WideNine

We have struggled with our rushing and 3rd down defense for a while. Buffalo Bills Defensive Rankings (2021–2025) Season | Rushing Defense Rank | 3rd Down Defense Rank -------|-----------------------|------------------------ 2025 | 32nd | 17th 2024 | 17th | 13th 2023 | 15th | 13th 2022 | 5th | 32nd 2021 | 13th | 1st Our tackling has been poor too and some of that starts up front with our young players getting moved off their spots and not being gap sound. Overall tackling year over year since 2021 has been uninspiring for how much attention our defensive side of the ball gets. Season | Missed Tackles | NFL Rank -------|----------------|---------- 2025 | 47 (through Week 3) | 18th 2024 | 108 | 14th 2023 | 125 | 20th 2022 | 98 | 9th 2021 | 91 | 6th Here is the breakdown by player for this year. Some of it is growing pains with young players, but plenty of players that have been around are not taking good angles, breaking down, and wrapping up in space. They have to get better with the fundamentals. I noticed that Dorian got the yank after he was juked by Rattler on a scramble and whiffed on an EZ run by Miller. In fairness Miller ran through about 5 weak arm tackles on his way to the EZ so Dorian was not alone on that one. Top 10 Buffalo Bills Players – Missed Tackles (2025) Rank | Player | Position | Missed Tackles -----|---------------------|------------|---------------- 1 | Cole Bishop | Safety | 12 2 | Christian Benford | Cornerback | 10 3 | Terrel Bernard | Linebacker | 9 4 | Taylor Rapp | Safety | 8 5 | Dorian Williams | Linebacker | 7 6 | Ed Oliver | DT | 6 7 | Matt Milano | Linebacker | 6 8 | Greg Rousseau | DE | 5 9 | Taron Johnson | Nickel CB | 5 10 | DaQuan Jones | DT | 4 There is a lot of hope that the infusion of veteran talent on the line will get this unit back on track and hopefully we can upgrade that CB2 spot, but these players and coaches need to step up. Just getting better at tackling will go a long way to improving so many of the issues this defense has getting off the field. To throw our coaching staff a bone I feel like many times the coaches have put players in position to make the tackles, but too many times that first player misses. I know each year is different, but one of our best defensive years was 2021 and that year we had 3 very senior coaches on that side of the ball with Frazier, Bob Babich Sr., and Eric Washington. Frazier took the heat for that epic loss to KC in the waning seconds, but overall the organization lost a lot of years of experience on that side of the ball. I would have to surmise that it has lead to the inconsistencies and growing pains we have seen since and probably why the team went out and brought in some veteran defensive coaches to assist this offseason. When you make this many changes to a side of the ball it usually takes some time for all the pieces to fall into place so I am holding out hope for improvements as the season progresses.

We have a potent offense that does a good job usually of sustaining drives, eating up clock, and scoring. Our points against look better as we have had some really timely turnovers from teams on the doorstep, I keep wondering how long we can keep that up but we keep getting them. We are 31st in the league against the run and that is just a fact and something that has to get better, along with the missed tackles. I am hopeful that we have the kind of players waiting in the wings that can help our D hit its stride down the home stretch. Imagine this offense getting the ball even more when they are already averaging 30+ points a game. I thought I heard something during the broadcast that sounded like Ray Davis did not have good practices and that is why he is not getting the work. Not sure what happened there as I thought he was having a good camp this year. Maybe I misheard. Coleman is getting better, and Palmer is starting to click with Allen. Kincaid and Allen are on the same page and Hawes is doing great blocking and receiving. We are 4 and 0 and have NE and Atlanta then we go into the bye and we get some much needed reinforcements on D when they come back.

I think the fan base is just getting tired of this team having a basement dwelling defense when it comes to defending the run and 3rd down defense. I think they may have done better today on 3rd downs or maybe they had so much success on 1st and 2nd down they did not have to convert too many 3rd and longs. I think we were assessed 3x the penalties the Saints had and that can make for a long day and a hard game to watch. Seems odd to be pinning so much of my hopes on getting key defensive players back because this seems like a defense I have seen so many seasons running now - but that is where I am. We seem to be pulling that horseshoe out every game, 2 games in a row where key drives were extended by having your punter run into... and takeaways on the doorstep when we were about to fall behind. I keep thinking it is not sustainable and will catch up to us, but still glad for the win and you have to have some luck in this league. I feel like the Saints have a good start on their rebuild. Was impressed with Rattler and their rookie DB and their rookie Safety Sanker made some incredible plays out there today. Looks like they have a good DL front too. They can come away from this game with some pride and knowing their franchise seems to be heading in a better direction.

Just getting rolling over out there. Chiefs seem content to run up the score some more just to remind them if they meet again who's their daddy.

