Jim Leonhard is flat-out done with excuses for the Buffalo Bills defense, man. Five weeks into the season, this new-look unit is still giving up way too many points and yards, struggling hard on fourth downs, and their first-year defensive coordinator has had enough. He laid it all out there, saying, “It’s time to be good at something, and that’s our struggles right now. It’s too inconsistent to pretend that we’re building and working and making improvements. Everything’s being evaluated.”
No More Excuses: Leonhard Fires a Shot
Leonhard, dude, he’s keeping faith in his players, but his patience is clearly running thin. He basically warned everyone that the next step could totally involve some serious roster changes. “This is professional football. If we don’t feel like the answers are there then, yeah, then there gets to be some big conversations,” he stated. This whole situation blew up after Tuesday’s Zoom conference call, just a day after quarterback Josh Allen had to play absolute Superman, bailing out the defense in a wild 37-34 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams. Leonhard was quick to thank Allen for that superhuman effort, but he made it clear: relying on the offense to carry the load every single time is not a recipe for success. “It has to change. It has to get better,” he emphasized. “We plan on being in a lot of big games, and it’s our job as a defense to go close them out for wins.”
The Numbers Are Brutal, And Everyone’s Feeling It
While going up against the Rams’ high-octane offense is always tough, Leonhard said that doesn’t excuse the constant, ongoing problems that keep cropping up. And when you look at the stats, it’s pretty grim. The Bills allowed a whopping 33 first downs against LA, which matches the most their defense has surrendered since way back in 1991. They’ve given up 20 or more first downs in every single one of their five games so far, which is already one shy of their total from all of last season.
The secondary, which got reshuffled, is dealing with major coverage and communication issues. They let Matthew Stafford shred them for 383 passing yards. Seriously, they’ve allowed 250 or more passing yards four times already this year, which is twice as many as last year. And fourth-down stops? Forget about it. Buffalo has allowed opponents to convert 8 of 9 attempts, with the Rams going 2-for-2 themselves. This inability to get off the field isn’t just stats; it’s exhausting this unit. They’re giving up the third-most yards per outing in the NFL, at 389, and the fifth-most points with 141. They’ve played 350 snaps, which is the second most behind Detroit. Leonhard said it himself: “You play that many snaps, it’s hard to sustain.” He also noted they played 78 snaps on Monday, the most by Buffalo since 2023. He’s owning up too, saying, “I have to be more aggressive in helping us get off the field in some situations to help these guys not get to that fourth quarter and be burned out.” He took over after Sean McDermott got fired, anticipating more from a unit switching to a 3-4 system with four new starters, and while injuries have played a role, the weak spot has been a real problem.
The Bills are 4-1 right now, but this defense is clearly a ticking time bomb. They’re still down in Southern California, prepping to head to Las Vegas to face the Raiders, who are 3-2, this Sunday. Sunday’s game against the Raiders isn’t just another road trip; it’s a test for this defense. Can they finally show us they’re “good at something” before Leonhard has to start making those “big conversations” about who stays and who goes? We’ll find out soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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