Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills endured a lopsided 38-0 loss to the Chicago Bears in their second preseason game of the year, a result that might unsettle some fans but serves to remind that exhibition games exist to work out kinks. There have been plenty of questions about both safety positions since Buffalo moved on from Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.
With that, all eyes are now on Cole Bishop, a 2024 second-round pick who’s projected to start alongside Taylor Rapp. Despite a rough outing against the Chicago Bears, Bishop continues to flash athleticism that suggests he’ll thrive as a starter with more experience.
Bishop played just 12 snaps across a couple of series in Chicago, and he was the only projected starter among a reserve-heavy defense. The Bears’ pass-heavy attack overwhelmed Buffalo’s vanilla scheme, and Bishop struggled in coverage — notably getting beaten in man coverage by slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus for a touchdown. He recorded one tackle (solo) in limited action. So while Bishop’s play deserves some scrutiny, context and metrics can help point Bills Mafia to a less apocalyptic future.
Bishop’s athletic profile outpaces Damar Hamlin (who started 14 games in 2024) and, despite the struggles when the Kansas City Chiefs took advantage of his physical limitations in the playoffs, hardly ever looked like a complete liability. At 6’2” and 207 pounds, Bishop’s 4.45-second 40-yard dash (89th percentile) and 128.3 burst score (79th percentile) surpass Hamlin’s 4.62 40-yard dash (73rd percentile).
In 2024, Bishop allowed a 62.4 passer rating when targeted (358 snaps), outperforming Hamlin’s 78.3, implying sharper coverage instincts. His rookie stats — 40 tackles (25 solo), 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections, 3 stuffs in 16 games (4 starts) — speak to his play-making ability.
In the 2024 AFC Championship against Kansas City, Bishop showed great range with 10 tackles (9 solo) and almost made a game-changing interception of a questionable catch by Xavier Worthy, which resulted in a first down to the Chiefs. If he got there a little bit earlier, or if Worthy didn’t (incredibly) keep one hand on the ball, we’d be here talking about what an awesome play Bishop made. Game of inches.
Bishop’s inexperience is obvious: He’s a second-year player who’s struggled with nagging injuries that have robbed him of valuable reps in camp. He’s also the main investment by the team at the position. After a slow start and a promising finish last season, Bishop needs an opportunity to show if he can get to the level the Bills expect of him. A bad series when coming back from injury and playing surrounded by several struggling backups shouldn’t carry more value than an entire season of continued development.
If we analyze the play where he was beaten for a touchdown in Chicago, Zaccheaus is a shifty slot receiver with a knack for exploiting mismatches (45 receptions and 506 yards with Washington last season). But it wasn’t as awful as some overreactions lead one to believe.
Pre-snap motion isolated Bishop in man...
