The Buffalo Bills managed to pull out a come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, but the thrilling victory also brought some big questions about the defense.
The Bills struggled at all levels against the well-rounded Ravens offense, including the secondary that allowed a series of big plays. One veteran Bills defensive back could now be at risk of losing his spot on the roster after slipping down the depth chart in the Week 1 game.
Damar Hamlin Falls Out of Defensive Rotation
Bills safety Damar Hamlin started 14 games last season and was one of the team leaders with 89 total tackles, but lost his spot to second-year safety Cole Bishop this offseason during an open competition in training camp for the right to start alongside Taylor Rapp.
Though Hamlin dressed for Sunday’s game against the Ravens, he logged no defensive snaps and just seven snaps on special teams — the lowest total of all players on the team other than reserve tackle Ryan Van Denmark, who appeared in just six snaps.
While Hamlin remains the primary backup at safety, the low snap count could be a concern moving forward. Though Hamlin has been a regular special teams player in the past and has the trust of the coaching staff — as well as the front office, who brought him back on a one-year contract this offseason — the team brought in competition in the form of Sam Franklin Jr., who was signed to the active roster after initially joining the practice squad.
Bills Getting Boost in the Secondary
The Bills had suffered a pair of significant injuries to their secondary ahead of last week’s season opener, losing rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston and veteran Tre’Davious White.
White was optimistic he would be back on the field for the team’s Week 2 matchup against the division rival New York Jets.
âI was definitely trending towards a â trending upwards,â White said, via SI.com. âAnytime you play this game, the more youâre on the field and the more you can get a feel for it, especially at this position, the more you can get a feel for routes and route combinations, and formations and things like that, youâre always going to have a good chance of performing well.â
The team had turned to rookie Dorian Strong to start alongside Christian Benford in the season opener and he responded with a strong performance. White said the rookie stood strong against a deep and talented Ravens offense.
âDorian played great,â said White. âSticky in coverage, tackled well, he did everything that we expected him to do that he has been doing since he got here. So the way he performed was not a surprise for any of us.â
After failing to contain the Ravens through most of the game, Buffalo’s defense tightened the screws when it mattered the most. The Bills held the Ravens to two three-and-outs and a fumble in their final three drives, giving quarterback Josh Allen the stops needed to pull off a 15-point comeback over the final five minutes of the game.
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