AFC East Buzz: Aaron Rodgers, Bailey Zappe, Bills still believe, and Dolphins news

Buffalo Bills can still be a factor in the AFC

The Buffalo Bills do not have an issue at the quarterback position, but as a team there are some issues that have head coach Sean McDermott “frustrated” as his team rests on a bye week at 6-6.

The frustration amongst the team and Bills Mafia starts with the team’s inability to close out games.  If not for a few late-game collapses, Buffalo would be sitting near the top in the AFC, but losses like the one the team suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in OT has happened too often in 2023.

In letting another fourth quarter lead slip away, McDermott’s emphasis for his team is finding a way to close games out.

"No one's more frustrated than I am. I can promise you that," McDermott said, via the team’s official website. "We're working hard at figuring it out. We've played well, I would say, defensively in the majority of our games this year, and we get into these one-score situations down the end of the game and we got to find a way to close it out. And there's a lot of things that go into that in trying to close a game out, right? So those are the things that we're studying moving forward."

While Allen and the offense have seemingly gotten it together, the defense has been the Achilles heel in games they have lost.  Allowing Mac Jones and the anemic Patriots offense to deliver a last second touchdown in one loss and losing to the Denver Broncos on a game-winning field goal are two losses the Bills could look back on if they do fail to make the playoffs.

Along with those losses is a loss against Jacksonville in London and the opening game against the Jets.  As the great Bill Parcells once said, your record is what it says you are, but the Bills should have a much better record.  Now they turn their sights on securing a playoff spot after the bye.  With games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Dolphins in the slate, the Bills have an opportunity to show who they really are (if they find a way to close out games).