There are still four months of football to go before we reach the playoffs. That's all Buffalo Bills fans can tell themselves after watching their defense get outmatched by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Josh Allen can only pull off so many heroic wins when his defense fails to stop their opponents.
The Ravens' offense moved the ball down the field with ease, putting up ridiculous numbers on the ground. Of course, defense is a team effort, but one starter consistently proved himself to be a weak spot in the Bills' run defense.
Joey Bosa may be effective as a pass rusher, but his inability to stop the run could end up seriously hindering Buffalo's Super Bowl chances this season.
Joey Bosa's poor run defense hurts Bills in Week 1
The Bills do not have a balanced roster.
This isn't a new idea. A lack of depth and/or talent on defense has been the main thing holding them back from reaching the Super Bowl during the Josh Allen era. Heading into this season, it's the same old story.
The edge position is one of the biggest question marks. Outside of Gregory Rousseau, there aren't any proven starting-caliber players. Joey Bosa entered the season atop the depth chart, but his inability to stop the run on Sunday should have Sean McDermott reconsidering the lineup.
The Bills gave up 236 yards on the ground in this game. 169 of those came from Derrick Henry. Baltimore consistently chose to run Henry right at Bosa, daring him to make a play. For the majority of the game, the Buffalo edge was overpowered by the Ravens' offensive tackles. Henry was able to break off multiple explosive runs, and Bosa couldn't do anything about it.
But it wasn't just Henry who was beating Bosa on the ground. Lamar Jackson beat the veteran defensive end multiple times on read option plays. Bosa just wasn't fast enough to compete with the former MVP.
Yes, the Bills were still able to pull out the win in incredible fashion. It was an unbelievable effort from the offense. But if Bosa and the rest of the defense continue to be this shaky against the run, it will cost them eventually. Teams in the playoffs will run the ball as much as possible to end Buffalo's season. Something has to change for the Bills, and it needs to happen quickly.