The Buffalo Bills got to Week 8 at 6-1, and the record has covered for a lot. Through six games, the Bills allowed 28.5 points and 386.8 yards per game, both figures near the bottom of the league. Winning hides that kind of thing right up until it stops hiding it.
The 36-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens looked like a turning point. It is not that simple. Lamar Jackson left after one snap, Tyler Huntley followed in the first half, and rookie Joe Fagnano finished the game. Buffalo played well. The result still needs context.
Defensive Issues Remain For Buffalo
Bills Finally Turned Up Pressure
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard changed the plan after the bye. The Bills blitzed on 64.5% of Baltimore’s quarterback dropbacks, their highest rate since 2021. Buffalo had not gone past 39% in any of its first six games.
Leonhard said the plan was aggressive before Jackson was hurt, so the pressure was not a reaction to the injuries. He moved his play calling to the coaches’ booth and plans to stay there.
The defense finished with four sacks, 12 quarterback hits and three takeaways. Eleven players generated at least one pressure. Eight had more than one. Gregory Rousseau led the team with six pressures and one sack. Pressure arrived from across the defense, not from one guy beating one tackle.
Baltimore’s Injuries Changed Test
Jackson injured his right thumb on his first offensive snap and did not return. Huntley completed two of four passes for no yards before a toe injury took him out of it.
That forced the undrafted rookie Fagnano into his first NFL game. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards, threw an interception and lost a fumble. Baltimore finished with 144 total yards.
So the Bills faced three quarterbacks, and Baltimore lost its first two before halftime. That does not erase what Buffalo prepared for. It does limit what the result can prove against a healthy starter.
Season Numbers Still Show Passing Problem
The averages improved after holding Baltimore to 144 yards. Through Week 8, the Bills allow 352.1 yards per game, 24th in the NFL. The pass defense gives up 254.7 yards per game, 30th. They allow 25.9 points per game, tied for 24th, and opponents convert 41.9% of third downs, 22nd.
The run defense is the sturdy part. Buffalo allows 97.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 10th. Stopping the pass and getting off the field are the problems. Those defensive questions were already clear in the early weeks, even while a 6-1 start kept the Bills among the AFC’s leading teams.
Blitz Cannot Become Only Answer
A 64.5% blitz rate worked against Baltimore. It cannot become the weekly answer. Extra rushers force hurried throws, and they also pull bodies out of coverage. A quarterback who reads pressure early can dump it into the space behind the rush before it gets home. Leonhard has to disguise pressure and mix four-man rushes with the extra blitzers.
The move to the booth may help him see formations and get the call in sooner. The defense also needs the shared effort that produced pressure from 11 players. Buffalo’s early contender case leaned heavily on Josh Allen and the offense. A playoff run will need the defense to carry its own weight.
Next Test Arrives Before Deadline
Buffalo hosts Minnesota on November 9th, one day before the November 10th trade deadline. That game will test whether the pass defense can repeat its progress. The front office should also weigh whether it needs more help. One proposed defensive addition before the deadline would bring Frankie Luvu to Buffalo as another pressure option.
Last Word
Buffalo deserves credit for holding Baltimore to 10 points, recording four sacks and forcing three takeaways. Leonhard’s aggressive plan produced the defense’s best result of the season. But the Ravens played most of the game without their first two quarterbacks, and Buffalo still ranks 30th against the pass.
The Bills are 6-1, with Allen throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore. The next task is to prove that this defense can perform against a healthy starting quarterback.
Main Image: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
