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Is the Buffalo Bills' Defense Cooked? Reviewing BUF's win over Rams, previewing Bills-Raiders · Alex Brasky: Unfiltered

• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, everybody, and welcome back by Popular Demand.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: This is Alex Brasky Unfiltered, your first stop for raw, honest takes on the Buffalo Bills and more.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Please like, share, rate, and subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a comment on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: All right, what a win for the Buffalo Bills, 37 to 31 over the Los Angeles Rams, bringing you my belated takeaways from the Bills victory as they stay out west leading into their week six matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: I believe it's the first time they've had this extended road trip in the Josh Allen era.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: So a season full of change, another change for the Bills as they stay over on the West Coast leading into that game against Las Vegas.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: But before we look ahead to this week's matchup, let's first take a look back on what occurred in that victory for the Bills over the Rams.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: And it was really a win that the Bills stole from Los Angeles.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: The defense did not perform well.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: The passing game, a lot of questions there.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Two big concerns that we'll get to a little bit later in the podcast.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: But the big play in the game made by Greg Rousseau really allowed the Bills to absorb what was a late surge from the Los Angeles Rams and do what they needed to do to come away with this win.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: A Tyler Bass field goal winning it for Buffalo.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: Bass now nine for nine on his field goals this season.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: A great start to the season for him.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_01: But this one obviously comes down to the Rousseau blocked field goal.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been widely discussed how phenomenal Rousseau has been on the defensive side of the ball this year.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Six sacks.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: He's second in the NFL behind the Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Strip sacks, winning games for the Bills.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: And he wins another one for them, basically, in this one.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: His second block field goal in as many seasons.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: If you remember last year, he had that block kick against the Atlanta Falcons.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: So not only is Rousseau doing it defensively, he's now doing it on the special team side of things and did enough to earn himself special teams player of the week in the AFC for week five.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been amazing to watch Greg Rousseau's transformation into kind of a ho-hum first-round pick, now a butting superstar that is considered one of the best defensive players in the league this season.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I think he's got to be up there in the defensive player of the year conversation.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: I've said it time and again.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: And now, like I said, bringing his talents to the special teams faves.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: So it goes without saying how important Greg Rousseau has been to this team.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it's really as drastic as if you didn't have Greg Rousseau this season, the Bills might be two and three, one and four, something along those lines.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: This guy has saved them games, and it's just been incredible to watch what he's done in this new era of Bills football.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: But as good as Greg Rousseau looked in this game, especially with that blocked field goal, James Cook, a big concern lingering with his fumble issues that he's had dating back really uh the start of last season is when they started to take on a life of their own.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: 11 fumbles for Cook since the start of the 2025 campaign, nine fumbles in his last 13 games.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: Those 11 fumbles are five more than the next closest back, that according to Bill Barnwell.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: So five more than the second leading fumbler in the NFL since the start of 2025.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's just simply something that can't be excused with James Cook.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: And you heard Joe Brady talk about it earlier this week, saying if he doesn't get things together in that regard, his carries are going to decrease.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just what you're going to have to do is despite James Cook leading the league in rushing last season and how important he is to this Bills offense, if he's going to put the ball on the turf time and time again, you just can't trust him.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: And it came down to the Greg Rousseau fortunate block field goal at the end.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: And the Rams kicker, who's since been released, kind of kicked it a mile to the left, right into Rousseau's waiting arms.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: So the Bills kind of gifted a block field goal in that sense.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: But James Cook could have lost you this game, and he could have lost you the week one matchup against the Houston Texans if it weren't for Osiris Torrance leaping on that loose ball that James Cook fumbled in that game.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: So as good as James Cook is, he needs to be better with his ball security.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you hear Josh Allen and Joe Brady and everybody say that he knows this, but he's known this for a long time.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: So when is it going to change?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: When is James Cook going to be able to hang on to the ball?