The Buffalo Bills have one major weakness to fix during their Week 7 bye week and it’s not what you think. Although there’s been clamoring for the team to give reigning MVP QB Josh Allen more receiving help, that’s not close to the team’s biggest concern coming out of Monday’s shocking 24-14 upset loss to the Falcons.
After starting 4-0 and looking like the definitive Super Bowl favorite, Buffalo has now dropped two consecutive games in prime time, home vs. New England and at Atlanta, to fall to 4-2. With that losing streak, the Bills have fallen out of first place in the AFC East to the New England Patriots.
There’s no doubt Allen was a little off in the 23-20 setback in Week 5. But then facing a revved up Falcons pass rush, he was downright erratic and inefficient. But even if he had put on his Superman cape again as a passer and runner, he still can’t help the Bills stop the run.
The Falcons, led by the explosive and powerful 1-2 punch from a lot of Bijan Robinson and a little of Tyler Allgeier, rushed for 210 yards to help beat the Bills. Robinson and Allgeier smashed from start to finish, with an 81-yard scoring burst by Robinson being Buffalo’s worst defensive moment.
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With that overall number, the Bills run defense fell to 31st in the league, after ranking a solid 12th in that category last season. They are up to allowing an average of 156.3 rushing yards per game. The only team worse in the NFL are the 1-5 Dolphins, the third-place team in their division.
The Patriots? They rank fourth against the run, improving from 23rd last year. Five of the top six teams against the run would be in the NFL playoffs if they started today. As for the bottom six? Only the Bills and (go figure) the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles, also dropping from 4-0 to 4-2, would be the only two playoff teams.
In Philadelphia, all the attention had been on Jalen Hurts being off in the passing game despite having wide receivers such as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. But in the backdrop, the run defense was the top culprit in losses to the Broncos and Giants.
The Bills’ No. 31 standing is inclusive of shutting down the Patriots in Week 5. But that’s anomalous to them being gashed by the Ravens (238 yards), Dolphins (130 yards) and Saints (189 yards).
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The 2006 Colts gave up a league-worst 173 average rushing yards per game. They still won the Super Bowl, thanks to indispensable safety Bob Sanders returning to have a dominant playoff run as a run support and coverage playmaker.
The Bills didn’t have oft-injured key linebacker Matt Milano in the lineup for the Falcons. Run-stuffing Ed Oliver, who was there for the Ravens running wild, just returned from his ankle injury and the Bills should get more key depth for their rotation soon.
The bottom line is the Bills’ obvious major struggle vs. the run must be mist upsetting to defensive-minded coach Sean McDermott and his play-calling coordinator, Bobby Babich. Even if some help arrives, it’s hard to expect a dramatic improvement. But whether it’s scheme or personnel, Buffalo must become more respectable ahead of a tougher second-half slate featuring Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, New England (again) and Philadelphia.
Allen needs help to have that big playoff breakthrough into an AFC championship in an area in which he can’t control the Bills’ outcomes.
MORE: How Bills’ loss puts Patriots atop division for first time in four years
