Despite being 2nd place in AFC East, Bills getting high grades for 1st half of season

At 6-2 after a rollercoaster first half of the season, the Bills are receiving grades of As and Bs.

Josh Allen | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Off the high of beating the nemesis Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, the Buffalo Bills were surprisingly stagnant at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

While the two high-profile receivers that changed teams on Tuesday - Rashid Shaheed and Jakobi Meyers - would have certainly provided a deep-threat upgrade from the likes of Keon Coleman, general manager Brandon Beane failed to find a deal to make the Bills "buyers."

MORE: Bills' statement win over Chiefs drew a record-setting TV audience on CBS

Though disappointed, Bills Mafia can't be too upset with an existing roster that has their team 6-2 heading into Sunday's expected layup at the 2-7 Miami Dolphins. It's been a rollercoaster "first half" for the Bills, from the 4-0 start, to consecutive losses, to back-to-back convincing wins over the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs.

Sean McDermott | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Though they don't technically pass the halfway point until Sunday, mid-season grades for the Bills are rolling in this week.

MORE: Bills skyrocket up NFL power rankings and eye regaining first place in AFC East

Second-Place Bills' high marks

The Athletic gave them an "A-minus" for a start that has them as the team with third-best Super Bowl LX odds but also not leading the AFC East. Now comes Sports Illustrated's grade of ... "B."

"The Bills are 6–2 and somehow find themselves struggling to take over first place in the AFC East with the Patriots a half-game ahead," SI writes. "It’s been an uneven year, with wins over the Ravens and Chiefs, and losses against New England and the Falcons. Overall, though, Josh Allen has 1,833 passing yards and 20 total touchdowns, firmly putting himself in the MVP race once more. The defense has been beset by injuries, though, losing Michael Hoecht (Achilles), Ed Oliver (biceps) and others for the long haul."

Keon Coleman | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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