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Buffalo Sports News

Buffalo Bills Coaches, Players Under Most Pressure vs. Lions

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Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills arrive to a Game of the Year candidate against the Detroit Lions facing a lot of questions after last week’s miserable defensive performance in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. How they respond to the challenge will say a lot about the AFC’s contender’s true upside.

Quarterback Josh Allen is putting together an MVP-level season—he should win the league’s top individual honor barring a complete meltdown over the final four weeks—and two of his main targets, wide receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid, should return from injuries this week. So, the Bills offense isn’t much of a concern.

The defense is a different story, however, and facing a high-powered Lions attack is another litmus test to see if the unit made any progress since last week’s debacle. The answer will come Sunday with Buffalo and Detroit set for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.

Buffalo Bills Facing Pressure vs. Detroit Lions

1. HC Sean McDermott and DC Bobby Babich

The Bills defense put up zero resistance against the Rams. It gave up 44 points, 457 total yards and allowed L.A. to hold the ball for over 38 minutes. Allen and Co. put up 42 points in just 21 minutes of possession, an amazing production rate, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the upset.

In addition, that defensive performance looks even worse after the San Francisco 49ers held the Rams to 12 points (all field goals) on Thursday night. Yes, that was a divisional matchup on a short week, but it nevertheless raises even more alarms about Buffalo’s showing last week.

It’s a shared responsibility between McDermott, who’s still heavily involved in the defensive game planning, and Babich, the first-year play-caller on that side of the ball. The unwillingness to move away from zone coverage is a hallmark of the McDermott era in Buffalo.

“I think the No. 1 thing that has worked for me in the past, because we all have those days, right, is to go back and reteach the basics,” McDermott told reporters. “Go back and reteach the fundamentals. Go back and reteach the standards. I think that’s a good place to start.”

It doesn’t help that injuries are beginning to mount defensively. Cornerback Rasul Douglas has been ruled out of Sunday’s game with a knee injury. Safeties Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) and Damar Hamlin (back/ribs) along with defensive ends Dawuane Smoot (wrist) and DE Casey Toohill (ribs) are all questionable.

Ultimately, the Bills have remained confident in their baseline plan: a two-high shell that allows opponents to move the ball, but clamps down in the red zone and forces timely turnovers. Losses to the Rams and Baltimore Ravens showed how the approach can go completely awry when the turnovers don’t arrive, though.

McDermott and Babich must scheme up more ways to get pressure on the opposing quarterback so the unit doesn’t fall apart when forced into more man coverage looks.

2. DE Von Miller

Miller opened the season with sacks in three straight games. It raised hopes the 35-year-old edge-rusher could produce a bounce-back season. That’s what the Bills were banking on after he was one of the NFL’s worst players in 2023 after returning from a torn ACL.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, the eight-time Pro Bowl selection has done virtually nothing since that initial surge. He’s recorded just seven total tackles and one sack in his last six appearances, which were sandwiched around a four-game suspension. He was even successfully blocked by Rams wideout Cooper Kupp last week:

It’s a tricky situation. The Bills desperately need more production off the edge. That’s why they continue to run Miller out there. Alas, he’s a non-factor against the run at this stage of his career. If he’s not racking up sacks his presence actually hurts the defense.

Buffalo doesn’t have many alternative options, though. That’s especially true as Smoot and Toohill both deal with injuries. Rookie Javon Solomon has flashed intriguing potential. Yet, the staff hasn’t shown a willingness to put him in a prominent role quiet yet.

As a result, Miller will continue to see around 40 percent of the defensive snaps. The Bills need the future Hall of Famer to start making a far greater impact. Otherwise, the lack of a consistent pass rush will continue to haunt the defense.

3. LB Matt Milano

Nobody expected Milano to make his usual high-end impact immediately upon his return. His Week 13 appearance against the Niners marked his first game in nearly 14 months. It’s always going to take a bit for a player to get back up to speed with the game.

That said, the Bills are running out of time. Dorian Williams, Milano’s replacement alongside Terrel Bernard, was having a solid season. His 98 total tackles still lead the team despite moving into a reserve role the past two contests.

The Bills are likely going to stick with Milano for most of the stretch run. The question is if they reach Week 18 and the All-Pro linebacker is still a step or two behind, does Buffalo switch back to Williams for the regular-season finale to prepare him to start in the playoffs?

McDermott and Babich may not have much choice. Pro Football Focus has given Milano an awful 35.8 overall grade through two games. That’s a fair assessment. Each passing week without improvement would suggest he may not return to peak form until 2025.

Milano will have no shortage of opportunities to make plays Sunday against the Lions’ punishing ground game. The tape will be far more important than his numbers in the box score. Showing a vast improvement in game speed is paramount.

Main Image: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports

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