Bills' defense under construction but blueprint is promising

The Buffalo Bills’ defense is a work in progress—but the foundation is being laid for a second-half surge that could reshape the season.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) is interviewed after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Through the first three games of the season, the Buffalo Bills have allowed 71 points, with 40 of those coming in Week 1.

The Bills' defense allows only 131.3 yards per game through the air, which is excellent, but they are giving up an average of 156 per game on the ground. To be fair, that number is somewhat skewed by the 238 the Ravens pounded out in Week 1.

Missing pieces

Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele (77) blocks Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Jets put up 100 yards on the ground, and the Dolphins ran for 130. What can the Bills do to improve the run defense?

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It's not anything scheme-wise, but it's more about the personnel. The Bills were without Ed Oliver in the last two games and Matt Milano against the Dolphins. They also have two talented defenders currently suspended, Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi, both of whom will return in three weeks, and should help the defense.

Rookies learning on the fly

New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis (32) is tackled by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (98), Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The other part of this is the rookie defensive tackles the Bills are leaning on right now in Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders. They are both just three games into their rookie seasons and are still learning on the fly. The same can be said of safety Cole Bishop, who has only four starts under his belt. Let's also not forget that Bills first-round rookie cornerback Max Hairston will be coming off IR soon.

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The Bills' next three games are against the Saints, Patriots, and Falcons, followed by the team's bye week. All three are winnable games, and an opportunity for the Bills' young players to continue to grow within this defense.

After the bye week, Ogunjobi and Hoecht will return. It's at that point, Week 8, against the Panthers, that we will begin to see a very different Bills defense. Week 9 is a big showdown with the Chiefs, who will likely have Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice on the field.

Reinforcements on way

Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht gets ready to move to another area to start a new drill at Bills Training Camp. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Things look rough right now for the Bills' defense, but keep the faith, be patient, and things will improve. The run defense will get better, and the pass rush will show more consistency as well, especially with Hoecht and Ogunjobi added to the mix.

We've already seen the Bills' defense make key plays when needed, such as Oliver's forced fumble against the Ravens and Terrel Bernard's interception against the Dolphins. These plays will become more common as the Bills' defense develops and will become a vital part of the Bills' postseason push.

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