3 changes the Bills need to make to stay on top of the AFC East

With a 23-20 win over the New York Jets this past Monday night, the Buffalo Bills avoided their first three-game losing streak with Josh Allen under center and improved to 4-2, thus taking firm control of the AFC East, as no other team in the division has more than two wins through the first third of this 2024 NFL season.

The New England Patriots (1-5) aren't a threat whatsoever. Sorry, Pats fans, but it's the truth.

The second-place Miami Dolphins (2-3) have been an absolute mess since Tua Tagovailoa went down, and while he could be activated from injured reserve as early as October 23, it's tough to see Mike McDaniel rushing him back out there. They're not quite out of the AFC East race just yet, but if they take a few more losses with Tagovailoa on the shelf, that day will come sooner rather than later.

The Jets (2-4) obviously got much better with the acquisition of Davante Adams, but that's not going to fix some of the other issues they have. While sitting in third place for the moment, they're still the second-best team in the division and will compete for a wild-card spot. The loss to Buffalo hurt, though, as that was a game Gang Green could have easily won.

As for the Bills, they've got plenty of issues of their own, although they did address one of their biggest problems with the acquisition of Amari Cooper on Tuesday, which we'll touch on in just a moment.

But there are still plenty of problems on the defensive side of the football, and kicker Tyler Bass has become a cause for concern as well.

From a win-loss standpoint, the Bills are in good shape. And with four winnable games in the next four weeks ahead of their highly anticipated Week 11 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs, that should continue to be the case.

But once the schedule toughens up — and it certainly does down the stretch — Buffalo will have to be better. So, let's have a look at how that can happen.

Amari Cooper will help an average Bills passing attack

Losing both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis during the offseason obviously didn't do Josh Allen any favors in the passing game. And while Khali Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman, and tight end Dalton Kincaid have played solidly through the first six weeks, none of those three can be considered a genuine WR1.

Amari Cooper can be that for Allen. He can also be the deep threat this team has been lacking this season. Sean McDermott already commented on how Cooper's ability to create separation was part of the appeal in trading for him, and Buffalo needed someone who can do that consistently.

Including the win over the Jets, the Bills have only averaged 186.3 passing yards per game, the eighth-fewest in the league. But let's not pretend Allen isn't partly to blame here. While he's had some solid games against some of Buffalo's weaker opponents, he severely struggled in the team's two losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, completing just 42.4 percent of his passes and averaging only 155.5 yards through the air in those two defeats.

The running game has undoubtedly helped matters. James Cook is having a strong season, and Ray Davis filled in beautifully in Cook's absence against the Jets. But the passing game has to improve for the Bills to beat the elite teams in the AFC, and Cooper will unquestionably help that happen.

Buffalo must improve defensively and may need to make more trades to make that happen

Simply put, the Buffalo defense needs to improve. And they may need to make a few more trades to make that happen.

Sure, the Bills have had to deal with some injury issues on that side of the ball, and Von Miller's four-game suspension certainly didn't help matters. But those are easy excuses.

The simple stat that tells you they've allowed the 11th-fewest points per game thus far is a bit misleading, as the two games in which they only gave up 10 points were against the Dolphins (when Tua was literally knocked out with a concussion) and the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Take those two games out, and the Bills have allowed 26.5 points per game, which would rank as the seventh-most.

In terms of yardage, Buffalo has given up 350.8 yards per game, the 12th-most in the NFL. And over the last three games against the Ravens, Texans, and Jets, they've allowed 415.0 per game. So, it's clear that something needs to change.

Getting Von Miller back in a couple of weeks will help, and Matt Milano may return late in the season, although the Bills shouldn't count on that.

Dorian Williams leads the team in total tackles, and Terrell Bernard, when healthy, has played decently at times, but the Bills may need to bring in another linebacker. As the Jags may be sellers at the trade deadline, Devin Lloyd could be an interesting option.

The defensive line could use some improvement as well, particularly on the interior, as Buffalo has given up the 10th-most rushing yards in the league. Getting Ed Oliver back will help, but Daquan Jones has struggled, and rookie DeWayne Carter is still adjusting to life in the NFL.

The Denver Broncos might not be willing to part with players if they continue to win games, but D.J. Jones would be a nice addition to the Buffalo defense. He doesn't offer much on the pass rush, but he could certainly help against the run.

The secondary isn't without its issues, either. The pass defense is better than the run defense overall, but while Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp have made some big plays, both are highly inconsistent.

Fan favorite Micah Hyde is still a free agent, but his neck issues could be a problem. The Bills could again look to Jacksonville for help at safety in Andre Cisco, who's recorded eight interceptions since becoming a starter in his second season in 2022. He's a strong tackler as well and has 31 this season to go along with an interception and three passes defended.

If the Bills can improve their defense with one of these trades — or any others, for that matter — they need to pull the trigger. Because while they can beat average teams with this unit, the elite teams are going to literally run all over them.

Tyler Bass' kicking woes are becoming a real problem

Tyler Bass had to be entering this season hoping Bills Mafia had forgotten about and forgiven him for his missed field goal against the Chiefs this past postseason. But he's certainly not making things easy with all the missed kicks this year, is he?

Through the first six games, Bass has already missed three field goals and two extra-point attempts, including one of each against the Jets. And even if that ugly extra point was tipped, that ball was never going to go through the uprights; just look at the replay. And even that 22-yarder to give the Bills the late lead was iffy.

The big issue here is that Buffalo gave Bass a four-year, $20.4 million extension ahead of last season. However, there is an out after this year, but the team would take a $3.06 million dead-cap hit.

McDermott was specifically asked about Bass following the win over New York, and he was pretty blunt in his response, saying that "he knows he needs to make those kicks." He even threw a "bottom line" in there. So, his patience might be wearing a bit thin, as is that of GM Brandon Beane, who told reporters on Wednesday that the Bills are working out other kickers.

If he remains to be the guy, Bass has to be better if the Bills want to make a real run at the Super Bowl. And if he continues to struggle, Buffalo may just have to bite the bullet and take the financial hit before that out option even comes into play.

The Bills continue their pursuit of a fifth consecutive AFC East title with a Week 7 matchup at home against the Tennessee Titans.