There were big questions surrounding Cole Bishop coming into the season, but he has shown improvement culminating in a big interception last week.
ORCHARD PARK - Because the Buffalo Bills had so few true roster worries during the offseason and then into training camp, there was no player under a more powerful microscope than second-year safety Cole Bishop.
On a team that had just about every starting position figured out before it even arrived at St. John Fisher University, the only ones to watch were cornerback - Tre’Davious White or Maxwell Hairston which ended up being a non-competition once Hairston got hurt - and safety. And we’re not talking about Taylor Rapp’s starting job.
Bishop, a second-round pick in 2024, needed to prove he was worth that lofty draft status following a rookie season that was derailed by a training camp injury, and then was marked by uneven play once he got onto the field in the second half of the season.
It did not start well for Bishop because he suffered another summertime injury that cost him reps, and after that touchdown the Chicago Bears scored against him early in the second preseason game, the one where Bishop looked completely lost, red flags were flying high over One Bills Drive.
Coach Sean McDermott even hinted three weeks before the season opener that Bishop’s starting position was still up for grabs.
Cole Bishop's big interception vs Saints
Ultimately, he won the job and now four games into the regular season, the questions regarding Bishop’s viability have started to dwindle, especially after the superb interception he made last week in the victory over New Orleans which took certain points off the scoreboard right before the end of the first half.
“Well, it was a huge play in the game,” McDermott said. “And Cole’s play has ratcheted up each week, preseason and now in the regular season, with still a lot of the journey ahead of him in this young career that he’s in. His teammates have stood by him and supported him, and his rapport with T-Rapp is really good. It was just great to see him make a play like that. I mean, that was a big-time play and a big-time moment of the game. Those are the plays, quite honestly, we need to be made, and he made it.”
On opening night against Baltimore, Bishop wasn’t great but no one on the defense was as the Bills gave up 40 points. Since then, as McDermott indicated, he has made steady improvement, culminating with his interception which was one of the best defensive plays of the Bills’ season, perhaps even in the NFL.
“I’m just trying to go out there and do my job, help the team as much as I can, so being able to make a play in the red zone was huge,” Bishop said. “I’ve worked really hard this offseason to put myself in a good position, so to be able to have a little bit of success in that situation was awesome.”
The instincts, the speed, and the athleticism he showed to first sniff that trick play out, get over to defend it, and then make a fabulous catch for the pick is exactly what the Bills believed he could bring to the defense when they traded up in the draft to get him.
“He got off to a little bit of a rocky start, but he has stayed focused and disciplined, and he’s worked his butt off and worked alongside coach (Joe) Danna, and they’ve done a great job,” McDermott said.
Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich has loved the way Bishop has begun to settle into his role, and the interception was a byproduct of the work he has put in, particularly on the mental side because being able to react to what was happening on that play, one the Saints hadn’t shown on film, was every bit as impressive as the play on the ball that he made.
“Things like that, being able to get your hand on the ball and bring it in in such a critical moment can create confidence and can really elevate a guy,” Babich said. “It’s that first one, right? It’s that first of whatever it is, to where you’re like, ‘OK, I’ve got it now.’ Hopefully he turns into a magnet for the ball at this point moving forward. It was an incredible play. Incredible play.”
Patriots' strong passing game to test Bills defense
It’s the kind of play Bishop and the Bills’ No. 1-ranked pass defense need to keep making, starting Sunday night when the New England Patriots come to town for an AFC East showdown that will either end with the Bills in complete control of the division with at least a three-game lead over everyone, or with a narrow one-game lead over Mike Vrabel’s revamped team, one that clearly looks like Buffalo’s chief competition this season.
The Bills will have to deal with old friend Stefon Diggs who turned back the clock last week in the Patriots’ 42-13 blowout of the Panthers with his first 100-yard performance in 22 games dating back to the middle of his 2023 season with Buffalo. Diggs leads the Patriots with 19 receptions for 213 yards.
Emerging quarterback Drake Maye, who had so few weapons in his 2024 rookie season yet still performed admirably, can also look to tight end Hunter Henry who has caught all 13 of his targets, averaged 13.6 yards which have produced 11 first downs including three touchdowns, plus Kayshon Boutte who is averaging 16.5 yards per reception.
Maye leads the NFL in completion percentage at 74.0 and is averaging 247 yards through the air which is actually more than Josh Allen (241 per game).
The entire pass defense will be tested, and Bishop continuing to trend upward is vital to what might happen in this game.
“He’s fought his way to get to this point to get his feet settled in a little bit and get comfortable,” linebacker Terrel Bernard said. “We know he’s going to continue to get better and do what he needs to do to provide value to the team.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Cole Bishop’s rise fuels Buffalo Bills' top-ranked passing defense
Category: General Sports
