Buffalo Bills Under Pressure to Fix Run Defense After Bye Week Reset
As the Buffalo Bills return from their bye week, the message inside the locker room is clear: it’s time to fix the run defense — or risk watching the season slip away. The unit’s inconsistency has been a glaring issue through the first half of the year, and with playoff aspirations still alive, the pressure is mounting for a turnaround.
“We’ve had time to rest, regroup, and reset — no more excuses. You can’t win in this league if you can’t stop the run. The locker room knows what’s at stake, and it’s on us to respond with urgency,” one player reportedly said.
Through seven games, Buffalo has ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards allowed per game, surrendering over 150 yards on average. Missed tackles, poor gap discipline, and fatigue up front have plagued the Bills’ defense, putting added strain on Josh Allen and the offense to compensate.
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and head coach Sean McDermott are expected to make schematic tweaks during the bye, including potential lineup shifts to improve physicality in the trenches. The return of key defensive linemen from injury could also provide a much-needed boost as Buffalo looks to reestablish its identity as a tough, disciplined defensive team.
The challenge ahead won’t be easy. The Bills’ upcoming schedule features several run-heavy opponents — a true test of whether the adjustments made during the break will hold up under pressure. For a team built to contend deep into January, defensive consistency has to come first.
With the AFC playoff race tightening, Buffalo can’t afford another lapse in fundamentals. The bye week offered a chance to reset — but from here on out, the Bills’ defense must deliver results, not excuses.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders to Eventually Replace Dillon Gabriel: Report
Dillon Gabriel showed he can play at an NFL level against the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to hold onto the starting job for the rest of the season.
In fact, based on a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Saturday, October 4, just one day before Gabriel made the first start of his career, the Cleveland Browns
Rapoport explained why that’s true, even despite Sanders remaining QB3 behind both Gabriel and Joe Flacco — for now.
“As to why Sanders is not the backup QB on Sunday, there is one specific reason,” Rapoport wrote. The Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there. When he plays, they want him to do so with a game plan that is made for him to thrive. As the backup, if he was forced into action, he’d be running a game plan built for Gabriel, rather than one built to his strengths. Is that fair to Sanders?”
“The expectation is that Sanders will play at some point this season, when he’s ready,” Rapoport continued. “When he does play, it would be with a full week of practice and a game plan built for him.”
Dillon Gabriel Played Solidly Within Simple Game Plan During First NFL Start
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Fair or not, that is Cleveland’s plan. And the team isn’t likely to deviate from Gabriel after just one game.
The Browns also don’t view this as a week-to-week proposition. They’ll let Gabriel go and settle in, getting him operating the offense and playing fast,” Rapoport wrote. “[Gabriel’s] third-round selection was in part due to his 5-foot-11 stature, but on the field, the belief is that won’t matter.”
Gabriel played fairly well Sunday, even if the Browns didn’t ask him to do too much. He completed 19-of-33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He took two sacks and did not turn over the football.
Gabriel didn’t air it out much, completing 10 of his 19 passes to tight ends, including both touchdowns, and another four throws to running backs. Still, Cleveland was in the lead for much of the game, including until 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when the
The Browns ran the football 32 times, creating a much more even split in the offense as opposed to the four weeks when Flacco was under center and averaged
Browns’ Offense Hasn’t Scored 20 Points in a Game This Season With Joe Flacco or Dillon Gabriel as Starting QB
For now, Cleveland can continue to rely on a stout defense and an emerging run game behind rookie
However, with a record of 1-4, the Browns can still look at multiple losses and see clear pathways to which they could have been victories. The offense will need to open up a bit more for wins to happen, as the team still has yet to score 20 points in a game this year.
Cleveland will probably eventually attempt a higher-octane style of offense with Gabriel, though that has to happen sooner than later if the goal is to salvage the season.
It is likely that Sanders will get his chance either once wins and losses aren’t of great concern to the
