At roughly the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Buffalo Bills are 5-3 and while there has been plenty of pessimism around the Bills they are only one game back in the AFC East. There have been times this season they have looked great, like their win over the Miami Dolphins.
Unfortunately, there have also been games where this team struggles and this is where the concerns start to come from. When looking ahead to the final months of the 2023 season, these are some of the top storylines and questions worth watching.
5 storylines for the Buffalo Bills in the second half of 2023 season
How do the Buffalo Bills manage the toughest stretch of their schedule?
When the 2023 schedule was released, it was pretty clear that the second half of the season was going to be tough and test the Buffalo Bills. That certainly still appears to be the case as the Bills have road game against the Bengals on Sunday Night.
After that game, the Bills have back-to-back home games against the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. They then go on the road for games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs with their bye in the middle.
After that, the final four teams they play include the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins. The easiest game during this stretch would probably be the game against the Patriots, but New England beat the Bills in Week 7.
There is no question that the Bills are going to be tested down the stretch this season.
Can the Buffalo Bills win their fourth straight AFC East?
The Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East three straight seasons but are not in great position to make it four. They currently are 5-3 and are only one game behind the Miami Dolphins but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker currently thanks to their win earlier this season.
However, that is the only win in the AFC East they have right now and have a losing record in the division at 1-2 as well in the AFC conference at 2-3. These two records play a factor in playoff seeding in terms of tiebreakers.
The good news is that the Bills in a way control their own destiny as they still play each AFC East team once. In addition they have games against the Bengals and Chiefs, two teams they likely will be competing for seeding if they make the playoffs.
Can the defense continue playing at a high level with so many injuries?
Over the first few weeks fo the season, there may not have been a better defense in the NFL than the Buffalo Bills. They held the Raiders to 10 points, Commanders to 3 before probably their best game of the season by limiting the high-powered Dolphins offense to 20.
However, this is when injuries started to mount for the defense as the Bills lost Tre'Davious White, Matt Milano, and DaQuan Jones likely for most, if not all, of the 2023 season. In addition, players like Christian Benford, Greg Rousseau, and Ed Oliver all missed games already this season.
The Buffalo Bills defense has still done a pretty good job but it has been against some below average offenses like the New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bills play some much better offenses like the Bengals, Eagles, and Chiefs that are going to test this group.
The focus is going to be on Josh Allen and the offense but if the defense can keep it close, the Buffalo Bills have a good shot at the playoffs.
Will Von Miller return to being an impact player?
One of those players who can help with that is Von Miller, who is working his way back from a torn ACL last season. The former All-Pro began the season on the PUP list and missed the first six games of the year.
Miller returned in Week 5 against the Jacksonsville Jaguars but the coaching staff seems to be very cautious with his snaps. He hasn't played more than 27 snaps through the first four games and really hasn't been making an impact when on the field.
This season, Miller has only one assisted tackle and one QB hit but the Bills defense is going to need more from him going forward. The best way to help the inexperienced linebackers and cornerbacks is to not allow the quarterback time in the pocket.
If the Bills can continue to get pressure, the defense has a chance to remain one of the top groups in the league and Von Miller will need to be a big part of that.
Do the Buffalo Bills play more 11 personnel?
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Buffalo Bills offense seemed to get back on track and did so with one notable change. The Bills had played most of the season with two tight ends on the field but with Dawson Knox going on injured reserve, Ken Dorsey went back to three wide receiver sets with Dalton Kincaid being the tight end.
The Bills moved the ball pretty well and more importantly got everyone involved as Kincaid, Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir had five or more receptions while Stefon Diggs remained productive with nine receptions and 70 yards.
Dawson Knox is set to miss at least three more games due to wrist surgery so the Bills probably continue to give Khalil Shakir plenty of playing time as the slot receiver. However, once Knox returns it will be interesting to see if the Bills remain in 11 personnel or revert back to more two-tight end sets.