The Buffalo Bills are still in contention for the top seed in the AFC with three games remaining against divisional opponents with losing records, but their Super Bowl aspirations could be threatened by a potential defensive weakness.
The Bills have struggled defensively against stronger opponents, allowing over 40 points in each of their last two games. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon highlighted the Buffalo defense as a significant concern for the league’s leading teams, suggesting that its inconsistency could become a liability in the postseason.
“The Buffalo defense has given up 86 points in the past two weeks alone, with just one turnover in that span. Earlier this season, they were exposed by the Ravens,” Gagnon pointed out. “Despite the talent on the defense and a potent offense that can cover a lot of ground, the Bills remain vulnerable at times defensively, which could ultimately be their downfall.”
McDermott Takes Responsibility for Defensive Struggles
The Bills managed to defeat the NFC’s top team, the Detroit Lions, in a high-scoring 48-42 win on Sunday, following a 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams the previous week. After the Rams defeat, head coach Sean McDermott took responsibility, admitting that he didn’t have the defense fully prepared.
McDermott emphasized that the team recognized their shortcomings against the Rams and vowed to improve against the Lions. “They really enjoy playing together, and they realized we lacked the focus we needed last week,” McDermott said. “The leaders took over and set the tone this week.”
He also praised his team’s ability to quickly recover from setbacks: “Not that we were perfect, but they want to win and are willing to put in the work. It’s almost like they don’t want to let each other down.”
Injury Concerns on Defense
The Bills’ defense has been impacted by several key injuries, particularly in the secondary. The team was without both starting safeties, Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin, in their victory over the Lions, and starting cornerback Rasul Douglas also missed the game.
Douglas and Hamlin were both listed as questionable for the upcoming matchup against the New England Patriots, but Douglas was optimistic about his return. “I’m good. Last week I was close,” he said after Thursday’s practice.
On a positive note, the Bills received some encouraging news regarding injuries. Star linebacker Matt Milano returned in early December after missing the first 11 games of the season. Additionally, rookie defensive lineman DeWayne Carter, who had been on injured reserve following wrist surgery, was recently activated.
