams, a reminder of how widely Robbies story was felt beyond one locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Have A Problem They May Need To Trade For
The Bills 29-26 loss to the Patriots did more than dent the standings. It also pushed a familiar concern back into the spotlight: a secondary that is being asked to hold up while the defense adjusts to Jim Leonhards system, all while injuries keep stripping away experienced options. Buffalo has had to lean on less seasoned defensive backs, and the results have made the back end look like a spot that could use help sooner rather than later.
With the trade deadline still on the horizon in 2026, the question is whether Buffalo waits for its current group to stabilize or starts looking outside the building for reinforcements. The need is obvious enough after a night like this, but the challenge is finding a move that actually fits both the Bills defense and the urgency created by a thin, banged-up secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Risky Tyreek Hill Decision With AFC Stakes
Tyreek Hill is expected to land with an NFL team soon after working his way back from a season-ending injury and being released by the Dolphins, and the Bills are one of the clubs that could wind up in the mix. NFL insider Albert Breer pointed to Buffalo and Kansas City as the two most obvious fits, which makes sense given how both early AFC contenders could use help at wide receiver and have enough ambition to think beyond simple depth.
For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious and the risk is just as clear. Hill would give the offense another dangerous weapon, but the Bills would also be weighing his recovery and age against the possibility that the Chiefs could get there first. In a conference where every edge matters, the decision is less about whether Hill can help and more about how much a contender wants to bet on what he still has left. [Read more 🡒]