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Chiefs face a Bills defense that hasn’t lived up to the hype

By Jordan Mannix

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 13: Jeremy McNichols #28 of the Tennessee Titans runs with the ball while being chased by Cam Lewis #47 of the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium on October 13, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 13: Jeremy McNichols #28 of the Tennessee Titans runs with the ball while being chased by Cam Lewis #47 of the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium on October 13, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders is tackled by cornerback Josh Norman #29 of the Buffalo Bills during the second half of the NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on October 4, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bills defeated the Raiders 30-23. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The units basic production is poor

What about the unit as a whole? Philosophically, a well-built unit should be more effective at something as a group than they each of its parts is individually. In this case, however, it appears that the Bills defensive unit is only as strong as its weakest link.

The Bills rank at or below average in the following categories, with certain categories being among the worst in the league:

  • Points allowed per game – 28.4 – 22nd in the NFL
  • Passing yards allowed per game – 263.2 – 24th in the NFL
  • Yards per pass – 7.1 – 19th in the NFL
  • Opponent Completion % – 68.82% – 24th in the NFL
  • Rushing yards allowed per game – 108.6 – 12th in the NFL
  • Yards per rush – 4.3 – 15th in the NFL
  • Points per play – 0.441 – 24th in the NFL
  • Yards Per Play – 5.8 – 19th in the NFL
  • Red Zone TD% – 71.43% – 26th in the NFL
  • 3rd Down Conversion % Allowed – 50.88% – 30th in the NFL

There are even more stats like these that paint an ugly picture of the Bills defense through five games. It’s even uglier when you consider the early part of their season they played against the hapless New York Jets and the below average Miami Dolphins.

Through two factors, the Bills defense isn’t measuring anywhere close to where they were last season and where national pundits still seem to think they reside. The final piece of the puzzle is to incorporate their basic production with their overall schedule and see if this moves the needle positively or negatively.

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