What's gone wrong for Bills? 2 studs, 6 duds entering Buffalo's bye week

STUD — K Matt Prater

After starting kicker Tyler Bass went down during the preseason, Buffalo turned to the 41-year-old Prater, who immediately paid dividends in his first game with his new team.

It was the grizzled veteran who delivered the game-winning points for the Bills during their Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens, which springboarded Buffalo to four straight wins to start the year.

While the team has taken a step back since that game, Prater has remained consistent as ever, converting on 10 of 11 field goal tries and all 17 of his point-after attempts. He has been a stud, with his reliability creating uncertainty as to whether or not the Bills should bring Bass back after he recovers from hip and groin injuries.

Bass is currently on Injured Reserve, and he may stay there even if he is healthy enough to play due to the success his replacement has experienced.

DUD — QB Josh Allen

No Bills fan will want to hear... err read it. But Allen has been a significant contributing factor to the struggles exhibited by the Bills’ offense, particularly over the past two weeks.

Buffalo’s franchise quarterback started with a sensational performance during a comeback win over the Ravens. But since then, he has been relatively average, especially when comparing his 2025 effort to what he put on display during his 2024 MVP campaign.

Negative plays have plagued Allen and the Bills’ offense, with the QB throwing an interception in three straight games, totaling five turnovers during that stretch.

This past week against the Falcons was his worst game of the year, completing just 57.7% of his passes for 180 yards, a couple of touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked four times during the loss, a season high, with him being at fault for at least two of them.

While the Bills’ talent at the wide receiver position is a significant question mark, and is primarily to blame for the lack of production from the passing game in recent matchups, Allen’s inability to connect with his targets both at the intermediate level and deep downfield, along with his tendency to make negative plays, has severely inhibited the Buffalo passing attack.

He must make corrections moving forward if this group hopes to transform back into its dominant self for the stretch run.

DUD — WR Keon Coleman

Coleman exploded out of the gate with a strong Week 1 performance, recording the second-highest single-game yardage total of his career, finishing with eight receptions for 112 yards receiving. But since his big game, Coleman has totaled just 16 receptions for 125 yards over his next five games.

One of the most concerning aspects of Coleman’s early-season effort has been his inability to create yards after catch.

The second-year wide receiver is not necessarily known for his speed and game-breaking ability, and often runs routes that place him in contested-catch situations, which don’t necessarily present him with a load of opportunities to run away from defensive backs. Still, his average of 1.3 yards after catch per reception this season is about as slim as it gets. In Week 6, Coleman finished the loss to Atlanta with three receptions for seven yards, with an average of minus 0.7 yards after catch per reception.

After a hot start, it’s been a rough go for the Bills’ 2024 second-round pick.

DUD — EDGE Greg Rousseau

The next three members of the list of Bills’ duds this season each had their contracts extended this offseason and have responded by failing to contribute adequately to begin the regular year. And that starts with Rousseau.

Buffalo is now paying Rousseau an average annual value of $20 million per season, and his statistics to begin the 2025 campaign have not backed up his substantial pay day. The former first-round pick has totaled just 15 tackles, four quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks through six games, leaving plenty to be desired both in pass-rush situations and while defending against the run.

The Bills’ defensive line has been one of the weak points of the team’s defense this season, and if it hopes to turn things around, Rousseau must kick things into high gear coming out of the bye week.

DUD - LB Terrel Bernard

Another player who received a hefty new contract this offseason, Bernard has been exposed by opposing offenses throughout the season, and now he is on the mend following a lower-leg injury sustained in Week 6 vs. the Falcons.

Bernard is undersized for his position, standing 6-foot-1, weighing 224 pounds, and he’s been pushed around at times this year. His nose for the football cannot be denied, as he has already recorded an interception and two fumble recoveries this season. He’s an opportunistic defender, but it seems opposing offenses have learned how to put him in disadvantageous positions, leading to his physical exploitation at times both in coverage and run support.

At this point of the year, fellow LB Shaq Thompson has been the team’s most impactful player at the position. And Dorian Williams, even with flashes of poor play this year, presents a much stronger physical advantage for the Buffalo defense than Bernard offers. Perhaps moving forward, the best two options for the Bills at linebacker are Thompson and Williams.

It’s unlikely Buffalo will bench its captain when healthy. But Bernard has not provided much of a reason for the  Bills to keep him in the lineup this year.

DUD - CB Christian Benford

After a transcendent 2024 season, Benford has put forth a disappointing effort through six games in 2025.

When being targeted in coverage last season, Benford allowed an opposing passer rating of 82.6, per NFL Pro. This season, opposing quarterbacks have recorded a passer rating of 121.1 when targeting Benford in the secondary.

The fourth-year pro is now making $19 million per season after signing his extension, but has not lived up to the hype he earned coming off a career campaign. Particularly with his counterpart, Tre’Davious White, struggling opposite him, Benford’s challenges have been pronounced and have left the Buffalo coverage unit scrambling for answers.

DUD — S Taylor Rapp

Rapp was expected to be a rock for the Bills’ safety group this season as the team filtered former second-round pick Cole Bishop into a starting role. Instead, Rapp’s performance has been even more concerning than that of the youngster.

It’s hard to believe the Bills will make a trade for a player in the secondary, given Head Coach Sean McDermott’s historically slow pace in onboarding new players in the back-end. But they must do something to address the lack of production coming from their safety group, even if it means asking more of Jordan Poyer, who was elevated from the practice squad this past week against the Falcons.

It may be time to give Poyer a start or two to see if he can provide more than what Rapp can at this point.