The Buffalo Bills (4–1) finally took their first punch of the season, going down 20-23 to the New England Patriots (3-2). And yeah, it stung a little more than usual. Because for all the hype around Buffalo’s start, this was their first real test, and they came up short. Sure, it took a 52-yard field goal close to the buzzer, but the performance raised some red flags. Fans are already pointing fingers, and head coach Sean McDermott’s getting calls to make a move.

According to analyst Greg Tompsett, the Bills have an opportunity to fix some cracks in that offense. “The Saints have paid Rashid Shaheed $1.16M of his $4.2M in 2025 salary. Let’s say the Bills traded for him at the bye week, they’d have to pay him $2.56M the rest of the year… that’s doable for the 27-year-old speedster. His ability as a deep threat & returner is intriguing,” he wrote on X.

Shaheed’s 2025 base salary is $4.2 million, with a cap hit around $4.45M. Not pocket change, but for a contender that desperately needs juice on offense and special teams, it’s completely workable. It won’t break the bank, but could change a game or two in November and December.

And Shaheed could be exactly that. He brings that electric speed (not surprising considering who his parents are), something Buffalo’s offense has been sorely missing. He’s averaging 13.1 yards per catch this season, and just this past week, he went off for four receptions, 114 yards, and an 87-yard touchdown in the Saints’ 26–14 win over the New York Giants. The Bills don’t have a WR who can stretch the field like that right now.

But here’s where Shaheed becomes even more valuable: he’s not just a receiver. He’s also one of the best return men in the league. With Brandon Codrington inactive the past two games, Buffalo’s been experimenting with Khalil Shakir on punt returns and Curtis Samuel on kicks. Let’s just say… it hasn’t clicked. Shaheed averaged a ridiculous 15.9 yards per punt return last season.

And if the Patriots game told us anything, it’s that the Bills’ receivers are far from perfect. They just aren’t getting open. Against New England, Josh Allen did what Josh Allen always does. He tried to make plays, but he was basically sitting in the pocket waiting for someone, anyone, to get separation. That time never came.

Next Gen Stats show Allen’s average time to throw against the Patriots was 3.27 seconds, his longest of the season and almost half a second slower than his average through the first four weeks (2.84). That’s a clear sign his receivers weren’t shaking coverage. A speedy addition like Shaheed’s cannot possibly go wrong for the Bills. And Josh Allen, who criticized the offense after the game, would surely welcome this addition.

Josh Allen criticizes the Bills’ offense

Yes, Josh Allen racked up 253 yards, two touchdowns, along with an interception and a lost fumble while going 22 for 31. Decent numbers, but he wasn’t happy with the offense all around.

“We just played sloppy,” Allen said. “Not gonna win a football game, turning the ball over three times, in our red zone. Gave them one in their red zone. We shouldn’t have even been in it with three turnovers. So, again, that’s just piss poor offense.”

He didn’t name names, but the subtext wasn’t hard to read. The receivers simply weren’t good enough. Keon Coleman hauled in a late touchdown, but he also had a crucial fumble. And outside of that, the Bills’ five wideouts combined for just 130 yards. That’s brutal when you’ve got one of the best quarterbacks in the league firing lasers all night.

It’s not a new story, either. Through four weeks, Buffalo’s receiving corps just hasn’t been the step-up group fans hoped for. On passes 20 yards or more downfield, they rank 28th in average target separation, according to Cover 1’s Anthony Prohaska. That’s bottom-of-the-barrel for a supposed Super Bowl contender.

The only real offensive threat was arguably TE Dalton Kincaid, who set a career high with 108 receiving yards. The receiving corps needs to step up if the Bills want to challenge the Lombardi this year, as everyone expects them to.