Bills’ victory highlighted a huge issue that must be fixed moving forward, and it nearly cost them a win vs. Saints
The Buffalo Bills will need to clean this up as the season progresses.
Quarterback Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott shared similar sentiments moments after the victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4: Winning in the league isn’t easy.
Nevertheless, Buffalo found a way to win and remain undefeated on the season. Allen, once again, rose to the occasion in some of the game’s biggest moments to help lead the team to the win. However, there was one huge issue that the Bills need to address moving forward: Tackling in run defense.
While the defense did what was asked of it, including a few key sacks on quarterback Spencer Rattler and a one-handed interception from safety Cole Bishop, it wasn’t all pretty. Missed tackles, penalties, and miscues on defense allowed the Saints to keep the game way too close for comfort.
Bills’ captain and linebacker Terrel Bernard spoke after the game about how the team needs to clean up the missed tackles.
“Especially in the run game [ . . . ] it’s missed tackles, it’s guys staying in the gaps and doing their jobs,” Bernard said. “That’s correctable.”
Buffalo needs to get better, with plenty of time to do so
After the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared, one stat from the game should give the Bills Mafia cause for concern. According to Next Gen Stats, the Bills allowed 165 rushing yards after contact, which was the third-most by a team in a game since at least 2018.
The Saints finished the day with 189 total rushing yards, which means the team only allowed 24 yards while making the first tackle. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed, and quickly. Buffalo has allowed at least 100 rushing yards in each game of the season, with two of the four games allowing more than 180 rushing yards. Only the Chicago Bears have allowed more rushing yards this season, with 658 compared to Buffalo’s 657.
Luckily, help is on the way for Buffalo. While it doesn’t erase what teams have been able to do to the Bills through the ground game through four weeks, it should give the fanbase hope for the future.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano were unable to compete in the Week 4 contest, and their impact on the game cannot be overstated. It’s not just that, though, as Buffalo will be bringing back defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to the mix, who are currently serving a six-game suspension to start the 2025 season.
Buffalo desperately needs to find a way to counter their opponents’ rushing attack. Still undefeated on the season, but still with plenty to clean up.
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