Buffalo Bills Run Defense Improving, But Still Not Great

Much of the positive rhetoric surrounding the Buffalo Bills this pre-season has involved their improvements made defending the run. After watching Buffalo get run on and around at will for the better part of the past three seasons, any stoutness whatsoever against the run would've been a sight for sore eyes.

Unfortunately, Bills fans, this team - while improved - still has work to do to become a consistently excellent run defense. In the meantime, we can settle for "not terrible" if we so choose.

Through three pre-season games, Buffalo's first team defense has yielded 99 rushing yards on 29 carries. That 3.4 yards-per-carry average allowed is a far cry from the league-worst 4.8 yards-per-carry average the team surrendered last season. However, the team has also surrendered a touchdown - and add in the scrambling abilities of Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie and David Garrard, and you can add another four carries, 19 yards and two scores to those totals.

Keep in mind, also, that two of their pre-season opponents were resting top rushers (Matt Forte in Chicago and Maurice Jones-Drew against Jacksonville).

Yes, Buffalo's run defense has improved. It's too early to tell just how much it's improved, but we do know that there's still a lot of room to grow.