Rapp’s Injury Leaves Hole in Bills’ Defense
In a crushing blow to their Super Bowl chances, the Buffalo Bills lost starting safety Taylor Rapp to a hip injury during Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. The standout defensive back, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod this season, exited in the second quarter and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Rapp’s absence was immediately felt, as the Bills’ secondary struggled to contain Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and the explosive Baltimore offense. Rookie replacement Cole Bishop was thrust into action and experienced some growing pains, leading to several big plays by the Ravens’ passing attack.
Losing a player of Taylor’s caliber is always difficult, especially at this stage of the playoffs. We have full faith in Cole to step up, but there’s no question it changes things on the back end.
– Bills head coach Sean McDermott
Rapp’s Stellar Season
Before the injury, Rapp was in the midst of a breakout campaign for Buffalo. The third-year safety compiled a career-high 5 interceptions during the regular season, earning widespread praise for his playmaking ability and nose for the football. He also registered 96 tackles and 11 passes defended while serving as the quarterback of the Bills’ secondary.
Rapp’s stellar play continued into the postseason, as he picked off Jackson in the first quarter on Sunday before being forced from the game. His turnover set up a Bills touchdown drive and gave Buffalo early momentum.
Next Man Up Mentality
With Rapp sidelined, the Bills will now turn to Bishop and veteran backups Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin to fill the void. While all are quality players, it’s difficult to replace the chemistry and continuity that Rapp brought to the Buffalo defense.
- Bishop started 4 games as a rookie and showed promise
- Johnson is a core special teamer and solid reserve
- Hamlin has played sparingly on defense this season
As a defense, we pride ourselves on being ready when our number is called. Losing Taylor is a tough blow, but we have guys waiting in the wings who have prepared for this moment. It’s next man up.
– Bills linebacker Von Miller
The Bills managed to escape with a narrow victory over the Ravens despite Rapp’s absence, but they’ll need improved play from their safety replacements moving forward. Buffalo’s defense was the stingiest in the NFL this season, and Rapp was a major reason why.
Super Bowl Odds Take Hit
Even with the win, Rapp’s injury caused the Bills’ Super Bowl odds to lengthen slightly. Buffalo entered the playoffs as the betting favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but they’ve now fallen behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in the futures market.
| TEAM | SUPER BOWL ODDS |
| Chiefs | +225 |
| Eagles | +260 |
| Bills | +320 |
The uncertainty surrounding Rapp’s health and availability for the rest of the postseason is clearly causing some hesitation among bettors and bookmakers. The Bills remain a very talented team, but their path to a championship becomes much more difficult without one of their defensive leaders.
Long Road Ahead
Rapp’s injury comes at the worst possible time for a Bills squad with Super Bowl-or-bust aspirations. Buffalo must now regroup and hope its depth can carry the day as they continue on what they hope is a long postseason run.
The Bills have lost in heartbreaking fashion in each of the past two playoffs, and they viewed this as the season to finally get over the hump. While the team is still immensely talented, Rapp’s hip issue adds another obstacle to an already pressure-packed journey.
Adversity is nothing new to this team. We’ve been through a lot over the last few years, and this is just another challenge to overcome. Our goals haven’t changed.
– Bills quarterback Josh Allen
The road ahead is daunting, but the Bills remain confident they have the roster to navigate it, even without one of their rising stars. Rapp’s injury is a gut punch to Buffalo’s championship dreams, but this team has proven doubters wrong before. They’ll need to do so again if they hope to finally bring a long-awaited Super Bowl title back to western New York.
