The Buffalo Bills are 4-1, and they’re still staring at the same issue that could test them down the stretch: the defense needs help before the trade deadline passes.
Buffalo just picked up one of the NFL’s bigger wins of the season, going on the road and beating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime to get back on track. The offense did its part again. The defense, though, gave up plenty of yards and kept the Bills from feeling fully settled after the final whistle.
That’s why the trade deadline looms so large for this group. The Bills may not need a massive overhaul, but they do need to address a secondary that has been a soft spot all season.
One possible answer has already surfaced. NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report identified Buffalo as a potential destination for Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson, who he values at a conditional fifth-round draft pick. With the Chargers off to an 0-5 start, league executives believe they could be open to moving players, and Jackson is among those expected to be traded.
For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious. The defense has been serviceable, but the back end has not been a strength, and that showed up again against the Rams. Jackson would not have to be the savior; he could simply give the Bills more depth and another body they can trust in the secondary.
There’s also a reason the idea has some traction. Jackson was productive for the Chargers a year ago, appearing in 15 games and allowing an opposing passer rating of 56.8 in coverage. Injuries have followed him at times, but when he’s been on the field, he has shown he can help.
The Bills already saw him earlier this season, and Jackson recorded one pass deflection in that matchup. If Buffalo can land him for a fifth-round pick or less, it would make sense as a low-cost move to strengthen a defense that still needs reinforcements.
That’s the calculation here: the Bills want to chase a Super Bowl this season, and if the defense doesn’t get cleaned up, that path gets a lot tougher.
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Bills Win Took A Back Seat To Bradley Chubb Postgame Drama
Buffalos overtime win over the Rams should have been the full story, but the postgame scene quickly pulled attention away from the result. During a jersey exchange after the game, Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson punched Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb, turning a routine moment into the kind of after-the-whistle flashpoint that can linger long after the final horn. The NFL responded with a two-game suspension for Jackson, adding an official layer to an incident that left the Bills dealing with more than just a hard-fought victory.
Joe Brady said there is still plenty to sort through about what happened after the game, and Buffalo is waiting for the details to continue coming in. For now, the Bills are moving on to the Raiders, trying to keep their focus on the next opponent while the league reviews a scene that overshadowed the ending in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Ray Davis Took Heat For A Bills Return Fans Can't Ignore
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Evans, who is not exactly built like a traditional coverage ace, drew plenty of attention for the way he ran Davis down and finished the play. For Buffalo, it was the kind of sequence that leaves a little frustration behind, because the return had enough early momentum to make fans think something bigger might be coming. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Bigger Test Than Their Record Has Answered
Josh Allen and the Bills head into Week 6 with the kind of momentum that makes every matchup feel like a measuring stick, and the Raiders are the next team asked to see how real the start can be. Buffalo has already shown it can win in different ways this season, with Allen again carrying the offense and covering for the rough patches that tend to show up over the course of a game. Las Vegas arrives with a winning record of its own, which at least gives this one the outline of a legitimate test instead of a routine AFC checkpoint.
The intrigue is whether the Raiders can keep Buffalo from turning the afternoon into a familiar Allen-led grind, because the Bills have been living with a few self-inflicted issues even while the results keep coming. Las Vegas has enough on paper to make the game interesting on both sides of the ball, but the bigger question for Buffalo is whether its offense can keep separating when the margins tighten and the game starts asking for answers rather than projections. [Read more 🡒]