Buffalo Bills insider Chris Brown breaks down the top three storylines to know going into this week's Bills vs. Raiders matchup.

Looking to stay hot coming off a dramatic overtime victory in Week 5, here are the main things to look out for:

1 – Leonhard poised to make changes defensively

The Bills defense has not demonstrated the improvement or consistency that defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was hoping for through the first five games of the season. And now, as he and his defensive staff prepare for their Week 6 matchup with Las Vegas, he believes there is time to make some adjustments to his play calls and his lineup.

"Right now, it's too inconsistent to pretend that we're building and working and making improvements," Leonhard said. "Everything's being evaluated right now, starting with every decision I'm making, and we've got to put them in better positions to have success.

"Guys have to make plays when given opportunities, and it really comes down to just finishing games. We have stretches where we play good football. We've had stretches where we get things accomplished but sustaining it for 60 minutes or 60 minutes plus in the case of [Monday night] has not happened."

Buffalo's defense currently ranks 30th in total defense, 31st in first downs allowed per game, 31st in pass defense, and 28th in points allowed.

Leonhard maintained that it's not all bad on Buffalo's defense. They are generating consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and rank a respectable 15th in run defense. But things need to shift to better down-to-down and series-to-series consistency.

"I've got a lot of faith in coaches and the players that we're going to make the adjustments needed," Leonhard said. "And this is professional football. If we don't feel like the answers are here, then yeah, there needs to be some big conversations. But first things first, we've got to fix it with what we have and the players that we're playing with on Sundays and who we're game planning for. We've got to find a way to give them game plans that we can go out there and execute."

Leonhard already made one change to the lineup this past week, inserting CB Davison Igbinosun into the starting lineup in Week 5. He platooned with CB Max Hairston opposite CB Christian Benford at cornerback as the veteran returned from a toe injury to play Monday night.

They also signed CB Anthony Kendall to the active roster to help them in the slot at nickel corner with S Damar Hamlin in the absence of CB Dee Alford, DB Jordan Hancock, and DB Te'Cory Couch due to injury. Kendall had some previous experience playing inside. He has since been released from the active roster and presumably will be re-signed to the team's practice squad where he was previously.

Buffalo's defensive coordinator didn't put the shortcomings solely on his players, as he pointed at himself when it comes to putting a plan together that can accentuate his players' strengths.

Head coach Joe Brady, in reviewing his team's defensive play, believes his young defense needs to develop a better sense of time and score, down and distance and recognize the goals of the opposing offense.

"I think the biggest thing is guys not pressing and just trusting the scheme and then also the situational awareness," Brady said. "How are they trying to attack us in this situation? I think the more that we play, the more the guys will understand the calls and what's expected in that. I think it'll allow them to play a little more confidently."

"There's some good football happening," Leonhard said. "Again, we're in some bad company right now as far as where we're at in the league statistically, but we've got to build off of what we're doing well. The front is doing a great job. They're impacting the game. We are stopping the run. We're affecting the quarterback. Now we've got to put it all together.

"I'm still optimistic. Doesn't mean I'm not [upset]. I don't like the way things are going, but I'm going to stick my head down and just get back to work. I'm going through it all because it has to change."

2 - Raiders will test ball security

The Bills know they have put the ball on the ground too much lately. Through five games, Buffalo is tied for third in the league in fumbles (10) and tied for second in fumbles lost (five). They also have four interceptions on the season, helping to give them a minus-four turnover margin on the season, which ranks 24th.

RB James Cook III has been at the center of the team's fumbling problem. Since the start of the 2025 season, Cook has 11 fumbles, including the playoffs, which leads all running backs in the league over that span. His six fumbles lost in that stretch also tops the league.

"Right now, we're putting the ball in harm's way, and we know that's the way that we lose football games is we turn the ball over," Brady said. "James has put the ball on the ground. He's doing so many good things running the football, and I don't want to lose sight of how great he is running the ball right now, but we're putting the ball on the ground, and it's negating all the positive.

"And I have all the confidence in him. That's why I put him right back out there. But obviously at some point there has to be consequences when we're putting negative stuff out there. James knows. It's important to him, but that can't happen, and it's going to cost us football games, and it almost cost us that one. So, it's got to improve, or the carries are going to decrease."

The timing of the team's issue with ball security is not ideal as they're going to face a Las Vegas Raiders team that has been one of the most opportunistic defenses in the league when it comes to forcing fumbles.

Despite the loss in New England last week, the Raiders defense forced their 10th turnover of the season, currently tied for the most in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.

Forced fumbles have been their most effective means of taking the ball from their opponents, as they have a league-leading 11 (six recovered). They're just the third NFL club in the last 30 years to register that many through the first five weeks of a season.

Las Vegas also has a league-best six takeaways via forced fumbles. With at least one forced fumble in four of their first five games, it's the most the Raiders have accumulated through the first five weeks of the season in a decade.

Brady is confident the Raiders coaching staff will be emphasizing Cook's propensity to lose the ball as they prepare for the Bills offense this week.

"Every team that we're going to play is probably going to put that on the scouting report," Brady said. "We have to continue to improve on that, or else it's going to continue to show up, and it's going to cost us."

3 – Answers for an elite playmaker

Raiders TE Brock Bowers had ongoing knee injuries that compromised him in the 2025 season, but he's back in the Las Vegas lineup and doing what he always does. Make game-changing plays.

He's the only tight end in the history of college football to win two Mackey Awards. In his first NFL season with the Raiders, Bowers broke the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end, breaking the late Mike Ditka's 61-year old record by more than 100 receiving yards with 1,194. He also set the mark for most receptions by any rookie with 112, surpassing Puka Nacua's record season in 2023 (105).

In his last two games, Bowers has 16 receptions for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns as NFL defenses find it hard to hold him down for long. He's currently just four receiving yards behind Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta for the league lead among tight ends.

Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who spent the past two seasons coaching in the AFC West in Denver, knows the tall task the Raiders tight end will be for Buffalo's defense.

"Brock Bowers is a problem," Leonhard said. "He's one of the premier players in the NFL. I mean, I wouldn't even say just at tight end, just in the NFL. So it's going to be a challenge. It all has to start through him as far as how we try to stop this offense, and it's going to be a big test."