2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 6-1
Bills defense
Every snap the Bills defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.06 EPA a play allowed, 23rd of 32, and 0.04 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (21st).
- How they playThey blitz on 36% of dropbacks, the 9th-most in the league, and get pressure on 22%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.14 EPA a dropback, 24th, softest behind the line middle (+0.03 a throw).
- Who hurt themAmon-Ra St. Brown (DET): 142 yards and +10.7 EPA on 13 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Vikings, whose offense ranks 28th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.06 | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.14 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.08 | 17th of 32 | 47th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 46% | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 10% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Yards per play | 5.4 | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Yards per carry | 3.6 | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 42% | 21st of 32 | 36th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.1% | 25th of 32 | 22nd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 22% | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 18% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.4% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 66% | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.35 | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.3 | 16th of 32 | 48th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.04 | 21st of 32 | 36th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Bills. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 1 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 8 against the Ravens, 0.58 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average 0.00 a play elsewhere, the 20th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at HOUW 36-31+0.07usual +0.02
vs DETW 41-31+0.23usual +0.10
vs LACW 24-16-0.07usual -0.29
vs NEL 26-29+0.18usual +0.04
at LAW 37-34+0.25usual +0.02
at LVW 33-30+0.10usual +0.01
vs BALW 36-10-0.50usual +0.08Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line middle: +0.03 EPA a throw against a league -0.59. The lockdown zone is deep left, +0.01 a throw (league +0.34). Completions against them run 1.6 points under expected, 9th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.6 yards a carry against them, 9th of 32. The leak is outside right: 4.8 a carry and +0.10 EPA (league 4.6, +0.00).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.725th | 154.024th | +0.3523rd-toughest | 25.13rd-most31.13rd-most37.15th-most |
| Tight ends | 9.129th | 70.629th | +0.3221st-toughest | 7.914th-fewest11.016th-most14.113th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 8.732nd | 44.429th | +0.0415th-toughest | 21.46th-most24.43rd-most27.43rd-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.410th-most18.410th-most18.410th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | 13 | 142 | 2 | +10.7 |
| Tre Tucker | LV | 7 | 97 | 2 | +9.0 |
| Tyler Higbee | LA | 6 | 83 | +8.0 | |
| Nico Collins | HOU | 11 | 82 | 1 | +5.8 |
| Romeo Doubs | NE | 9 | 58 | 2 | +5.7 |
| Sam LaPorta | DET | 7 | 52 | 1 | +5.7 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 36% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in 3rd down (-0.14 a play, league -0.04) and weakest in the two-minute drill (+0.22, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 203 | +0.05 | +0.02 | +0.04 |
| 2nd down | 152 | +0.09 | +0.00 | +0.08 |
| 3rd down | 92 | -0.14 | -0.04 | -0.11 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 28 | 57% | 61% | −3 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 22 | 36% | 44% | −8 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 42 | 36% | 27% | +9 pts |
| Red zone | 84 | +0.15 | +0.03 | +0.12 |
| Two-minute drill | 61 | +0.22 | 0.00 | +0.22 |
| When they lead | 333 | +0.13 | +0.01 | +0.12 |
| One-score game | 332 | +0.01 | -0.01 | +0.02 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 10 | +0.21 | +0.03 | +0.17 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 36% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 65% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.26 EPA when they blitz and +0.22 when they do not.
They put 6.9 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 20%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.6 a carry; into eight or more, 1.6.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 0 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.25 EPA against them on 28% of throws; screens +0.04.
27 defensive penalties for 256 yards, 22 of them first downs, the 24th-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 27th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Greg Rousseau leads the pass rush with 25 pressures and 7 sacks on 76% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15Greg RousseauLB | 76% | 25 | 7 | 22 | 9 | 24 | 3 |
| 96Deone WalkerDT | 70% | 9 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 22 | |
| 9Bradley ChubbOLB | 69% | 10 | 1.5 | 8 | 2 | 17 | |
| 90DeWayne CarterDT | 44% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | |
| 94Landon JacksonDE | 33% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |
| 55Michael HoechtLB | 32% | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 91Ed OliverDT | 28% | 6 | 0.5 | 7 | 1 | 9 | |
| 97Greg GainesDT | 27% | 1 | 11 | ||||
| 98T.J. SandersDT | 21% | 1 | 2 | 8 | |||
| 51Michael DannaLB | 2% | 2 | 1 |
Terrel Bernard plays 91% of the snaps with 50 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8Terrel BernardLB | 91% | 50 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 98.5 | 6 | |
| 42Dorian WilliamsLB | 65% | 46 | 4 | 17 | 85.4 | 4 | ||
| 99TJ ParkerLB | 31% | 18 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 89.6 | |
| 52Kaleb Elarms-OrrLB | 19% | 14 | 1 | 10 | 82.5 | |||
| 56Javon SolomonLB | 9% | 9 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 44Joe AndreessenLB | 0% | 10 |
Maxwell Hairston is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 86.5 passer rating on 22 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24Cole BishopSAF | 97% | 28 | 18 of 28 | 214 | 1 | 91.0 | 2 | |
| 47Christian BenfordCB | 79% | 36 | 22 of 36 | 223 | 3 | 102.3 | 6 | |
| 22C.J. Gardner-JohnsonSAF | 77% | 21 | 13 of 21 | 218 | 1 | 94.6 | 1 | 2 |
| 1Maxwell HairstonCB | 61% | 22 | 11 of 22 | 136 | 2 | 86.5 | 2 | |
| 21Davison IgbinosunCB | 59% | 31 | 16 of 31 | 187 | 2 | 93.4 | 1 | 8 |
| 3Damar HamlinSAF | 44% | 10 | 8 of 10 | 150 | 104.1 | 1 | ||
| 23Dee AlfordCB | 38% | 22 | 12 of 22 | 184 | 1 | 91.2 | 1 | 3 |
| 33Te'Cory CouchDB | 10% | |||||||
| 25Geno StoneSAF | 5% | 1 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.