Grading the Buffalo Bills defense through first four games of 2023
Over the past few years, the Buffalo Bills defense has ranked near the top of most team categories and been one of the better defenses in the NFL. However, entering the 2023 seasons there were plenty of questions about whether or not this group could remain among the best.
The biggest change was the departure of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who has been on Sean McDermott's staff since he joined the Bills back in 2017. Instead of hiring a new defensive coordinator, McDermott elected to take over the play calling for the defense this season.
On the field, the Bills were losing one of the cornerstones of this defense after middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds left in free agency. He had been the starter since being drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
With all the changes, the Bills defense has been as good, if not better, than previous years. After four games, they rank second in points allowed at only 13.8 points per game and this average includes a game against the Miami Dolphins, who entered Week 4 as the highest scoring offense in the league.