Bobby Babich delivers scathing review of Bills' defensive element vs. Ravens

The Bills defensive coordinator was not happy with how his unit performed in Week 1 against Baltimore.

Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich calls out to units as they run onto the side practice field during the second day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Thursday, July 24, 2025 in Pittsford. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills' defensive coordinator Bobby Babich and company will be forced to go back to the drawing board after his unit allowed 40 points in a Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

There was little to write home about when it came to Buffalo’s defensive effort against Baltimore, particularly up front when defending against Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ fierce rushing attack.

“No one in the defensive room thinks anything of that nature was acceptable,” said Babich on his team’s poor run-stopping effort on Sunday. “I think, at third-and-six plus, we were six for eight, which is a good thing. They were one of three in the red zone. That’s a good thing.  But all the stuff in between that you’re talking about it’s unacceptable. And our players know that. They know that.”

The Bills allowed Henry to romp for 169 yards rushing and two touchdowns rushing, averaging 9.4 yards per carry during another throttling performance against Buffalo’s resistance. Quarterback Lamar Jackson added 70 yards and a score on the ground.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry finds an open lane and runs during first half action against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sept. 7, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was somewhat expected, as the Ravens’ running back dominated the Bills in two matchups last year. And while the Buffalo added a few pieces to its defensive line in the offseason, they entered Sunday’s game with just four defensive tackles at their disposal, two of which were rookies T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker, who were appearing in their first NFL game.

Veteran Ed Oliver had a monster game, finishing with six tackles and a sack while also forcing a critical fumble out of Henry’s hands in the second half. But DaQuan Jones, the team’s starter at one-technique, was invisible while playing 69 percent of the snaps — the same number as Oliver.

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Moving forward, whether it be personnel or scheme, something will have to change for the Bills if they hope to get back on track defensively in the weeks to come. And Babich seems well aware of that fact.

“Very important that we get those corrected, and that we’re very intentional this week about getting those things corrected,” added the Bills’ defensive coordinator. “It’s a lot easier to make those corrections after a win. You know, and naturally, as a human, there’s a better vibe after you win, right?  So we need to get those things corrected, and we will. We will. We’ll be very intentional this week about getting those things.”

Up next for the Bills’ defense will be another tough matchup, as their Week 2 opponent, the New York Jets, scored 32 points while rushing for 182 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1.

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