The Bills are back at it — and Friday’s joint practice with the Chicago Bears gave us plenty to chew on ahead of Sunday night’s preseason showdown at Soldier Field. Coming off a rough outing against the Giants, Buffalo needed a spark. And while there were ups and downs, the biggest takeaway is clear: this defense, especially the pass rush, is about to make life miserable for opponents.

The Pass Rush We’ve Been Waiting For

Bills fans have been begging for a consistent pass rush for years — and for the first time in a long time, it looks like Brandon Beane may have nailed it.

Joey Bosa? He looked every bit the superstar, racking up a couple of sacks. Greg Rousseau? Dominant against both the pass and run, even knocking down a ball at the line. And the young guys — Landon Jackson and Javon Solomon — kept the pressure coming.

Rousseau summed it up perfectly: “You’ve got to bring that physical nature day in and day out.” With Bosa mentoring him, Groot looks ready to take another step forward.

Bills Mafia, we’ve seen this story before: high hopes, flashes of brilliance, but injuries or inconsistency derailing the D-line. This year feels different. With a blend of proven vets and hungry young talent, this group has the makings of the most disruptive unit we’ve seen in McDermott’s tenure.

Josh Allen: Rough, but Context Matters

Not gonna sugarcoat it — Josh started rough. An interception, a couple passes batted down, and some frustration showed.

But here’s the thing: he’s throwing to a patchwork group right now. Khalil Shakir’s been out for weeks, Curtis Samuel hasn’t been available most of camp, and Elijah Moore and Joshua Palmer are still getting healthy. That’s a lot of missing firepower.

McDermott’s clearly not thrilled about the injuries, especially with Samuel, but he pointed out the growing connection between Allen and Palmer — something we’ll need if this offense is going to click early.

Bottom line: Allen’s a beast. He's going to be fine. Better than fine. 

Fire and Fights: Tempers Boil Over

Bills Mafia loves a little fire — and Friday had plenty of it. Multiple skirmishes broke out, especially on special teams, with Ja’Marcus Ingram and Dorian Williams right in the mix.

McDermott doesn’t like the fights, calling them wasted reps, but let’s be honest — it’s hard not to smile seeing that edge. This team is sick of hearing about last year’s collapse and they’re playing with a chip. That’s the kind of energy we want going into Week 1.

Secondary Still Coming Together

While the pass rush made life tough on Bears quarterbacks, the secondary was a mixed bag. Christian Benford continues to impress, looking steady and confident. Tre’Davious White, though, got tested and gave up some plays — something to keep an eye on.

The corner battle behind them is heating up too, with Dane Jackson, Ingram, and rookie Dorian Strong fighting for limited spots once Maxwell Hairston returns. At safety, it was good to see Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop back, but the chemistry isn’t quite there yet.

Still, with a more consistent pass rush up front, this secondary won’t need to hold as long. That’s huge.

Special Teams Notes

With Tyler Bass sidelined, Caden Davis took over all the kicking duties. McDermott said they’re eyeing next week for Bass’s return. Fingers crossed.

Kick return auditions included Laviska Shenault, KJ Hamler, Brandon Codrington, Darrynton Evans, and Elijah Moore — his first shot at the role. Punt return reps went to Codrington and Hamler.

McDermott reminded everyone: “When you’re not wide receiver No. 1, that’s true of everyone.” Translation? If you’re fighting for a roster spot, you better show up on teams.

Mafia Mindset: What It Means

So what did we learn? This Bills team isn’t perfect — the offense is banged up, Josh had some struggles, and the secondary needs work. But the energy, the attitude, and most importantly the pass rush look legit.

We’ve seen too many seasons where the Bills couldn’t close out games because the defense couldn’t get that one key stop. If this front four keeps rolling like they did Friday, that’s about to change.

For Bills fans, that’s the dream: Josh Allen with more possessions, a defense that doesn’t bend late, and a team that finally pushes through in January.

It’s only August, but the pieces are coming together.

Fan Takeaways 🦬🔥

• Joey Bosa + Greg Rousseau might be the scariest pass-rush combo we’ve had in forever.
  

• Christian Benford = rock solid. Tre White needs to tighten up, but I’ll trust him in the big moments.

• The youth on defense (Jackson, Solomon, Strong) are bringing that juice.