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: And when can you rely on him as a trustworthy piece of your offense?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: He's fourth in the league in rushing EPA at plus 5.5.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: He's third in the league in yards rushing, but he is really the league leader dating back to last season in terms of those fumbles.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: So he has to get this fixed.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it's only a matter of time before the Bills are costed a big game by James Cook's fumbles.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: And you just have to hope that he gets it corrected before the playoffs, or the Bills get lucky and none of those fumbles happen in big games down the stretch, whether it be to secure a divisional title, to secure a number one seed, or to secure a playoff victory.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: So big time concerns for James Cook in this game.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Could have lost the Bills, the matchup with the Rams, but uh Greg Rousseau comes in, saves the day at the end.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: And also Josh Allen doing whatever it takes to win this ball game.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: James Cook had a really, really good day outside of the fumbling, 25 carries, 111 yards.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: That's an average of 4.4 yards per carry, a couple of touchdowns for Cook.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: But like Joe Brady said earlier this week, as good as he's playing, all the positive is being negated by those fumbles, and you just can't have it moving forward.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: But back to Josh Allen, 331 yards of total offense, a couple of touchdowns for him, a questionable interception that many are terming an arm punt down the field late in the first half.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: It almost gave the Rams a chance to add points at the end of the half, but they were unable to do so.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: Allen did, like I said, did whatever he had to do in this game.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: You saw him pull the ball down and run the most yards rushing since his rookie season, 10 carries, 121 yards, and a touchdown for Allen.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: It was the first time in his career where the Bills won a game where he went for over 100 yards rushing.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: And it was also Allen's first overtime victory this one against the Rams.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: So another, I don't know, I termed it an MVP level performance.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if it was MVP level, but it was MVP caliber because Allen, when the passing game wasn't working for the Bills, they were without DJ Moore in this game.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: And you saw the effects of that.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills only completed 12 passes.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Their leading pass catcher outside of Ty Johnson had seven yards at the end of regulation.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: So it was really a slog in the passing game.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: But this is what Josh Allen does.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: He does whatever it takes.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: He can pull the ball down and run and run over defenders on his way to the end zone.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I don't know if it was MVP level, but it was certainly MVP caliber from Josh Allen.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: And as good and positive of takeaways as I have from Josh Allen's performance, in terms of the passing game, it's not working right now.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: DJ Moore has been banged up the past few weeks.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: He was out in this game, and you saw the Bills take a step back each time that he goes out this year.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Dalton Kincaid is not the same player with DJ Moore out of the lineup.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: And really, none of the Bills' wide receivers or passing game for that matter is the same.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's a big concern.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: Dating back to last season, the Bills had trouble gaining separation down the field, getting open for Josh Allen.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: And since Moore has been in and out of the lineup, that has simply been the case for the Bills pass catchers that had just have not done a good enough job presenting themselves for Allen, presenting themselves, excuse me, for Allen down the field.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: So it's going to be interesting to see if Moore's out this week against the Raiders, if the Bills can find any semblance of rhythm in the passing game, because if not, that's going to be an ongoing concern for this group.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: As well as Allen has played at times this year, and as much as he can pull the ball down, run, and do whatever it takes to win games, if you're going to win a Super Bowl and contend for that number one seed in the AFC, not necessarily in that order, you need this passing game to be better.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: You need Josh Allen to complete more than 12 passes and throw for more than the 60 yards that he did in the first half.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: So just not good enough from the passing game, but when it comes to Josh Allen, just another performance where you say this is the best player in the NFL.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: And the last eight games where the Bills defense has allowed 31 plus points, Josh Allen is 8-0, while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 1-7.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that's got to be music to Bills fans' ears.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's been obviously Mahomes a little bit of a down year and he got hurt last year, but it's been several months and dating back to last year that Josh Allen, far and away the better quarterback from Patrick Mahomes and really the best player in the league, bar none, despite trailing Brock Purdy, I believe, in terms of being an MVP favorite entering week six.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: But that could be a product just based on Allen's decreased passing yardage and his tendency to turn the ball over these past few weeks.