Getty
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 19: Jabrill Peppers #5 of the New England Patriots in action during the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 19, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills pulled off a thrilling victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s season opener, but the come-from-behind win was marred by struggles at all levels of the defense.
Though the defense held on two critical late drives from the Ravens to set the stage for the 41-40 victory, they were gashed by running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Bills already had question marks at safety going into the game, and the performance only deepened questions about whether the team has the proper personnel.
In the midst of the game, some analysts suggested the Bills take a look at a $24 million safety who made a surprise entry to the free-agent market just before the start of the season.
Bills Could Sign Former Rival
The New England Patriots parted ways with safety Jabrill Peppers just before Week 1, giving the Bills a potential option to boost the position. Though the Bills are solid at strong safety with veteran Taylor Rapp, they struggled to land on a starting free safety.
Second-year player Cole Bishop ended up winning the starting job against veteran Damar Hamlin, but both Bishop and Rapp struggled in Sunday’s win over the Ravens. Their performance prompted many to suggest the Bills take a run at Peppers, which was also floated by analyst Kyle Crabbs of AtoZ Sports just before the season started.
“Where are the Bills at with safety this year?” Crabbs wrote. “Cole Bishop is a marquee investment but unproven. The team has tried to marginalize Damar Hamlin and keep him in a special teams role, where he’s best suited to contribute. Taylor Rapp is a sufficient level starter but Buffalo recently added Jordan Poyer to the practice squad for some veteran influence on the room.”
The former first-round pick is coming off a three-year stint with the Patriots and has proven to be a productive defensive back. He has made 511 career tackles and seven interceptions with 35 passes defensed in his eight-year career.
Bills Already Shorthanded on Defense
The Bills have already suffered some losses on defense, even before the season kicked off on Sunday. Shortly after adding defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, the team learned that both would be serving six-game suspensions for violating the league’s rules against performance-enhancing drugs.
The Bills have been hit in the secondary as well, losing first-round rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston to an injury in training camp. The Bills placed Hairston on injured reserve to start the season, but expect him back.
Veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White was also injured before the season and missed the Week 1 game against the Ravens, but head coach Sean McDermott said he has been making strides in his rehab.
McDermott would not say whether White would be ready to play in Week 1 against the New York Jets, but did give some optimism he would be back soon.
“Tre’Davious is improving. We’ll see where that goes over the next couple of days as we head into the week of work. We’ll go from there,” McDermott said.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories
