The Bills are 5-3 at the midpoint mark of the 2021 NFL season. The team holds a half game lead over the New England Patriots (5-4) in the AFC East. Below is a compilation of power rankings from various NFL media outlets.
6. Buffalo Bills
The Jaguars loss should be a wake-up call for a team that hasn't played that well in recent weeks. They need to run the ball more. Yes, I said that.
7. Buffalo Bills (5–3)
Last week: Loss at Jaguars, 9–6
Next week: at Jets
Despite some head-scratching moments, the Bills remain arguably the best defense in football and a matchup nightmare offensively. While their loss to the Jaguars may go down as one of the most puzzling regular season defeats in recent NFL history, it shouldn't make us think for a second this team can't make the Super Bowl. That said, it should also make us believe that New England is on their heels and shouldn't be discounted.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
Previous ranking: 6
Bold second-half prediction: The Bills will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
A few weeks ago, this wouldn't have qualified as a bold prediction. But after watching the Bills' offense fail to get much of anything going against the Jaguars, some serious question marks about Buffalo going forward have emerged. The list of areas to correct is long, but this is still a good football team that is one of the most complete teams in a competitive AFC. The offensive line will get healthier, and there is still half a season to improve. The Bills have the potential to get hot down the stretch -- three of the final four games of the season are at home -- and put all of the pieces together for a run.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3): Buffalo's offense was non-existent in a stinker against the Jaguars. And just like that, the Patriots are on their heels. The Bills' reign might be over before it even began if Josh Allen can't right the ship fast.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
Previous rank: No. 4
Josh Allen didn't sugarcoat his evaluation of the Bills after a stunning 9-6 loss to the Jaguars. "Played like s---," Allen said after the game. "Excuse my language, but that starts with me. So I've got to be better for this team." Allen turned the ball over three times on Sunday, but it wasn't his struggle alone: The offensive line continually failed its star QB, while play-caller Brian Daboll was unable to cook up an in-game adjustment to counter Jacksonville's two-high safety scheme that took away Buffalo's beloved big-play strikes. Is the book out on Daboll's offense in the same way we've seen Andy Reid's formerly unstoppable attack sputter out in Kansas City? The coming weeks will tell us a lot about this team and its Super Bowl hopes.
8. Buffalo Bills 5-3 (7)
What was that? The Bills' loss got most attention for Josh Allen struggling vs. the other Josh Allen. But the rest of the offense went into the tank and also failed to reward more dominance from the defense. Allen the QB needs to get out of his midseason funk, fast.
8. Bills (6):
Shades of 2020 with the offense so heavily reliant on QB Josh Allen, which is especially concerning for a run game that's averaged 85.3 yards while Buffalo has gone 1-2 over its past three games. Yet also mystifying that Allen couldn't exploit a defense like Jacksonville's through the air.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3, LW: 4)
The Bills' offensive line might be a real problem. The Jaguars couldn't rush the quarterback before Sunday, when they suddenly were in Josh Allen's lap on every play. If that doesn't get fixed, the Bills aren't getting where they want to go this season.
