The Bills allowed an average of 28.5 points per game in their first six games of the 2026 season and improving on that was a focus for the team during their bye week.

Sunday’s return to action resulted in much better numbers. They allowed the Ravens 144 yards in a 36-10 win that moved their record to 6-1 on the season. After the game was over, head coach Joe Brady said he wants the unit to look at that performance as their standard for the rest of the season.

“I think our defense should look at today and understand that that’s what the expectation is,” Brady said, via the team’s website. “And I’m not talking about the production. I’m not talking about the takeaways and sacks. I’m talking about the style that they played, the way that they flew around. Look, I’m just watching it out there, but I think the silent tape’s going to speak loudly in terms of the way that they played for one another, the way they ran around, the communication. Everything we challenged them with coming off the bye, I thought they responded to it, and they just kept going.”

Brady’s message was about the defense, but it’s hard to ignore what was going on for the Ravens offense. Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both left the game with injuries, which meant undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano was pressed into action for the first time in the NFL.

Fagnano was overmatched, but future Bills opponents won’t be quite so hamstrung and the Buffalo defense will have to show that they are able to match that level of play against all comers.