Summer series: Buffalo Bills

By: Josh Frey-Sam

The Buffalo Bills are boring.

I’m not sure I could pay a bigger compliment to a team.

We know what the Bills are. They are as steady as they come. They have the MVP in Josh Allen, a rock-solid coaching staff, continuity within their personnel and a favourable schedule in 2025.

We can pencil them in for January with as much confidence as any team, and that’s why no one is talking about them.

“And that’s just the way they like it,” said Alex Brasky, editor for Bills Digest.

Welcome to the Back Bacon Brief summer series, where I talk to a local media member from all 32 NFL teams to get an all-encompassing preview about each club heading into the 2025-26 season.

Today, we look at the Buffalo Bills, and I spoke with beat writer Alex Brasky (@AlexBrasky on X) to find out everything going on in Orchard Park.

You can listen to the full interview here.

With all that said, I’m more curious about where the concern lies for this team.

“For me, the concern can’t lie on the offence,” said Brasky. “It’s the defence. They made so many additions on the defensive side of the ball, whether it be through the draft or free agency, and that side of the ball was not consistent enough last year, and it’s really failed at times when it comes to the postseason — particularly against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“They need to figure something out there, and they threw a lot of stuff at the wall, hoping that it’s going to stick this season. And they need it to stick in order to prove general manager Brandon Beane correct and just to raise this team’s level of play overall.”

All-pro linebacker Matt Milano is back for what should be a much healthier season, while Tre’Davious White returns to the team for what might be one of his final runs.

The front four received a major upgrade, as a trio of vets — Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht — join the championship-hopeful squad. The Bills will also rely on some young players to punch above their weight class. Second-year safety Cole Bishop is the front-runner to roam the middle of the field, while their top four draft picks — CB Max Hairston, DT TJ Sanders, EDGE Landon Jackson and DT Deone Walker — will all be expected to contribute.

“They have a lot of pieces that I think are trending in a positive direction right now, but at the same time, to ask all of them to hit this season, I think, is asking a lot,” Brasky added. “And we’ll see in the coming months if they get good fortune on all of those additions that they’ve made.”

And if they don’t? What if the Bills are another Divisional Round or Conference Championship exit?

“The ripple of effect of what would happen if the Bills come up short this year, it’s undoubtedly Sean McDermott’s seat being turned up to about 1,000 degrees and people showing up with their torches and their pitchforks for the Bills head coach,” Brasky said.

It’s unfair to McDermott, who I believe is one of the best coaches in the NFL, but it’s just the life of a head coach.

Really, though, this team is too good to be talking any kind of negativity. They are my pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl for a reason.

Brasky called it a dull camp, with hardly any jockeying for starting spots happening — his camp battle to watch was between Mitch Trubisky and Mike White for the backup QB spot — and it’s really about making it through the next four weeks healthy so they can plow through the regular season.

“I think with this year’s team, it just appears to me that they’re a bit more free, especially than they were last year,” he said.

“I think there was a lot of pressure for the Bills to live up to the bold moves that they made last year, and although they’ve made a few bold moves this year, I think they’ve proved — 13-4 record during the regular season, AFC Champinoship game apperance — that this team is for real and could be very much improved with the additions that they made this year.”

The Bills are an intriguing team for fantasy purposes, and there’s even more to talk about since the injuries they’ve suffered to the receiving corps.

Khalil Shakir is sitting out the rest of the preseason with a high-ankle sprain, while Curtis Samuel has missed time with a hamstring issue.

Meanwhile, Josh Palmer recently returned after being nicked up earlier in camp.

With all these injuries, there’s been one main beneficiary: second-year WR Keon Coleman.

“He’s just been dominating the headlines, and really dominating the reps at St. John Fisher University,” said Brasky. “Josh Allen’s been looking to him early and often, and he’s been about as consistent a receiver as you can ask for with that volume of targets throughout training camp.

“Yes, there have been some misses here. He has failed to come up with some catches over the middle that he very well should’ve come up with, but at the same time, he has made some incredible catches, and I think that’s what you’re going to see from this type of receiver, especially early in his career. Some variance in his play, but at the end of the day, he’s going to produce.”

Brasky said he believes Coleman, who primarily operated as a downfield 50-50 jump ball threat in his rookie season, will be asked to run a more diverse route tree this year, which is a testament to his improved route running.

“The word for Keon Coleman this offseason and now preseason is refinement. He’s refined every part of his game,” he said.

However, Brasky warned that he still doesn’t think the Bills need a true alpha receiver to be successful. It could still be an “Everybody eats mentality.”

As a parting note, he even offered up a couple of deep dynasty sleepers in WRs Tyrell Shavers and Kristian Wilkerson, saying they have both shown well while getting extra reps in camp.

Brasky has the 2025-26 Bills projected to annihilate their 12.5 win total. He predicts a 14 or 15-win team.

“I just think this team, as constructed, is meant to roll through the regular season,” he said. “The one thing they have yet to prove is they need to do it in the playoffs.”

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh