The Bills’ defense is getting a fresh start under Jim Leonhard, but the real stress test may come from the schedule.
Buffalo has spent the offseason reworking its secondary, and there’s reason to think the unit can be even better than it was before. Leonhard, who once played in the NFL and spent time with the Bills as a player, arrives after two seasons on the Broncos’ coaching staff as their pass game coordinator for the defense. Now he takes over the entire unit.
That matters because pass defense has quietly been one of Buffalo’s best calling cards. The Bills allowed just 156.9 passing yards per game last season, the top mark in the league.
Minnesota was next at 158.5 yards per game. The run defense, on the other hand, was a different story at 136.2 yards allowed per game, which helped bury the pass numbers in the conversation.
There’s also a case to be made that Buffalo’s secondary got better this offseason with the additions of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jalon Kilgore, and Davison Igbinosun. Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston are still the top two corners, giving the Bills a group that should be a strength.
Still, strength doesn’t mean safety. Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone recently ranked five wide receiver duos that could cause problems, and Buffalo happens to face all five of them this season. One of those matchups comes right in the AFC East.
The first big test comes early. After facing a tough Houton Texans team, the Bills get just three full days to turn around and face the Lions in the official home debut of their new stadium on Thursday night in Week 2.
Detroit brings one of the league’s most explosive pairings in St. Brown and Williams, and if that tandem doesn’t get rolling, Jahmyr Gibbs might be the one doing the damage.
Then comes a remade Patriots receiving corps. A.J.
Brown and Romeo Doubs are now together after Brown was traded to New England from the Philadelphia and Doubs joined from Green Bay. Buffalo will see that group in Week 4 in Orchard Park before another meeting in Foxborough in Week 13.
The Rams may be the toughest challenge on the list, especially after adding Myles Garrett to an already loaded roster. Even so, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are the kind of duo that can make a defense miserable. Scataglia slotted them in the top three league-wide, behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Vikings pair is a little harder to fear if the quarterback situation doesn’t stabilize. Scataglia pointed to Justin Jefferson and Addison, while noting that Kyler Murray is in the offense and could bring some spark. But if the quarterback play isn’t there, the duo’s impact won’t be either.
The final name on the list is Denver, where the Broncos made their own splash by landing Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins. Waddle joins Courtland Sutton, but that doesn’t automatically make this a matchup Buffalo has to circle in red.
Bo Nix has shown promise, yet Denver’s passing game wasn’t very good last season. Unless Waddle makes an immediate difference, Scataglia doesn’t see that tandem as one of the league’s elite.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Concern
The Bills secondary had already been a point of interest this offseason with C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining the team on a one-year deal, bringing the kind of versatility and edge Buffalo hoped would sharpen the back end of its defense. But his recent exit from a game quickly shifted the conversation from fit and role to simple availability, as trainers and teammates surrounded him after he went down.
Gardner-Johnson was unable to continue and was carted off after an apparent issue with his right foot, leaving Buffalo with an uneasy wait on a player it had just added to help stabilize the secondary. For a defense that is still sorting out new pieces, the sight of a veteran defensive back going down like that is the sort of development the Bills can ill afford this early. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]