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: But he's got a long way to go to usurp and work his way ahead of Brock Purdy by season's end.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: But along with the wide receivers, another concern with the passing game, the tight ends, specifically Dalton Kincaid.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: Dalton Kincaid's targets in week one, six.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Dalton Kincaid's targets in week two, eight.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: So 14 targets through two weeks.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: That was great to see for Kincaid, and it's been great to see him stay healthy as well.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: But the past three games, he's totaled just seven targets to each in weeks four and five.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's not enough for one of the Bills' top pass catchers.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: He's dynamic down the field.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: He's efficient when you get him the ball.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: And you hear Josh Allen and Joe Brady comment on they need to get Dalton Kincaid the ball more?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it needs to start happening because this offense, when you're without DJ Moore, you need to turn to Dalton Kincaid as kind of your engine in the passing game.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that just has not happened these past two or so weeks.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: And it leads me to kind of wonder well, Kincaid has been off of the injury report this year.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: Could he be hiding some sort of lingering ailment that is causing the Bills to withhold ample targets from him in hopes of getting him to the finish line at the end of the regular season?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have any sourced information on that.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: There's nothing I've seen, but with his targets do taking a nosedive after those first two weeks, it just leads me to believe that there might be something going on with Kincaid behind closed doors.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, defenses are doing whatever they can to limit him and not allow him to go off of the Bills offense.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, a player of his quality should be able to get the ball more than he has the past few weeks.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: Just one reception in this game against the Rams for seven yards.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: So not enough for Dalton Kincaid.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: And really the tight end group as a whole was pissed poor in this game.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Jackson Hawes, three penalties, Dawson Knox, a drop touchdown in the end zone.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know why the Bills are targeting Dawson Knox deep down the field in the end zone and not Dalton Kincaid, but that's a question for another day.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: At the end of the day, Dalton Kincaid needs more targets.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: He needs more receptions, or this Bill's passing game will never reach its full efficacy.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: And the last note on the passing game, not much for Skylar Bell in this game.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: His rookie debut, two targets, no catches.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: I thought, particularly with DJ Moore out of the lineup, that he might see some more action, but just nobody able to get open down the field.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Josh Allen, not able to find anybody.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: So a slow debut for Skylar Bell in this game.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: All right, let's flip over to the defensive side of the ball.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: But before we do so, please like, share, rate, and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
• 12:51
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• 12:53
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• 12:55
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• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: We've kind of settled into a groove here on the one episode per week track.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's working for me and my schedule.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe we'll try to add some episodes down the down the road here.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: But we're trying to grow this thing slowly and from the ground up, and it would really be much appreciated and do a great service to the show and myself for that matter, if you gave us a like, share, rate, subscription, and also share it with your friends and family via text message, word of mouth.
• 13:26
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• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: All right, let's discuss the major concerns for the Bills on the defensive side of the ball.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: And they all start with Jim Leonard.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: I was high on him as the Bills' new defensive coordinator, who's supposed to come in and save the defense, but he's really been a flat-out disaster for this team.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills' defense is worse than it was a season ago.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: I believe they're the worst defense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: We'll take a look at that when we're able to.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: The Pages is not loading right now, but Leonard has been a disappointment for the Bills.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: There's really no way around it.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: He and his unit have to be better, and the Bills have to get things together, or they're really going to struggle against these top-notch offenses.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: They did a great job in the first half holding the Rams to seven points.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: I was kind of back and forth throughout that first half against Los Angeles.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: Was it a good performance?
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: Wasn't it a good performance?
