After a classic Sunday Night Football matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills are looking to improve their defense. The team recently made a move, signing a defensive tackle to the practice squad, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
“The Bills have signed former Commanders second-rounder Phidarian Mathis to their practice squad,” Rapoport wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Commanders drafted Mathis in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was in the third year of his four-year rookie deal when he was waived in December 2024. Mathis played in 12 games for the Commanders last season and recorded 17 tackles and a pass defended.
Mathis seems to be a depth piece for the Bills, and if there's an injury in the starting rotation, there's a good chance that he could be called up on the active roster. The defensive line had a long night with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, as the Ravens finished with 238 rushing yards. The Bills were able to get after Jackson, sacking him twice.
Nonetheless, the Bills were still able to make a miraculous comeback in the fourth quarter as they were down 40-25 at one point. The offense and defense came up big at the right time, and they were able to take the 41-40 win. One player on the team never stopped believing, and Dion Dawkins said it was Josh Allen.
“We’re still in it. He just kept saying, ‘We’re still in it.’ And to hear him say that, it keeps our confidence there. If we look to our right on the bench and Josh is down and sad, and his energy isn’t up, we would've been like, ‘Alright, if Josh is saying it’s over, then it’s over.' But Josh just kept saying, ‘We’re still in it,'” Dawkins said via Speakeasy.
The Bills showed that they're going to be a tough team again this season, and the AFC could be in trouble.
