The mood in Orchard Park is uneasy early in the 2025 season. One week in, the Buffalo Bills find themselves battling issues on two fronts—injuries and intensity. Their tough Week 1 victory over the Baltimore Ravens wasn’t enough to satisfy head coach Sean McDermott, who believes the team’s overall performance fell short of his standards. Now, with an upcoming divisional matchup against the New York Jets, McDermott’s expectations for toughness and focus are colliding with early injury worries.

The biggest concern arose on Thursday when defensive tackle Ed Oliver was listed on the injury report. Oliver missed practice due to an ankle injury, appearing with a walking boot and using a scooter. After a dominant performance against Baltimore—with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble—losing Oliver, even temporarily, would weaken the Bills’ defensive front. McDermott is expected to provide an update on Oliver’s status soon, but early signs are not promising.

Meanwhile, McDermott has challenged his healthy players to push harder. On Wednesday, he called for a fully padded, high-contact practice, unusual this early in the year. “This week needs to be hard,” McDermott told reporters. “It really needs to be hard for us.” The challenge resonated with the locker room, particularly with quarterback Josh Allen.

Allen embraced the call with his trademark intensity. “This is a tough sport,” he said. “It’s not for everybody. You got to be a little sick to love this game. We got some sickos.” Known for seeking contact early to ignite his game, Allen’s edge was clear even in practice that limited physicality.

As the Bills prep for Sunday’s divisional showdown with the Jets, they’re balancing the need to restore Sean McDermott’s demanded toughness while hoping their key players stay healthy. The season has just begun, but the pressure is already mounting.

Josh Allen’s comeback magic electrifies record-breaking opener

Sunday’s nationally televised clash showcased exactly the type of toughness McDermott demands. On NBC’s Sunday Night Football, the Bills stunned viewers with a 41-40 overtime thriller against the Ravens, drawing 24.7 million viewers—the highest Sunday night opener audience in three years. At one point, 28.2 million fans were glued to the screen.

Allen engineered one of the most dramatic comebacks in franchise history. Down by 15 points with less than four minutes left, Allen powered the offense with two rushing touchdowns, a pinpoint pass to Keon Coleman for a critical score, and a frantic 66-yard drive in just 86 seconds to set up Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal. “Our team didn’t quit,” Allen said afterward. “Have some faith next time.”

Finishing with 394 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and two rushing scores, Allen electrified the moment. Coleman caught eight passes for 112 yards, and James Cook added a rushing touchdown. The Bills also made NFL history by becoming the first team to win after allowing 40+ points and 235+ rushing yards, breaking a 0-277 all-time record.

For Buffalo fans, the message is simple: With Josh Allen playing like this, it’s never safe to count them out early. His comeback magic proved yet again why he’s one of the NFL’s most electrifying talents.