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: But uh the second half took any question that I had away, as the second half was just really putrid for the Bills in this one.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: And in the end, they give up 34 points to the Rams.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: That's the most allowed by the Bills defense all season.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it comes down to Leonard just not being aggressive enough.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: He came in here, was supposed to instill that attack style mentality for the Bills, and he just has not done enough blitzing, not enough press coverage.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills sitting back in this game, even on third and sometimes fourth downs, allowing completions in front of them in fear of allowing the big play over the top.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: So uh Jim Leonard really has a lot of work to do and has his work cut out for him with the bye coming up.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: He has some time to do so.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: But he said earlier this week that changes are coming to the Bills' defense, and I think that's exactly what needs to happen for this group.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the biggest problems, I think they're coming up empty at the biggest times in this game in these games.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Look at last week against the New England Patriots, the first drive of the game, the start of the second half, the game-winning drive, all touchdown drives for New England.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: This game against the Rams, a good first half, but they were gashed in the second half, and particularly in fourth quarter and overtime.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: And you look at the start of the second half, also the game, well, potentially game-winning drive for the Rams.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: They just moved down the field with ease, the game-tying drive for the Rams.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: So the Bills defense letting down and letting down in key spots, it's just not been good for Jim Leonard and his group.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: So a little bit back to the drawing board for them and the defense.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really if the pass rush doesn't get home for the Bills defense, the secondary is just simply toast.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: You had Maxwell Harrison benched in this game for Davison Igbenosen, despite Joe Brady claiming that Maxwell Harrison was still the starter.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: So just flat out lying to the media, something that he's making a cottage industry in doing.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's going to come back to bite Brady straight in the ass.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: But IGB 69 snaps to Maxwell Harrison's 17 snaps in this game.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: And let's be honest, it didn't really do the Bills' pass defense much of a service.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: Igbenoson was targeted nine times in this game.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: He was up and down.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: He allowed five receptions, 32 yards, and a touchdown.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: Harrison targeted just once, gave up a four-yard reception.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: But the biggest concern for the Bills secondary in this game, and dating back to the start of the season, has been their top cornerback, Christian Benford.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: He returned from a toe injury in this game and allowed eight receptions for 53 yards when he was targeted nine times in coverage.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: So Benford seemed to be turning into that matchup cornerback these past few seasons, but has not been the case to start this year and allowed another big game to opposing pass catchers in this one.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: And you look at the Bills' safeties, Cole Bishop and CJ Gardner Johnson combined to allow eight receptions on 10 targets, and those went for 104 yards and a touchdown.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: Those numbers courtesy of next gen stats.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: Bishop also was called for a pass interference penalty that led to the Rams' first touchdown of the second half.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: So the entire secondary really struggling here.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: You had CJ Gardner Johnson's big play against the Chargers to help the Bills win the game.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: He hasn't been a big free agent addition outside of that play.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look in front of the secondary in terms of the Bills linebackers, Joe Brady in complete denial with their play through five weeks, says he loves the way they're playing.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Terrell Bernard's flying around.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: He doubled down in those comments today when he was asked by it by reporters.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Bernard was targeted seven times in this game.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: He allowed five receptions for 52 yards.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then Dorian Williams, two receptions, 39 yards, and a touchdown when targeted three times.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: So no matter where you look in the back end of this Bills defense, they are just getting torched in pass coverage.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: And whether it be the linebackers, the cornerbacks, or the safeties, there needs to be either a different message provided by Jim Leonard, some new personnel fit into the starting lineup.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: Something needs to happen with this group, or else they're going to give up 500 yards passing to Patrick Mahomes and company when the Bills square off with the Chiefs in holiday time later this season.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: You have Shaq Thompson on the practice squad.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: He was asked, Joe Brady, that is about him today.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't seem ready to pull the trigger on putting the veteran into the lineup anytime soon.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: But hey, then again, he completely lied about Maxwell Harrison.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we might see Shaq Thompson out there this week.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have Trey White, who remains a free agent.