The Bills have rolled to a 5-1 start, and that alone gives Buffalo plenty to feel good about. Josh Allen and James Cook have already done their part, but the real reason to get excited is what could happen if a few other pieces start pulling their weight after the bye week.
That’s where the next stretch gets interesting. Buffalo has players with room to grow, players who haven’t yet matched the upside the team clearly sees in them. If that changes, the rest of the league is going to have a problem.
Maxwell Hairston is at the top of that list. Buffalo’s pass defense has been a sore spot, with the unit allowing the second-most passing yards in the NFL.
Cornerback play has been part of the issue, and Hairston has not been the ballhawk the Bills hoped for when they took him in the first round last year. He had five interceptions in 2023 at Kentucky, but in the NFL he has only two interceptions total and none this season.
His Pro Football Focus grade is 40 right now. Still, he’s young and loaded with athletic ability, and the bye week could help him settle in and understand the defense better.
T.J. Parker is another name worth watching.
Buffalo picked the pass rusher with the 35th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and so far he has not cracked the starting lineup. That has left him with just 0.5 sacks.
Greg Rousseau has opened the season on a tear, while Bradley Chubb has only 1.5 sacks. If Chubb isn’t consistently pressuring quarterbacks, Parker could start seeing more chances in obvious passing situations.
He was productive at Clemson, piling up 21.5 sacks over three seasons, and that kind of burst gives him a path to making a real impact in the second half if the snaps come his way.
Then there’s DJ Moore, the biggest offseason addition Buffalo made when it traded for the wide receiver. Injury has kept him to four games, and the production has been modest: 12 catches, 178 yards and one touchdown.
The offense has held up fine without him being at full strength, but the upside is obvious if he can get back to the level he showed in his Carolina Panthers years. He looked strong in Week 1, which suggests the shoulder issue may have been slowing him down.
The bye gives him more time to get right, and unless something changes, he should be in line to return in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens.
In Other News...
Bills Face A Cornerback Decision That Could Change Their Defense
Buffalos offense has done enough to keep the Bills in the thick of the AFC race, but the defense still has a shaky feel to it, especially at cornerback. With the trade deadline approaching, that weakness is drawing extra attention, and the front office is at least being linked to a few possible ways to shore up the secondary before the stretch run.
The names being floated reflect the kind of fix Buffalo may need: a player who can hold up in coverage, help stabilize the back end and give the defense a little more flexibility. Whether the Bills choose to pay up for help or hunt for a more manageable deal, the cornerback spot has become one of the clearest places where a move could change how this defense looks down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Bye Week Puts Pressure On Josh Allen's Hot Start
The Bills enter their Week 7 bye with a 5-1 record and plenty to sort through after a fast start. Josh Allen has helped drive an offense that has topped 30 points in four of six games, giving Buffalo the kind of early cushion teams usually hope for in October, even as the defense has left more questions than answers.
Josh Allens side of the ball has given the Bills a chance to breathe during the break, but the reset also comes with the reminder that the next stretch will be a real test of how sustainable this start is. Buffalo comes out of the bye at home against Baltimore, and the balance between keeping the offense rolling and tightening up the rest of the operation will loom over the week ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Have Every Reason To Watch Lamar Jackson Closely
Lamar Jacksons ankle injury has already cost him two games, and the Ravens will keep him out again this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. He has been taking part in limited practices, and Baltimore remains cautiously optimistic about getting its quarterback back soon after a stretch in which the offense has had to make do without one of the leagues most dynamic players.
For Bills fans, the timing matters because NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Jackson is expected to be back for Baltimores Nov. 1 game against Buffalo. The Ravens still have not officially cleared him for Week 8, so there is still a layer of uncertainty, but this is the kind of situation Bills supporters will be monitoring closely as that matchup gets closer. [Read more 🡒]