BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Discussions started moments after the Buffalo Bills' second straight loss came to a close.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady pulled up a chair to chat with quarterback Josh Allen and backups Mitchell Trubisky and Shane Buechele in the postgame locker room following a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in which the offense put up 14 points -- far from the 30-plus points in each of their first four games of the 2025 season.
Coach Sean McDermott then texted his coordinators on the plane ride back from Atlanta about the issues that he wanted to meet on -- a list which had grown from concerns McDermott already had heading into the Week 6 game.
The Bills go into the bye week on a two-game losing streak, falling just behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East, leaving plenty of time for contemplation and strategy. Under McDermott (since 2017), the Bills have never gone into a bye week on two or more straight losses. He has also never lost coming out of a bye.
Now, the Bills have the task of regrouping and figuring out some answers before a long stretch to the end of the season begins.
"You start every year at ground zero and work your way back up to where you currently are." McDermott said of the bye week work. You need to make sure that there's nothing in the foundation that needs to be fixed. And with the way the last two games have gone, we've had some good moments, but I also want to kind of look under the hood a little bit more and making sure that we've got everything underneath in terms of the foundation that it's helping us, from the way we practice, to the way we meet, to what we emphasize, to what we're asking our players to do."
The Bills sit at 4-2 with a lot of games left to play and the reigning MVP at quarterback, but there's no doubt that there is plenty to fix with the team's target set on reaching the biggest game -- making the playoffs isn't the bar anymore.
Here's a look at some areas of concern for Buffalo, some easier to correct than others.
Receiver
The trade deadline on Nov. 4 is looming. But what should the Bills do with it? There are legitimate concerns at multiple spots, but there could be a valid reason for the team to add at wide receiver midseason for a second straight year. While trading for Amari Cooper didn't quite work out last season, it shows a willingness overall from the front office to add there.
Throwing downfield has become sparing with this receiver room. Buffalo is one of nine teams without a passing touchdown on throws at least 20 yards this season. The Bills have zero touchdowns and two interceptions on throws of 20-plus air yards this season -- one of three teams with no touchdowns and multiple picks on such throws (Colts, Browns).
The Bills have only one player in the top 60 in the NFL in receiving yards per game, Dalton Kincaid (32nd, 57.4 YPG) who was out for Week 6 (oblique). Second-year receiver Keon Coleman hasn't splashed since Week 1. It's not unusual for this offense to have dips early in the season -- it happened last year -- and some of it is correctable, but too much shouldn't be put on Allen to get the work done. That's not when this group functions best. Allen has thrown four interceptions, two fewer than all of last season after protecting the football was a major part of last season's success. He's been sacked 12 times, also two fewer than last year's total (14).
An element of this is getting the running backs more involved in the passing game. The Bills sit bottom five in the league in running back targets, receptions and receiving yards despite having James Cook III and Ty Johnson on the roster.
Speaking of ...
James Cook's usage
Cook has played like one of the top running backs in the league following his four-year extension this offseason, but his touches late in games and on key downs are too low.
The running back has five touches on third downs this season and has been on the field for 14.7% of the third down plays despite averaging 5.3 yards per touch. He also was not on the field versus the Falcons much late despite it being a one-score game for much of the fourth quarter, 16.7% of offensive plays, down from over 60% in four other games this year.
Finding ways to get one of the team's best players the ball should be a priority. Johnson can be effective on third down, but mixing up when Cook plays, both as a rusher and a receiver, and perhaps getting the other backs on the field more in early situations could help him be on the field in crucial situations more.
Run defense
Safety, cornerback and defensive tackle are all positions that the case can be made that the Bills should address before the trade deadline in part thanks to injuries (see below). It would be out of character for general manager Brandon Beane to not make some sort of move. The team has shown a priority put on players that have been in the secondary over time, especially at safety, but there's certainly room for additions.
No matter how the Bills choose to approach it, an area that has to improve for the long-term success that is desired this season is the run defense. The team sits last in yards per carry allowed (5.8) and 31st in opponent yards before (3.2) and after contact (2.6) per rush. Only one team has given up more than the Bills' nine rushing touchdowns allowed (Tennessee Titans). The numbers go on and on. One note here: Rookie Deone Walker has been a real positive for the Bills up front.
Injuries
Unfortunately for the team, only so much control can be had over the number of injuries plaguing the Bills. On defense, the absences have been felt.
The Bills have three rookie defensive players on injured reserve -- cornerback Maxwell Hairston, cornerback Dorian Strong and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. McDermott said that there's a chance Hairston's 21-day practice opens next week, but it's important to keep in mind that his right LCL sprain took place in July and he's missed significant practice and development time. The team won't rush him.
Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones is week-to-week after popping his left calf before the Falcons game, a position that has been hit hard with injuries. The Bills will get some healthy additions to the line after the bye, as defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht's suspensions have concluded, which will be a welcome infusion for a group that has been up and down.
Linebackers Matt Milano (pectoral) and Terrel Bernard (ankle) are trending in a more short-term perspective and are day-to-day.
On offense, wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) is week-to-week, while Kincaid (oblique) and wide receiver Curtis Samuel (neck/ribs) are day-to-day. Palmer started the game versus the Falcons with the biggest play of his young Bills career (45 yards), and an overall promising start in Week 6, but the injury ended his day early.
Getting healthier is important, as awaiting the Bills post-bye is a game at the Carolina Panthers, and then the game circled at the start of the season, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs.
Penalties
From Weeks 4-6, no team was penalized more than the Bills. The 35 total penalties were most in the league, while 30 of those were accepted, which was the second most during that stretch.
On the season, the Bills have 50 penalties, meaning that the number has jumped from 15 through the first three games (tied for the fewest from Weeks 1-3) to 35 in the same number of games.