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you want to bring in an aging player in a new defensive system at this stage of the season, but as bad as Harrison, IGB, and Christian Benford have been this season, it can't get any worse.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: And the Bills aren't playing a boatload of man coverage.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: So that was the concern with White to begin with.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: If they're going to be playing zone coverage, bring in White, at least light a fire under these other cornerbacks' ass because they've been playing like dog shit to start the season.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: And the Bills' secondary has to be one of the worst in the NFL.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: I can't bring up the stats here.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: I had it loaded and the page must have refreshed here.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: Let's see if I can do it.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: The page refreshed and it logged me out.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I was having trouble logging in a second ago.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: I don't like to have dead air on these podcasts when I'm logging into something or doing this, that, or the other thing.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: And nowadays you need like 18 different things to log in to an account online.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: You need a password, a pass key, a verification number.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's it's really incredible.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: I'm logging on to NFL Plus, and they're treating it like I'm logging into my Fort Knox account.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't understand what they're trying to protect here.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe my payment information.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: I guess that's what they're trying to protect.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, let's go back to the Bills pass defense.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Just really atrocious to start this season, and we'll pull up the numbers as soon as NFL Pro wants to load here.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of EPA per play, passing wise, the Bills are the fifth worst defense in the league, allowing plus zero point one six EPA per pass.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: So the secondary, the linebackers, it's all been bad.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: And when the Bills pass rush isn't at their best, it's really a flat out disaster for this Buffalo.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: Bill's defense.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: But one positive note, or I'll say two positive notes coming away from this game, the continued positive play of Dwayne Carter.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: He had a sack in this game and a tackle for loss.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: He's really completely uh proven me wrong.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: I said that he wasn't above the replacement level player.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: He's been one of the Bills' best defensive linemen this year.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look at TJ Sanders, another player that I may have been wrong on.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: It was only one game, and really his injuries are my biggest concern and his lack of availability, but he made it a big play on the Rams' two-point attempt, thwarting that opportunity.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: So he has to stay on the field, but he was certainly a bright spot in this game was TJ Sanders.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: But back to the negative side of things, I don't want to be too negative.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: I know everyone thinks that I'm the uh Debbie Downer of the Bills media crew, or whatever you want to call me at this stage, but Joe Brady starting to show signs of inexperience.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: Clock management at the end of the half, end of regulation, and end of game, all a concern, the three biggest spots of the game for a head coach, and he really doesn't.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Deserved probably a failing grade in all three circumstances.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: He did say that he would have rather taken a knee at the end of the game than kick on second down and fail to run out as much time as possible in an effort not to give the Rams a chance to respond after a potentially missed field goal from Tyler Bass in that spot, but nonetheless, Bass able to make that field goal.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: And he went on like this five-minute diatribe, and it looked like he was reading off some notes as he was doing it.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very encouraged with things that I've seen from Joe Brady this year, especially before the Patriots game.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: But these past two weeks have started to turn me the other way, especially this past week against the Rams, the clock management concerns really starting to become an issue here for Joe Brady, and it'll be something to watch moving forward.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: And lastly, injuries starting to mount for this Bills team.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: Spencer Brown dealing with a back injury now.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: He does have a previous history of back injury, so that'll be something to watch.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: He did tell the athletics Joe Biscalia after the Bills walkthrough on Wednesday that he's going to try to suit up and play for Buffalo against the Las Vegas Raiders, but that'll be something to watch as the week goes along.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Tylon Grable took over for Brown in the game against the Rams as the team swing tackle.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: A little bit of an up and down performance.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: I think he performed well in terms of his blocking ability, but he had some issues with penalties that he's going to have to get sorted out moving forward to become a reliable depth piece for this Bills offensive line.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then you look at the defense.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Ed Oliver and D.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: Alford both missed this game.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: Oliver really becoming an injury-prone player.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: I've talked about it previously.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: He missed practice the walkthrough today.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: Alford was replaced in the lineup at times by Anthony Kendall, who was released by the Bills and then picked back up on their practice squad.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: Mike Dano went in and out of the roster during that time, but he's now back on the 53.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: So Alford, Oliver, two key pieces for the Bills defense, need to work their way back into the lineup in order for this group to be at their best.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: And then Landon Jackson, uh really more of a depth beast, hasn't really proven himself at this stage of his career, but he was out in this game as well.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: And then you had Joshua Palmer and DJ Moore both missing.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh didn't lead to much for Skyler Bell, but Keon Coleman found the end zone once again.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: A really great start to the season, continues for Keon Coleman.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: Didn't do much in terms of consistent production in this game, but finding the end zone, a big touchdown for the Bills in this one.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, on the injury front, Christian Benford.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna be concerned with that toe injury throughout the season.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's something that could linger.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: When you play the cornerback position, you have to change direction, use your speed, this, that, or the other thing.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: And that toe injury can really hamper a player when they're trying to keep up with opposing wide receivers.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: All right, that's it on the Bills win over the Rams.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now a quick look ahead to the matchup with the 3-2 Raiders this season.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: The Raiders started 3-0.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: They sustained two straight losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots uh this past week against the Patriots, a blowout loss at the hands of New England.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: But Clint Kubiak, my first pick for the Bills head coach this offseason, I was disappointed when the Bills uh didn't hire him and the Raiders hired him.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: But in his first year, he's really doing a great job.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: The Raiders averaging 26.4 points per game, the ninth most in the NFL.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: The defense hasn't really been able to live up to their end of the bargain, allowing 25.8 points per game.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: But I don't think anybody expected three and two out of the Raiders after five weeks, and Kubiak guiding them to a quality record.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: Ashton Genty, the Raiders running back.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: There were some rumors that he wouldn't play against the Bills, and Kubiak would elect to rest him, but the Raiders head coach did come out and say that Genty will in fact play in this game, despite those rumors.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: He's got 88 carries, 291 yards, a 3.3 average, no touchdowns on the season.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: He's also a receiving threat, 22 catches, 215 yards, two touchdowns on the season for Genty.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then the biggest concern for the Bills when it comes to the Raiders offense, Brock Bowers, the tight end, in just three games this season, 24 receptions, 312 yards, and three touchdowns.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: With the way the Bills tight ends in secondary is playing right now or are playing right now, Bowers might go off for 20 catches for 300 yards in this game.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: You saw what Puka Nakua did against the Bills.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: 17 receptions, 138 yards, and a touchdown on 24 targets, just feeding their top pass catcher.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh team's top pass catchers have really torched the Bills this season.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: Started with Nico Collins in week one and really has continued throughout this season.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_01: The Bills did a decent job against the run against the Rams, limiting their vaunted attack to 3.3 yards per carry.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: They'll hope to do the same against Genty and the Raiders this week.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_01: On the defensive side of the ball for Las Vegas, the big piece is Max Crosby, the pass rusher, two sacks, a 15.7% pressure rate.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's top 20 among defensive linemen this year.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: Might not be in the top five like he typically is year in and year out, but still Max Crosby, someone that, like Josh Allen said, you have to account for him every snap on offense.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: All right, that's gonna do it for this episode.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to follow along throughout the rest of the season for breaking news weekly podcasts and much, much more coverage coming on Alex Brasky Unfiltered, both on YouTube and Substack, where I'll be posting my takeaways and more bills coverage moving forward.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Also, please give a like, share, rate, and subscription to the podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms, and subscribe to the Substack page as well.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: Also, follow along with my X account, a lot of good stuff there.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's really my daily coverage machine as it stands right now.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: Things are always uh adjusting and stuff like that in my media landscape.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: So uh looking forward to the rest of the season, looking forward to this week six matchup between the Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: It should be another good one.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: It could be another trap game for the Bills like it almost was against the Chargers, but we'll see if they can be on their P's and Q's and move to five and one entering that much needed bye week.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_01: All right, but that's gonna do it.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Have a great night, everyone.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: Stay true.