4 players killing Buffalo Bills' chances of achieving conference supremacy
Throughout an up-and-down season, there have been several players who have negatively impacted the Buffalo Bills’ opportunity to repeat as AFC East champions for the sixth consecutive season.
From the offensive side of the ball to the defense to special teams, there have been glaring issues everywhere you look. But a few stand out above the rest.
Here are four players who are killing the Bills this season:
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CB Taron Johnson
Johnson has displayed signs of aging this season, with wear and tear from various injuries throughout his career taking their toll throughout what has been a disappointing season for the 29-year-old.
The eighth-year pro has recorded a missed-tackle percentage of 15% this season, his highest rate since the 2019 season, his second year in the NFL. Johnson has been a step slow in many instances when trying to provide run support, while his ability in coverage has also been lacking. Through eight games played, Johnson has allowed a passer rating of 96.7 when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, which is nearly an 18% increase from a season ago.
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LB Matt Milano
Early in the year, it appeared as if Milano still had some juice left in the tank. But as the season has progressed, and injuries have piled up, the 31-year-old linebacker has turned into a liability for the Buffalo defense. This past week against the Texans, Milano was taken off the field when the Bills transitioned from nickel to base defense, further proof of his decline over the course of the past few years.
Looking ahead, it may behoove the Bills to give Dorian Williams and Shaq Thompson more looks, no matter whichdefensive alignment deploys.
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WR Joshua Palmer
The Bills’ significant free-agent addition has provided little return on his new team’s investment during his first season in Buffalo. Palmer has recorded just 18 receptions for 272 yards through eight games, an average of just 2.3 receptions and 34 yards per game, both of which are less than his season averages from a year ago when he was still with the Los Angeles Chargers.
During a season in which the Bills have struggled mightily to receive ample production from their wide-receiver group, Palmer has been at the top of the list of disappointments.
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WR Keon Coleman
This one goes without saying, as Coleman has been a healthy inactive each of the Bills’ past two games due to coach’sdiscipline. The second-year pro has displayed his immaturity repeatedly, which does not bode well for his future with the team.
If the former second-round pick cannot earn his way back onto the field this week against the Steelers, it may be time to think about unloading him via trade this offseason.
Jets’ quiet moves hint Tyrod Taylor injury may be worse than expected
The New York Jets were preparing to start veteran Tyrod Taylor at quarterback in the team's Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. All indications were that Taylor would get the nod over Justin Fields until he was surprisingly ruled out with a knee injury just 24 hours before kickoff.
Taylor underwent a minor procedure on his knee in the summer and missed the entire preseason as a result. He was able to suit up and be active for the team's first game of the season and had not missed any regular-season action because of the injury until this past week.
Most assumed that Taylor's injury was little more than a flare-up and that he would be ready to return, likely as a backup again, following the Jets' bye in Week 9. That might not be the case, however.
The Jets hosted a pair of veteran quarterbacks, Desmond Ridder and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, for workouts on Wednesday, leading to speculation that Taylor's injury may be more serious than the team has led on.
Tyrod Taylor injury may be more serious than Jets have indicated
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters after Sunday's game that Taylor and Fields were initially competing in practice to determine the team's Week 8 starting quarterback, but that Taylor didn't feel comfortable enough to play in the game.
Glenn did not elaborate further on Taylor's injury, but the belief was that it was not overly serious. However, the Jets are now looking at external options, presumably in case Taylor misses time due to his injury.
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook was elevated from the practice squad to serve as the team's backup quarterback for the second time this season on Sunday. Cook is the only other quarterback under contract with the Jets at the moment.
Ridder is a former third-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, who started 17 games between 2022 and 2023 in Atlanta. He's bounced around various teams since, most recently appearing in six games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and spending time with the Minnesota Vikings earlier this year.
Thompson-Robinson was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2023, starting five games for the team over the last two seasons. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March but failed to make the final roster. The former UCLA star has thrown just one touchdown to 10 interceptions in his NFL career to this point.
It's possible the Jets are simply using their bye week to assess potential emergency quarterback options, but with Taylor nursing the knee injury at the moment, the timing is certainly notable.
This is a situation that bears monitoring over the coming days. The Jets may be preparing to add a new quarterback to their roster.
