The Buffalo Bills currently hold a 6-3 record and are in possession of a wildcard spot entering Week 11.
Running back James Cook is second in the NFL in total rushing yards with 920, and quarterback Josh Allen is also tied for second in the league in total touchdowns with 22 through nine games, trailing only Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford’s 25 scores.
All good things, right?
Right.
So…why does everything feel terrible?
The list of reasons why is anything but short.
Buffalo has struggled since the beginning of the season on both sides of the ball, and neither the offense nor the defense can seem to play complementary football for one another when their respective side is called upon.
The only thing consistent about this current iteration of the Bills is their injury woes.
Outside of that, the 2025 season has been about as inconsistent as they come, especially compared to the rest of head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure in Western New York.
Following two straight victories coming out of their bye week, which included a somewhat convincing win over the Kansas City Chiefs, it appeared that McDermott and company had alleviated most of the issues that plagued the team in its losses against Atlanta and New England.
Then, last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins (3-7 OVR, 2-2 AFCE) happened.
The Bills, for whatever reason, looked like the team that had just fired their GM and traded away a key young player on defense, not the other way around.
The concern surrounding the Bills’ receiving corps’ ability to create separation only grew larger, the defense’s depth at all levels continues to be tested, and the look on Allen’s face in his postgame press conference down in Miami told the story of where Buffalo is at heading into the second half of the season — a group of players and coaches still searching for answers.
It’s not a place where a team with Super Bowl aspirations wants to find itself heading into the middle of November, and the Bills will need to quickly get their questions answered before it’s too late.
With the Patriots (9-2 OVR, 3-0 AFCE) surging atop the AFC standings and teams like the Baltimore Ravens (4-5 OVR, 1-0 AFCN), Houston Texans (4-5 AFCN, 2-1 AFCS), and Chiefs (5-4 OVR, 1-1 AFCW) lurking just below the wildcard spots, there is little room for error the rest of the way for Buffalo.
The team can’t be focused about outside threats or what lies ahead in the future and instead must stay in the present moment in order to put their best foot forward on game days.
“It’s really about our day-to-day, and how we approach and attack today,” Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott said when speaking to the media on Wednesday.
“I’m looking forward to the energy. I’m looking forward to seeing us establish that collective mindset as we go into this week.”
Despite the disappointing loss to the Dolphins, there is still theoretically a chance for the Bills to obtain all of the goals they set out for themselves at the beginning of the season, and one reason for optimism is the current trend of the injury report for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3 OVR, 2-0 NFCS).
Wide receiver Joshua Palmer appears to be back after exiting the game early against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 and subsequently missing the next three games, while linebacker Shaq Thompson and defensive end A.J. Epenesa also appear set to return to action after missing games in the previous weeks, as well. Even rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders may return to action after being put on IR at the beginning of October.
In addition to getting familiar faces back onto the practice field, the Bills also welcomed new additions to the practice squad this week in wide receiver Mecole Hardman and defensive end Morgan Fox.
Both players figure to find playing time early on in their tenure with the team as Buffalo hopes Hardman can add a much-needed speed element on offense and in the return game, while Fox may be able to find a niche role along the defensive line similar to what the Bills had envisioned for Michael Hoecht before his unfortunate achilles injury.
Hardman was on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad before being released on September 23, and Fox hasn’t been on a roster since being released on August 23. So, what either player has left in the tank, so to speak, remains to be seen.
With that said, however, both players are just grateful for the opportunity and are hoping to make a positive impact in whatever role that may be.
“I was just happy for any opportunity. Luckily, (Buffalo) was the opportunity that came about … being a free agent for so long — at that point you just want any opportunity just to get back and play again. So, I’m happy that they called and gave me a chance, an opportunity,” Mecole Hardman said when speaking to the media earlier this week.
“I’m just here for wherever they need me at. Wherever they want me to step up at — I’m just going to give it my best and go out there and do it. If it’s returns or if they want me to get in there (at) receiver — wherever it may be.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup, the Bills will be faced with plenty of challenges on both sides of the ball when quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers come to Highmark Stadium.
Although the team is coming off a recent loss to the Patriots, Tampa Bay currently sits in the fourth spot of the NFC playoff standings heading into the second half of the season.
A major reason — Mayfield has been on point all year long.
The former No. 1 overall pick has tallied 2,192 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 158 rushing yards, and just four interceptions through nine games despite being without many of his weapons throughout various points this season as receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka, as well as running back Bucky Irving, have all been injured from time to time this year.
Egbuka leads Tampa Bay in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 677 yards and six touchdowns, respectively, while running back Rachaad White is the team’s leading rusher with 325 yards on the ground.
As for their defense, the Buccaneers rank 20th in total team defense with 24 touchdowns surrendered and 334 yards yards allowed per game this season. Through the air, Tampa Bay’s defense ranks 24th at 233.2 yards allowed per game and 13 passing touchdowns given up, while the team is ranked slightly higher against the run at nine rushing touchdowns allowed and 100.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks 11th in the NFL according to FOX Sports.
Needless to say, it will take all hands on deck to come out victorious when Mayfield and company come to town, especially after putting forth such an atrocious effort the week prior against Miami.
And while many fans and media members have turned their backs on Buffalo for the time being, Buffalo’s MVP remains steadfast in the confidence that he has in himself and his teammates.
“This is a really good Buccaneers team that we’re playing on Sunday, and we need to understand that. Again, every week is hard in the NFL. It’s going to take everything that we’ve got each and every given week, and (it’s) no different this week. This is the biggest game that we have all season,” Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen said during his media availability earlier this week.
“We’ve got to be better in the pass game — we know that, I know that. But, I definitely think we’re more than capable of being able to do that.”
The Bills and Buccaneers will take the field for a 1 p.m. ET start time on Sunday in Orchard Park, New York.
Editor’s babble: We are grateful for John Green’s contributions to our blog. You can also find John on Xwitter @JGreen_PRsports.
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