Brandon Beane spent the offseason trying to do something tricky: raise the ceiling of a roster that was already working, without tearing up the formula that has kept the Buffalo Bills among the league’s better teams in recent years.
That kind of move usually comes with a little risk baked in. Beane took on plenty of it, and the early returns have split into two clear buckets - one that’s helping Buffalo, and another that’s already causing problems.
Bradley Chubb has been exactly the kind of addition the Bills hoped for when they made him their priciest free-agent signing. He has put up at least four pressures in four of Buffalo’s five games this season, giving the defense the edge-rushing presence it needed.
Greg Rousseau’s breakout has drawn most of the attention, but Chubb’s work on the other side has been a big part of why it’s happening. He hasn’t been as steady against the run, but Buffalo is getting the kind of impact it paid for.
DJ Moore has also delivered when he’s been on the field. The Bills took their shot on him with the idea that he could become Josh Allen’s top target after his role shrank with the Chicago Bears, and that bet has looked smart so far.
A lingering shoulder injury has cost him time, but when healthy he has been productive and dangerous. Moore leads Buffalo receivers in targets per route run and sits 17th in the NFL in yards per route run, giving Allen the reliable go-to option he’d been missing.
The picture is much murkier on the back end of the defense. C.J.
Gardner-Johnson hasn’t been a disaster, but he has not solved the Bills’ safety issues either. Buffalo has needed better tackling there for a while, and Gardner-Johnson has only made that weakness stand out more.
He has missed 22.6% of his attempted tackles this season, the fifth-worst mark among qualifying safeties. The Bills wanted stability; instead, they got more volatility.
Dee Alford has not helped matters either. His tackling has been even worse, with 27.8% of his attempts missed, though on a smaller sample size. He did come up with an interception against the New England Patriots in Week 4, but opposing quarterbacks have still posted a 100.8 passer rating when throwing at him.
In Other News...
Former Bills Starter Faces Buffalo With Plenty To Prove
Taron Johnson spent years building his reputation in Buffalo after being drafted by the Bills in 2018, and his run with the team included one of the most memorable defensive plays of that era, a 101-yard interception return in the 2021 playoffs. This offseason, though, his path changed when the Bills moved on and he landed with the Las Vegas Raiders, setting up a return trip to the place where he made so many of his biggest memories.
Now Johnson gets a chance to line up against his old team with a little extra motivation in the mix, and it is the kind of matchup that tends to carry more weight for a veteran cornerback. The Bills know his game well, and Johnson will be looking to make an impact in a new uniform while trying to turn this reunion into a statement game. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Defense Has A Bradley Chubb Problem Fans Will Debate
The moment between the Bills and Rams got tense fast when Los Angeles lineman Alaric Jackson punched linebacker Bradley Chubb, turning a routine on-field exchange into the kind of sideline-scrambling flare-up that can linger well beyond one game. Buffalo defensive tackle Deone Walker stepped in to pull Chubb away, and while Jackson was eventually suspended, then had the punishment reduced, Chubb was left without any discipline of his own.
For Buffalo, the bigger issue is what comes next for a defense still trying to tighten up and move on from the incident. Chubbs place in that mix is part of the conversation now, because the Bills need him available and engaged as they focus on improving on that side of the ball, even as fans continue to debate how the episode should be remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Faces A Bills Test That Could Decide This Clash
Josh Allens latest showcase against the Rams was the kind of performance that reminds everyone how hard Buffalo is to defend when he gets rolling. The quarterback leaned into the same under-center play-action looks that have become a staple of the offense, and those designs have been especially productive for him this season, with strong success both as a passer and as a runner when the Bills build off the fake.
The Raiders present a different kind of problem, though, because their defense has already been vulnerable to under-center play action while still bringing heat from all over the formation. Maxx Crosby remains the headliner up front, often lining up on the left edge and creating disruption even when offenses send help his way, which puts Allen in the middle of the kind of matchup that can shape the entire night for Buffalo. [Read more 🡒]