The Buffalo Bills are sitting pretty at 5-1 and just climbed into the third spot across the NFL’s consensus power rankings. But don’t let that shiny record fool you. Following their narrow 33-30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, the national media is screaming for improvement, especially on defense, with one major outlet even dropping them two whole spots to ninth despite the win!
Bills Are Winning, But Man, That Defense
Look, the Bills are winning, we get it. They’re 5-1 and just took down the Raiders. Their average ranking in Week 7 shot up from 4.25 to 3.88. Six of eight big-name outlets have them at third overall, and even CBS Sports pegs them at fourth. That’s solid, right? You’d think so. But then you look at USA Today, who just straight up dropped Buffalo to ninth place, and you gotta wonder what they’re seeing.
What gives? Well, the defense, that’s what. Against the Raiders, Buffalo coughed up 30 points and a staggering 313 passing yards, including two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. That’s not a one-off, either. This Bills defense has allowed 30 or more points in four of their six games this season! That’s a serious problem, even if Josh Allen is consistently bailing them out. NFL.com’s Nick Shook acknowledged that Allen keeps overcoming the team’s shortcomings, even as they moved Buffalo up three spots to third. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also moved them up one spot to third, but he didn’t pull any punches, pointing directly to the defense as needing significant improvement. So while they’re winning, it’s clearly not pretty, and the cracks are starting to show big time.
The Chiefs Are Still The Ones To Beat, Seriously
While the Bills navigate their defensive woes, you’ve got to glance at the top of the AFC and see who’s really setting the standard. The Kansas City Chiefs are just humming along, looking like the absolute team to beat in the AFC. They’re sitting undefeated at a perfect 5-0. They’re ranked No. 2 in the NFL consensus rankings and the undisputed No. 1 in the AFC rankings. These guys aren’t just winning, they’re dominating.
Just look at their recent game: a convincing 22-6 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. They held their opponent to a measly six points! That’s the kind of defensive performance that shows you’re a legitimate contender, not just a team winning despite itself. The Chiefs are trending way up, showing everyone what a true top team looks like on both sides of the ball.
The Bills are heading into their Week 7 bye with a lot to think about. At 5-1, they’ve proven they can win, but can they clean up that defense? Until they do, the national media, and smart fans everywhere, will keep questioning if they’re truly one of the NFL’s elite.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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