The Buffalo Bills are 11-4 heading into the final stretch of the regular season, but there’s a strange feeling around this team - like something’s missing. On paper, they’re contenders.
In the standings, they’re right there. But on the field?
There’s been just enough inconsistency - especially on defense - to raise some real questions about whether this version of the Bills can finally break through and deliver the franchise’s first Super Bowl.
Let’s start with the defense, specifically the run defense - because that’s where the cracks have been the most glaring. Buffalo invested heavily in this unit during the offseason.
They brought in proven veterans like Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, and Michael Hoecht. They added young talent through the draft in T.J.
Sanders and Deone Walker. On paper, that’s a front that should be able to hold its own in the trenches.
But the results haven’t matched the investment.
Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the defensive line all season, and the Bills’ run defense has paid the price. It’s not just that they’ve struggled - it’s that they’ve been gashed.
The numbers tell the story: Buffalo has given up over 100 rushing yards in all but four games this year. In four separate contests, they’ve surrendered more than 200 yards on the ground.
That’s not just a weakness - that’s a red flag waving in plain sight.
The Week 1 matchup against Derrick Henry was an early warning sign. Henry ran wild, and it exposed a vulnerability that never really got patched up.
Instead of adjusting and tightening up, the Bills’ defense has continued to allow opponents to control the tempo with the run game. And when you’re giving up over five yards per carry across an entire season, you’re asking for trouble.
It’s a problem that goes beyond just yardage. When teams can run the ball at will, they dictate the pace.
They keep Josh Allen and the offense on the sideline. They wear down the defense.
And they convert on third downs - another area where the Bills have struggled. Whether it’s 3rd-and-short or 3rd-and-long, Buffalo has had a hard time getting off the field.
Too often, they’re allowing drives to extend, and that’s killing their ability to control games.
This isn’t about effort or talent. The Bills have playmakers at every level of the defense.
But the unit hasn’t played cohesive, disciplined football - especially when it matters most. The run defense has become the team’s biggest liability, and in a league where playoff football often comes down to who can win in the trenches, that’s a dangerous place to be.
With the postseason around the corner, there’s no magic fix coming. The personnel is set.
The scheme is what it is. At this point, it’s about matchups - and whether the Bills can find ways to mask their weaknesses long enough to make a run.
Because if they can’t stop the run, they’ll be putting a massive burden on Allen and the offense to play near-perfect football every week.
And in January, against the league’s best, that’s a tough ask - even for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.