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Through two games, it’s fair to say that the Buffalo Bills have leaned quite heavily on the offense while building an unblemished record. That doesn’t mean the team’s defense has simply watched from the sidelines, comfortable taking a back seat to the party.
Despite the incredible play by quarterback Josh Allen and the rest of Buffalo’s offense,
it’s also true that without a few key plays on defense things might look different in the W-L column. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is in the midst of transforming a defense group that, by and large, played instinctual football under the direction of former head coach Sean McDermott.
Now operating out of a base 3-4 system, many players have been asked to alter their roles a bit. That naturally leads to a learning curve, but it sure seems as though the defensive front seven have been quick to pick up the changes. Notably, outside linebacker Greg Rousseau has taken a shine to playing a role he’d never manned before in the NFL. He currently leads the NFL in sacks with four, doing things he’d struggled to consistently produce even against similar opponents in years’ past.
It’s a much different story with the defensive backfield, where the level of play has noticeably regressed. Before, cornerbacks Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston were put in position to succeed as predominantly zone-based outside corners. While that changed slightly in McDermott’s final season, the difference in how they play and their results are stark. It’s not all bad, of course, but there have been enough plays that cause a person to wonder what’s going on with the defense.
Apart from the household names on defense, new additions at defensive back in C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Dee Alford simply haven’t yet brought an improved level of play to the field. It’s early, of course and expecting anything would be 100% ready even by now might have folks asking if you’ve been drinking some strange Kool-Aid.
Bills reporter Sal Capaccio with WGR 550 shared Buffalo’s overall rankings, which may surprise readers. Currently, the Bills’ defense is ranked as follows out of 32 NFL teams:
Yards/game
Week 1: 23rd
Week 2: 28th
Yards/play
Week 1: 14th
Week 2: 20th
Rush yards/game
Week 1: 20th
Week 2: 12th
Rush yards/play
Week 1: 11th
Week 2: 8th
Pass yards/game
Week 1: 25th
Week 2: 30th
Pass yards/play
Week 1: 16th
Week 2: 20th
Sacks/pass attempt
Week 1: 15th
Week 2: 10th
Red zone defense
Week 1: T-21st
Week 2: 25th
Third-down defense
Week 1: 21st
Week 2: 19th
Points/game
Week 1: T-23rd (31.0)
Week 2: T-28th (31.0)
All that considered, how are you feeling about the defense through two games against quality offenses? Are you concerned about the yards given up and their official league rankings? Or are you optimistic given the improved play up front and the on-the-fly learning process elsewhere to this point?
Vote now, and be sure to also weigh in with our weekly poll asking if you think the Bills are or are not headed in the right direction.
