The Buffalo Bills bounced back from their devastating Week 10 loss against the Minnesota Vikings to pick up a much needed win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, but that hasn't stopped Bills overreactions from coming out. Despite the win, the Bills are still sitting behind the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East, and as a result, some big overreactions began to file out after Buffalo's latest outing.
The Bills were widely expected to be a superpower team in the NFL this season, and while they obviously are one of the best teams in the league, it hasn't always shown. They have had some confusing losses to the Jets and Dolphins, and even when they win, they haven't looked overly encouraging.
That was the case against the Browns, as the Bills settled for six field goals and allowed Jacoby Brissett to torch them for most of the day. A win is a win, but it's clear some overreactions that have flared up from this game could give Buffalo fans false beliefs regarding their team. Let's take a look at three such overreactions and see why they are labeled as such.
1. The Bills secondary struggles will crush their Super Bowl aspirations
The Bills secondary was their strength in the 2021 season, but they have struggled for long stretches of the 2022 season, and even though they beat Cleveland, their struggles in that department were on full display. There have been injuries to key players that certainly haven't helped, but it's becoming clear that Buffalo's secondary may be a real issue for them.
The Bills allowed Brissett to get whatever he wanted against them, as he passed for 324 yards and three touchdowns in this one, which is quite concerning. For what it's worth, Brissett hadn't thrown for over 300 yards in any game this season, nor had he thrown for three touchdowns in a game this season, but he did both against Buffalo. Amari Cooper embarrassed Dane Jackson for much of the game, hauling in eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
There's reason to be concerned, especially considering Micah Hyde is out for the rest of the season, but the situation isn't necessarily as dire as it looks. Tre'Davious White should be returning sooner rather than later, and given how good he's been throughout his career, it's worth believing he can save this secondary. But he actually needs to play (White was out once again in Week 11) and the longer he's out, the longer the Bills secondary will continue to struggle.
2. The Bills need to give James Cook more carries than Devin Singletary
The Bills running back room always seems to be a little bit messy, and that has certainly been the case this season. Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and 2022 second-round pick James Cook were all battling for snaps. Moss eventually got traded to the Indianapolis Colts, leaving Singletary and Cook to split the carries.
Singletary is a solid running back, but he can never seem to cement himself as the team's lead running back. He had a solid outing against the Browns (18 CAR, 86 YDS, 1 TD, 2 REC, 11 YDS) but it's worth noting that Cook managed to pick up 86 yards himself on the ground, but in just 11 carries. Cook is also averaging 5.8 yards per carry on the season compared to Singletary's 4.4 yards per carry.
It seems like the Bills should be giving Cook more carries than Singletary, but right now the ground game is flowing perfectly by using Cook as a change of pace back. There's no need to mess that up, especially as Josh Allen is going through a bit of a rough patch throwing the football. It's too soon for Cook to be the lead back, but it's clear he's knocking on the door.
3. The Bills made a mistake trading for Nyheim Hines
As previously mentioned, Buffalo traded Moss earlier this season in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts for Nyheim Hines. Hines was expected to become a big part of the Bills offense immediately as their pass-catching running back, but the early results have actually been quite the opposite.
Hines' first three games with the Bills have been wildly disappointing. He's barely playing, and when he does, he isn't getting the ball. Hines has gotten one carry for nine yards and one reception that lost eight yards in his three games so far. Talk about a rough first impression with your new team.
At this point, it's fair for Bills fans to question why on earth the team traded for Hines if they have barely used him. And while that's fair, Hines likely needs time to adapt to the new system he finds himself in, which is understandable, and that is likely preventing him from making a bigger impact. The Bills are still trying to figure out ways to get him involved, and just because he hasn't done anything in three games doesn't mean this deal was a complete mistake for Buffalo.