NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Buffalo Bill’s fans, have you gotten all your gripes out? Are you still doom and gloom about the state of the Buffalo Bills? I understand everyone’s sentiments and where Buffalo is as a team, but there may have been an overreaction to the team’s current state.
The trade deadline is tricky because a lot of people play Madden, and that’s not how the NFL works. You need the other team to accept the terms, and Buffalo cannot afford to overpay for a player with our cap issues and limited draft picks. Buffalo’s defense still needs reinforcements, and a long-term wide receiver is important. Let’s take a look at what may be Buffalo’s fans’ biggest questions after the trade deadline ended:
Is Buffalo a championship team?
Yes. Buffalo is a championship team. Say what you want about Brandon Beane, but his offseason and strategy look promising and are taking steps forward, instead of backward. The defensive line has looked great in the investments Buffalo has made.
The identity of the defense is now to be quick and fast in coverage, and powerful on the defensive line. Max Hairston and Jordan Hancock are changing the dynamics of the defensive back room. Deone Walker and Joey Bosa bring size and power to the defensive line that Buffalo has not had in a while. When Buffalo had Von Miller, it was more about elusive pass-rush moves, with Greg Rousseau containing and cleaning up sacks when he could. This defensive line is pushing back the offensive line and compressing the pocket too quickly for quarterbacks to complete their reads.
Jackson Hawes has incredibly evolved our offense. Last year, Buffalo and Baltimore were the only teams using six offensive linemen on rushing plays. This year, the strategy has exponentially grown, and many more teams are using it. Buffalo drafted the top blocking tight end in possibly the last three or four drafts. Now, Buffalo is running the ball out of 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE) with Jackson Hawes, who can run routes. It was such a beautiful move that I do not think it will ever get the attention it deserves.
So, what’s the issue?
Well, the Buffalo Bills roster has now been hammered with some brutal injuries, and the team seems relatively fragile. Ed Oliver and Michael Hoecht on season-ending IR changes the dynamics of the defensive line, but it is not an overhaul to fix it.
Javon Solomon, Dorian Williams, Landon Jackson, and TJ Sanders will need to step it up in the final half of the year and the postseason if Buffalo wants to keep their defensive line identity. Javon Solomon and Dorian Williams should rotate into Michael Hoecht’s role as a NASCAR package pass-rusher from the linebacker position. Landon Jackson will be the last rotational edge to learn and contribute as the year goes along.
Buffalo traded up for TJ Sanders in the second round because he was such a “Bills-esque” defensive lineman. TJ Sanders will need to step into Ed Oliver’s role and be adequate and impactful once he comes back from injury reserve. When you put that much capital into a player, you should see some return on investment immediately, in my personal opinion.
There needs to be a perfect storm of health and development for this defense not to revert to typical Buffalo defense in the postseason. Buffalo can have a top 10 defense on paper in the regular season, only to allow an average of 30+ points per game in the playoffs. There is no world where Buffalo can let that happen again.
The AFC did not make many moves, either.
The only big move that Buffalo can look at that really affects them at all was the Sauce Gardner trade. Sauce Gardner was traded to the Colts, and the Colts paid a pretty penny. They sent the Jets two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell. The Colts’ issue is, can Daniel Jones win playoff games? I am skeptical that he could outduel Josh Allen.
The biggest AFC teams that also did not follow suit with Buffalo were Kansas City and New England. Buffalo just handled Kansas City pretty convincingly last week, and Kansas City’s flaws were certainly out there to observe. Kansas City has an offensive line and running back problem, and it did not address either at the deadline. Kansas City is not even in the playoff picture yet!
New England was reported to go after a running back and/or wide receiver at the deadline, and they did not go after either. Buffalo has one more matchup against New England, and that could sway the AFC East in its entirety.
Can the offense be good enough in the postseason?
That is something I do not know. Buffalo has a wide receiver problem. There is no clear natural separator in our wide receiver room, and Dalton Kincaid is likely the top pass catcher in the group.
There are some positives to look at on the offense. James Cook is the second-best running back in the league this year, rushing better than Christian McCaffrey (Just for 2025 ONLY, chill), Saquon Barkley, and Derrick Henry. Buffalo has a top 2 offensive line, and we still have Josh Allen.
Joe Brady opened up his playbook against Kansas City, and the offense looked the best it has this year. Does that mean it can replicate week after week, especially in the postseason? I think Buffalo’s foundation of offensive line, James Cook, and Josh Allen can still score 30 points constantly in the playoffs, but everyone needs to be healthy.
My overall feeling about the rest of Buffalo’s year is that there needs to be a lot going right to win a championship. The AFC is wide open, which is a positive for us. Having Josh Allen go up against Denver, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, or New England in the playoffs does not scare me much, because our experience and/or talent outweighs each team by a sizeable margin (Pittsburgh is predicated on talent).
If Buffalo cannot get healthy and stay healthy, I do not see a championship this season. Since Buffalo did not acquire a wide receiver at the deadline, one injury to Shakir, Palmer, or Cook late in the year will ripple through the whole offense and will become a disaster. If Cole Bishop, Christian Benford, Max Hairston, Greg Rousseau, Deone Walker, or Joey Bosa go down, the same ripple will ensue, attempting a championship run.
There are a lot of Buffalo fans who want Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane gone, and that is an overreaction, but there is a time to have the conversation. To me, the line is drawn to analyze the state of Buffalo in August next year.
If Buffalo does not make it to the Super Bowl this year, then Brandon Beane should make a push this offseason for big-name trades and get a big-time wide receiver to complement the wide receiver room Buffalo has now.
2026 should be a big year for Buffalo. The Bills will be playing in a brand new stadium, and the excitement will be high. Terry Pegula will see insane profits in 2026, with every game selling out, everyone buying new merchandise, and spending heavily inside the stadium. Businesses will overpay for suites, and people will make it a destination.
If Buffalo does not reach the Super Bowl this year or next, Buffalo fans will get very riled up, and impatience will kick in tenfold. That is when I believe Buffalo fans will soon begin to boycott more than ever. Suppose Terry Pegula sees a significant drop in ticket and overall sales from year one to year two of the new stadium. In that case, he will find a new general manager to ensure he recoups all the money he spent on the new stadium.
As always, Go Bills.
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