Bills power rankings round-up: Experts have Buffalo sliding out of the bye

The Buffalo Bills enjoyed a much-needed bye week in Week 7 and will now look to get back on track with a Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers enter the Week 8 matchup against the Bills with a ton of momentum thanks to a three-game winning streak, but Carolina is expected to be without quarterback Bryce Young thanks to an ankle injury.

The Bills have no shortage of issues on both sides of the ball and that, combined with two lackluster performances in a row, has left fans and analysts alike feeling down on Buffalo.

On offense, the wide receivers have not stepped up the way the Bills had hoped, and that's especially true with Keon Coleman. On defense, Buffalo has major concerns all over, including at corner, linebacker, safety and defensive line.

General manager Brandon Beane still has time to address those needs with the trade deadline still a few weeks away, but that window is rapidly closing.

As the Bills come out of the bye week and prepare for the matchup versus Carolina, here's where they sit in the NFL power rankings of experts going into Week 8.

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) reacts after a catch against the New England Patriots | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Peter Dewey, Sports Illustrated: 9 (-2)

Dewey: "The Bills fall a bit on their bye week, as they've lost two in a row and are in second in the AFC East."

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: 6 (no change)

Cluff: "The Bills entered their week off with a 2-game losing streak. They exit it with games against the Panthers and Chiefs."

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 7 (-1)

Iyer: "The Bills got a much-needed bye to regroup from their tough losses to New England and Atlanta. Josh Allen needs to clean up a few things with his receivers, while the defense looks for some kind of answer vs. the run."

Christian D'Andrea, For The Win: 8 (-3)

D'Andrea: "What looked like an early bye came exactly when Buffalo needed it following a two-game losing streak. The schedule is a roller coaster over the next month, which includes showdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chiefs, but also the Panthers and Dolphins. Will that be enough to fix a broken secondary? Probably not. Did it give Josh Allen enough rest to line up a bunch of four-touchdown performances? We'll see!"

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carried the ball as Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa (57) defends | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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