The Buffalo Bills entered the 2025 season as Super Bowl contenders. After four straight wins, they stumbled with consecutive primetime losses to the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. Coming off a bye in Week 8, the Buffalo Bills look to return to championship form against the Carolina Panthers.
Beating the Carolina Panthers seems inevitable since Buffalo is 8-0 after byes under Sean McDermott. While a win is likely, the defense remains the bigger concern. The unit has underperformed, leaving the offense under too much pressure, leading to a formula for mediocre outcomes.
Buffalo ranks second in pass defense but 31st against the run, allowing opponents to exploit the front seven. Being the NFL’s 15th-ranked defense is unlikely to deliver an AFC title in 2025. The defense must elevate its performance.
Buffalo must improve three key areas to make its defense a reliable unit against top NFL offenses.
Will the Bills Defense Step Up? Three Areas Buffalo Must Fix Now
Depth Along the Buffalo Defensive Front Seven
The Buffalo Bills’ front seven has suffered numerous injuries during the first six games of the 2025 NFL season. While the Bills’ inconsistent play against opponents’ rushing attacks is a symptom of broader issues within their defensive structure, they have definitely made the situation worse for their run defense. Those injuries have limited the playing time of defensive tackles DaQuan Jones and Ed Oliver, linebacker Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard, and backup linebacker Dorian Williams.
The bye week came at a crucial time for Buffalo, as the team needed time off to get healthy at key defensive positions. Along with regaining health, the Bills are adding defensive linemen Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi, who were signed as free agents to strengthen the defensive line. Both players missed the first six games because of PED suspensions in the spring. Now, Buffalo is counting on them to make an immediate impact on defense.
Bad Tackling or Bad Leverage?
A key reason for the Buffalo Bills’ struggles against strong running games this season is missed tackles. Rather than a lack of tackling skill, the core issue is the Bills’ poor awareness of proper leverage against elite runners.
The Bills’ weakness is inconsistent leverage, inside and outside, against dynamic running backs like Bijan Robinson. Box defenders overpursue on perimeter runs, allowing cutbacks and explosive plays. Perimeter players lose outside leverage. For Buffalo to secure victory, every defender must be disciplined and unified in maintaining leverage, both inside and out, on every snap.
Forcing Turnovers: A Recipe that Breeds Success
The defensive weakness the Buffalo Bills have been burned by for the last several seasons has festered. Why have those problems not been fixed coming into the 2025 season? The reason those problems have not been solved is that the Bills’ defense has historically stopped opponents by taking the ball away, forcing fumbles and interceptions.
However, when the Bills faced the top teams in the AFC in the postseason, Buffalo failed to force turnovers. As a result, the defense revealed its weaknesses. While most Bills fans and NFL analysts sound the alarm about defensive issues, it’s actually good that these weaknesses are surfacing now.
If Buffalo wants to overcome its history of mediocre outcomes, the team must make a couple of key adjustments. With these changes, the Bills’ defense could step up and play at a championship level. If these adjustments are made, Buffalo will not only address its current shortcomings but also position itself as a true contender for the championship.
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