The Buffalo Bills are limping into their upcoming bye week after a stunning loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Buffalo lost in prime time for the second straight week and the New England Patriots surpassed the Bills for first place in the AFC East.
Injuries have played a role in Buffalo’s sudden slump. Dalton Kincaid and Curtis Samuel missed the team’s Week 6 clash with Atlanta, hampering the offense. On the defensive side, Matt Milano was ruled out while Damar Hamlin and T.J. Sanders landed on IR.
On Monday the Bills added DaQuan Jones to their lengthy list of banged up players. Jones came down with an injury prior to the MNF matchup with the Falcons. Sean McDermott says the veteran defensive tackle “popped his calf” during pregame warmups, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. After the loss, Jones was seen wearing a walking boot.
Beat up Bills lose DaQuan Jones during MNF pregame warmups
Jones had started all five games for the Bills prior to Week 6, playing 64 percent of defensive snaps. He’s been a fixture on Buffalo’s d-line, starting all 44 games he’s played for the team since signing with the Bills in 2022.
Jones had helped anchor the defensive line in Ed Oliver’s absence. Fortunately for Buffalo, Oliver made his return to the field on Monday night, seeing his first action since Week 1.
The Bills also elevated DT Jordan Phillips from the practice squad for the Falcons clash. But Jones’ injury left the team thin at defensive tackle once again.
Buffalo has struggled against the run in 2025. After middle-of-the-pack finishes the last two seasons, the Bills rank 30th in the league against the rush this year, allowing 156.3 yards per game.
Those struggles continued in Week 6 as the Falcons ran for 210 yards. Bijan Robinson looked unstoppable, averaging 8.9 yards per carry. He racked up 170 rushing yards and a touchdown on Monday night.
However, the Bills’ problems against Atlanta were not limited to the defensive side of the ball. Josh Allen was intercepted twice by the Falcons. The reigning MVP has now had back-to-back multi-turnover games.
Allen insists he’s not injured. But the Bills’ offense scored just two touchdowns. And the All-Pro quarterback’s 18.7 QBR was his lowest since Week 14 of the 2019 season.
The Bills head into a well-timed bye. The team will try to regroup before taking on the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.
