Joe Brady has a real call to make in the back end of the Buffalo Bills’ defense, and it comes at a spot that has been shaky all season.
The Bills have only had two truly dominant defensive performances so far: Week 3 against the Chargers and Week 8 against the Ravens. Against Los Angeles, Buffalo’s defense was forced to pick up the slack after the offense turned it over five times, and still the Chargers managed just 10 points off those giveaways and 16 points overall.
Last week was even more impressive in its own way. Baltimore lost Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley to injuries in the first half, leaving Joe Fagnano as the Ravens’ third-string quarterback, but Buffalo still suffocated the game. The Bills held Baltimore to 144 total yards and forced three turnovers.
The secondary was a big reason why. Buffalo gave up fewer than 100 passing yards and kept Zay Flowers completely out of the stat sheet, even though he was targeted five times.
Damar Hamlin was part of that success after stepping in for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was serving a one-game suspension for spitting toward Raiders TE Brock Bowers in Week 6.
Hamlin has made the most of the opportunity. He filled in for Gardner-Johnson when he was ejected in Week 6, then played better in the second half against Las Vegas. Against the Ravens, he finished with five tackles and a pass deflection in a strong outing.
Now Gardner-Johnson is set to return, and Brady is not rushing to lock in the safety spot. According to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News, Brady “is still wanting to name a starting safety”, but also said “Damar Hamlin was as consistent as can be.”
With Buffalo not playing until Monday night, the Bills have extra time to sort it out before facing the Minnesota Vikings. A rotation in the secondary feels likely in Week 9, but the bigger picture is clear: the Bills’ secondary remains the weakest part of the roster, and no one’s job is fully secure.
That leaves Brady weighing two different looks at safety - Hamlin’s steadiness or Gardner-Johnson’s intensity - against a physical Vikings team.
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For Buffalo, the uncertainty matters because it changes the shape of a game plan that had already been built around preparing for Murrays mobility and playmaking. If he is unable to suit up, the Vikings would turn to Carson Wentz, leaving the Bills to wait and see which version of Minnesota theyll actually face on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Rookie Corner May Have Changed How Fans See This Defense
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Igbinosun was right in the middle of it, collecting his first career takeaway and helping fuel a performance that had head coach Joe Brady praising the unit afterward. For a rookie corner to make that kind of imprint in a game like this is the sort of development Buffalo will want to keep seeing, especially if the defense is going to keep building on a night when it looked fast, disruptive and confident. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Reaction To Josh Allen Non-Call Says Plenty About Their Concern
Josh Allen took a dangerous hit during the game against Baltimore when Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith got into his facemask on a play the officials missed entirely. For Buffalo, the concern was not just the moment itself but what it said about the protection Allen was getting on a night when the quarterback was already operating under pressure and the Bills were trying to manage the game around him.
Afterward, Joe Brady made clear the non-call caught the staff off guard, and the episode only added to the sense that Allen was exposed on a play the league is now expected to address with a fine for Smith. It also fit a broader frustration for Buffalo, because when a hit like that goes unnoticed in real time, it can shape how the offense thinks about the rest of the game even before the next snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]