The Buffalo Bills returned from their bye week aiming to end a two-game losing streak as they prepare for their Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The team used the break to rest and regroup, hoping to get back in the win column.
Quarterback Josh Allen spoke about the difficulty of disconnecting during the bye. “You sit there and you try to disconnect and not think about (the losses), and allow your mind to kind of reset and be refreshed,” Allen said. “It’s hard not to think about it, and it’s hard not to want to get back in the building.”
Allen noted that after a light practice on Monday, the team resumed regular practice routines by Wednesday. Since Allen became starter, the Bills have won all seven games following a bye week.
The last meeting between Buffalo and Carolina was on December 19, 2021, when Buffalo won 31-14 at home. Historically, Buffalo holds a 6-2 record over Carolina. The Panthers enter Sunday’s game with a three-game winning streak, while the Bills seek to avoid losing three straight games for the first time since 2018. In 2024, after a similar two-game skid, Buffalo rebounded with seven consecutive wins. Allen has never lost three straight games in his career.
Head coach Sean McDermott emphasized focusing on immediate goals rather than past results or future outcomes. “You take it one day at a time, one week at a time, that’s how the league is,” McDermott said. “And you get too far ahead of yourself, or you look too much in the past, you lose focus on where you’re at.”
During the bye week, McDermott assessed various aspects of his team’s performance. He stressed attention to detail and discipline as key areas for improvement. “Here’s what we’re doing well. Here’s who’s doing it well … then it’s into where do we need to adjust,” McDermott said. “There’s course corrections through every season. So those that can make those adjustments play better, perform better and you go from there.”
McDermott added that finding out the team’s identity is an ongoing process: “I don’t really know that we’re there yet, and that’s okay. But we got to keep pushing. We got to stay urgent with our approach, the discipline, the detail… It’s really establishing who were trying to become as a football team.”
Allen echoed this sentiment: “We got a lot of work to do, but this is a team that has a lot of guys that want to do that work, that care for each other, and we’re just excited for another opportunity this week.”
Facing Carolina’s strong rushing offense—ranked third in average yards per game—the Bills’ defense will see reinforcements as defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi return from suspension alongside cornerback Maxwell Hairston returning from injury.
McDermott praised Carolina’s running backs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard: “I think overall they bring a lot to the table in terms of what they do at the line of scrimmage and the tackles they break. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves.”
Hoecht commented on his return: “At the end of the day, that’s how you win football games… [Ogunjobi] and I are just going to be another piece of that… We’re not trying to come in and necessarily change too much… we’re supposed to be.”
Hairston described his rehabilitation process: “Getting super smart off the field… physically I could be able to take what I’ve seen… apply that.” He credited his teammates’ support during recovery: “When you got a team like this that is so together in a real-life brotherhood… they supported me through whole way… made me still feel like I was part of team even though I wasn’t playing.” Hairston aims to be ready whenever called upon: “When I do get to game it just feels like practice with crowd… don’t let guy left or right down.”
Offensively, Buffalo began its season with high scoring but has struggled recently against New England and Atlanta; both head coach McDermott and offensive coordinator Joe Brady called for improved urgency and execution.
“We just haven’t been there – or haven’t been there consistently enough over last three games in particular,” McDermott said.
Allen acknowledged areas needing improvement but believes issues are fixable: “Just going out there executing each given play call… making sure throughout week we’re straining in practice finishing on plays… Sometimes it’s small things.” He highlighted learning from defeats: “You learn lot from these losses maybe you don’t learn wins.” Allen also pointed out importance of celebrating successes together as part of building camaraderie within squad.
“I think it’s very correctable,” he said regarding recent struggles. “Just pulling together as team… getting back fundamentals again… trusting other ten guys on field with you.”
