Five Bold Buffalo Bills' Predictions for 2026 Second Half

At 7-1, the Buffalo Bills are tied for the best record in the NFL and have the No. 1 seed in the AFC right now. They're coming off a statement victory over the Minnesota Vikings, winning 23-6 against one of the top defenses in the league.

With eight games behind them, the Bills are at just about the halfway point. They've seen enough of their team to feel confident that they can match up against anyone, although they were also smart enough to admit there were some concerns.

That's why Brandon Beane made a move at the NFL trade deadline, bringing in veteran safety Amani Hooker in exchange for a second-round pick. With all that behind us, let's look ahead to the final nine games and make some bold predictions for the Bills' second half of the season.

Bills boast Top 10 defense for final nine games

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard visits with players during day two of training camp. — Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard visits with players during day two of training camp at St. John Fisher University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Buffalo gave up at least 30 points in four of their first six games of the season. Since the bye week, however, they've surrendered 16 points over two games. Bills On SI's Ralph Ventre recently wrote that this defense, which struggled mightily against the pass to begin the year, gave up no passing touchdowns over the past two games as they shut down the Ravens and Vikings. The two teams combined for just 250 passing yards and completed fewer than 50 percent of their attempts.

Buffalo did face backups in each game, but it's clear their defense has been improving. Now, with the addition of Hooker, look for that to continue. They won't be as dominant against starting quarterbacks, but this bold prediction has Jim Leonhard's defense playing at a top-10 level for the remainder of the year.

Amani Hooker makes four interceptions for Bills

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker reacts after intercepting a pass during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Amani Hooker has been a solid player throughout his career, but comes to Buffalo on a hot streak. He has a league-leading five interceptions, thanks in large part to his three interception performance during the Tennessee Titans' Week 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

That will go down as his final game with the Titans, but there are still plenty of highlights left for Hooker. In this bold prediction, he continues to play at an incredibly high level and picks off four more passes this season. That should be enough for him to finish atop the leaderboard for the season.

DJ Moore catches fire, finishes season with 900 yards, eight touchdowns

Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore carries the ball in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following an explosive debut with the Bills, DJ Moore has slowed down tremendously. A shoulder injury has been part of the problem as he's missed two full games, while being limited in others. What we have seen, however, is that Moore can be a difference-maker when healthy.

Moore currently has 285 yards and two touchdowns, but in this bold prediction, he's able to stay healthy and pad his stats. Look for Moore to finish with 900 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.

Josh Allen tops 4,000 yards for first time since 2023

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks to pass during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As good as Josh Allen has been for the Bills, he hasn't had huge numbers when it comes to passing yardage. While he did have a four-year stretch with more than 4,000 yards, he hasn't hit that mark since the 2023 season. After eight games in 2026, he's on pace to achieve that once again as he has thrown for 2,027 yards. In this bold prediction, he picks that pace up a bit as the season goes along, allowing him to finish with more than 4,000 yards through the air for the first time in three years.

Greg Rousseau finishes with 15 sacks

Buffalo Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Greg Rousseau was off to a tremendous start with six sacks in the Bills' first three games. He then went three games without a sack, but has picked things up again as he has one in each of the past two games.

Rousseau has been a stud under Jim Leonhard and that should continue in the second half of the season. That's why this final bold prediction has Rousseau racking up seven sacks in the final nine games, giving him a total of 15 on the year.

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