The Buffalo Bills got some big plays on both sides of the ball when they needed them en route to a 31-19 home victory over the New Orleans Saints.
And one of those came by way of second-year safety Cole Bishop.
“It’s awesome,” Bishop said about the pick. “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 is huge.”
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Near the end of the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 contest, Bishop went airborne to get a hand on the ball and intercept the pass on a trick play wide-receiver-reverse pass from New Orleans WR Chris Olave. It brought an end to the Saints’ scoring threat with less than two minutes to play in the first half.
The Saints were advancing toward the end zone on an eight-play drive when the sophomore season safety returned the takeaway for 15 yards to the Buffalo 16-yard line, as the team held on to a 14-10 lead going into halftime.
“That was something last year that I probably wouldn’t have done, but in practice and stuff, I actually had an interception practice week this week, where I hit the ground and did run,” Bishop added in regards to making a play after the catch. “So, that probably helped out a little bit. Just trying to learn and, you know, be able to make that.”
When he left the field for the sideline after celebrating, linebacker and team captain Terrel Bernard was ready to greet the safety with congratulations.
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“It was a huge play,” Bernard said. “The first thing I told him is he saved points. They had a field goal that was coming up and possibly a touchdown there. A play that really changed the game.”
The interception was the first of Bishop’s career, and the first of what Buffalo’s front office and coaching staff hope will be many for years to come. They selected the defensive back in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I was happy about it,” he added. “I’ve worked really hard this offseason to put myself in a good position, so being able to have a little bit of success in that situation was awesome.”
The Bills‘ defense and secondary have been areas where injuries have occurred, affecting their development and performance on the field. A preseason injury initially disrupted Bishop’s being given the starting job, though he worked his way back into it to log 14 tackles and a sack in his first four starts of the season as the team entered Week 4. By halftime on Sunday, he was the team leader in tackles (4).
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Bishop’s one-handed grab was a highlight reel moment and a big-time play to haul in his first interception.
His head coach, who challenged him this offseason to take the steps toward securing his role as a starter, recognized him in his postgame locker room speech as well as in his press conference.
“It was a huge play in the game…Big time play,” McDermott said. “They ran a gadget play, and Cole did a great job sniffing it out.”
The Bills remain as one of the two undefeated teams in the NFL, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the lone AFC team without a loss. They’ll face the New England Patriots next Sunday in another AFC East matchup, looking to extend their winning streak.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills safety Cole Bishop reflects on interception vs. Saints in Week 4