The Buffalo Bills improved to 6-2 with a commanding 31-10 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. While the win increased the team’s lead in the AFC East to 3.5 games, it also showed there are still areas of concern that must be addressed to seriously contend for a Super Bowl title.
Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane already made one splash before the 2024 NFL trade deadline when he acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Eight days remain if he wants to upgrade the roster with another high-profile deal before the Nov. 5 deadline.
The Bills’ need for improvement extends beyond what can be helped via trade, though. In fact, the most pressing issue must be addressed internally by head coach Sean McDermott.
Buffalo Bills’ Biggest Issues Before NFL Trade Deadline
1. Penalties
McDermott has endlessly stressed accountability since he arrived at One Bills Drive eight years ago. Yet, the franchise still goes through stretches where internal mistakes are a bigger problem than anything an opponent can present. That’s been the case as of late.
Buffalo has reached double-digit penalties twice in the past three games. It recorded 11 in a 23-20 win over the New York Jets and tallied 13 in Sunday’s triumph over the Seahawks. If not for Seattle’s own self-inflicted errors, the game would have been far closer.
As always, wins cause issues like that to fly under the radar. It’s also helped the Bills that their opponents have been called for 64 penalties, the most in the league, per NFLPenalties.com. That’s often overshadowed own Buffalo’s problem with flags.
The Bills have been called for 53 penalties through eight weeks, which is 10th in the NFL. The recent uptick has them flying up the rankings, however.
Buffalo’s starting offensive tackles have been the biggest offenders. Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown have been called for seven penalties apiece. No one else on the roster is above three. That includes nine combined flags for false starts, a chronic issue that must be fixed before the playoffs.
Sure, the roster could use a few reinforcements, but reaching a championship level starts with not giving away yards on such a frequent basis moving forward.
2. Bills’ Safety Play Looms Large Ahead of Trade Deadline
The Bills hoped a competition throughout training camp would yield two clear starters at safety. Instead, the no one from the quartet of Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin, Mike Edwards and rookie Cole Bishop has been overly impressive. Rapp and Hamlin drew the starting assignments in large part because of their previous work within Buffalo’s defensive scheme.
Below are the group’s Pro Football Focus grades through eight games. Edwards and Bishop have played limited snaps as backups.
- Hamlin: 60.5
- Rapp: 60.4
- Edwards: 64.3
- Bishop: 50.3
Not good enough. Rapp is a boom-or-bust player, equally capable of ending up on a highlight- or lowlight-reel. Hamlin has a high football IQ, but his lack of speed is a massive problem in coverage. Yet, the Bills’ coaching staff doesn’t appear in any rush to make Edwards or Bishop a starter.
Bills Mafia has held out hope Micah Hyde would eventually return. The fan favorite hasn’t decided whether to continue his football career after recent neck injuries. He remains a free agent and said he’d only play for Buffalo, but each passing week makes it more unlikely he’ll play again. Budda Baker (Arizona Cardinals) and Andre Cisco (Jacksonville Jaguars) headline the potential trade targets at safety.
Ultimately, the Bills’ two-high, zone-heavy defensive approach takes a lot of pressure off the safeties, but the NFL’s best teams will still find a way to exploit the weakness.
3. Reserve Linebackers
Buffalo hopes Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Milano will return by December after suffering a bicep injury during camp. Fellow starter Terrel Bernard missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and previously sat out two contests with a pectoral injury.
The Bills run a two-linebacker base defense. Slot cornerback Taron Johnson is one of the best in the business and replaces a traditional third linebacker, even in most running situations.
When Milano and Bernard are both healthy, the defense features one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL. Alas, Milano is likely one recovery setback from missing the rest of the campaign and Bernard is already quite banged up for the midway point of the regular season.
One thing’s for sure: Buffalo can’t afford to rest its Super Bowl hopes on Dorian Williams and Baylon Spector.
Williams ranks ninth in the NFL in total tackles (72), but that production doesn’t equate to strong overall play. The 2023 third-round pick has repeatedly taken horrible routes to ball carriers and is often burned in coverage.
Spector’s 38.8 overall grade from PFF tells the story about his struggles when asked to start defensively.
So, the Bills have gone from one of the league’s best linebacker duos to one of the worst because of injuries. Trading for a veteran should be a strong consideration given the uncertainty about whether Milano and Bernard will be anywhere close to 100 percent by the postseason.
Devin Lloyd (Jaguars) and E.J. Speed (Indianapolis Colts) are among the linebacker trade candidates. Lloyd, in particular, seems like a great fit on paper.