Wow. Defending Lamar seems to be in vogue, but can you ever imagine McD pulling a healthy Allen off the field in the 3rd quarter of a game? Even down by 3 scores this team does not give up.

Did Lamar get injured or was he pulled in the 3rd quarter?

The injury bug - we have had our share of seasons cursed. The Ravens are dropping like flies this year.

Jones is such a beast. That premier DT that the Bills have never seemed to be able to land. He can play 3 tech or 1 tech - pretty much wherever you want to line him up and is pretty stout against the run. KC cashed in on that pick. I was so hoping they would not get a deal done with him a few seasons ago and he went to some team that never gets in our way.

Maybe seeing the Masada strategy - if you are going to lose just off yourself?

They look like it right now - jeez I just want someone to get a clean hit and plant that whiny 15 into the turf. I really just don't like Mahomes - probably ever since Allen won that one game against him and instead of being a good sport after the game with the QB handshake he was dismissive of Allen and caught on the hot mic whining about the flag on their nulified score where the KC receiver lined up 3-5 yards in front of the LOS.

Mahomes must have been drunk at the beginning of the game. They must have given him a blood transfusion and a super sized espresso because he suddenly is zipping passes that are on the money.

You see that Special Teams weakness? It just looks like the Chiefs want it more today.

Not sure why anyone would be mad at you as you are entitled to your interpretation of the stats. I think their usual read option game with Henry back there creates a lot of favorable downfield passing options for Lamar, but he has to be able to take advantage of those and he has. I have certainly seen a lot of growth in his game as a passer and when on his game he throws a very catchable ball. Today is not a good game for him with poor decisions and taking care of the football, and that is where I see Allen truely pulling ahead. Just being smart with the ball and even if the team is not playing their best, don't do things to make it worse. There is a lot of nuance to how I look at pure passers. I think Burrow is one of the best I have seen with ball placement and trigger, but he cannot stay healthy and is a meh scrambler. I don't know what to think about Herbert, the talent is certainly there but so is some inconsistency but that could be coaching and play calling too. He is certainly having more success this year with coaching that allows him to use his wheels a bit more. Mahomes passing and accuracy has dropped a bit. Lamar is right up there in my mind, but still prone to some reckless play when the game script starts to get away from the Ravens.

Both Harbaugh and McDermott are from the Reid coaching tree and both struggle to beat him. A simple fix for the Ravens is to have Harbaugh up his clapping game - at least McDermott looks like he is putting in the effort and time to come prepared to games.

Did not notice the injury report, but yeah a lot of injuries on that defense. Man Lamar is playing like crap - running right into the back of his own rather large lineman and coughing up the ball. He is not seeing the field very well and they keep dropping him back to pass... what is up with this game plan that plays right into what Spags is expecting.

Poor cage rush by Baltimore on that one... there was no one there to keep Mahomes from rolling to his right. Was looking for a hold, but think the DE may have just taken an inside rush and vacated his spot. We will see if the Ravens go back to running the ball or bail on the game script that works best for them.

Yeah. They have Henry and a QB who is one of the best pure runners out there considering speed and elusiveness so forcing a pocket-passing game script seems a bit counterintuitive. Even against stacked boxes I would still give teams a steady dose of Henry.

General Chiefs hatred is first and foremost. Then for me I think we are in Baltimore's head a bit more in regards to the way we pull out games on them and the reverse with the Chiefs who probably feel like we will either shoot ourselves in the foot or give up a winning plan in the final moments of a big game....because we have. The Ravens should be the harder team to beat in a post season match, but Reid just seems to have McD's number.

Lamar. That is what you do when there is nothing there, you throw it away.

Still one of the best teams G-to-G and makes sense to run behind that to open things up.

His throws have been off the mark this season and there is not much heat on them, but he dropped one into the bucket for Worthy. Then again with Worthy on a clean release with his speed he just has to get enough air under it and be somewhat close on the throw and let the kid run to the ball if Baltimore is leaving their DB on an island. For a guy that has that wierd waddling walk, I have always been surprised at how slippery Mahomes is to bring down. His scrambling is probably where he is most dangerous - at least so far this season.

Lamar throwing it up for grabs off his back foot on an early down and distance situation where he could simply throw it away. ...and this is why you fail.

So Baltimore comes out and looks like an elite team KC comes out on their first drive and....please god let it continue

I like that we are using more 3 LB sets when we have a good idea a team is going to run on us and we seem to be getting a bit better executing that as it has been chaotic at times with assignments and fits. I like Taron in the slot, but having him take on FBs and pulling linemen to stop runs is a good way to get him injured. Better to bring in a thumper. Baltimore just drove through KC like a hot knife through butter... early, but I would not mind KC getting their backsides handed to them.

True - a great QB can hide a lot of warts on a team. Why it is such a huge investment and can make or break a GM's career.