Even Bills’ Cole Bishop can admit his effort vs. the Chiefs ‘felt big’

Bills second-year safety Cole Bishop turned heads in the team’s win over Kansas City Sunday night.

At home in front of the Orchard Park faithful, he led the team in total tackles with seven stops and had four pass breakups, including ones on back-to-back plays to force a turnover on downs for KC.

“Excited to get the win,” Bishop said about the game outcome. “Felt good.”

He began with a pass breakup on a fourth-and-3 near the end of the second quarter on Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. Before the half, he helped cause a third-down incompletion in the end zone on a pass intended for Kansas City tight end and MGMT “Electric Feel” enthusiast, Travis Kelce, holding the Chiefs to a field goal.

“The one-on-one motions on the third down, just kind of film study,” he said about what he saw that informed how he played it. “Saw a play versus the Chargers where he spit it out there pretty quick. So being able to know that he’s potentially going to throw that ball and then being able to make a play on the fourth down and then just trying to do my 1/11th we say and then if the ball comes to you make the play.”

The big-time play has drawn praise from media and fans alike.

“It was big. The game could have been way different if they score there,” said Bishop after the game. “So being able to get off the field was big.”

The 2024 second-rounder was practically handed the starting role at safety in the preseason, but missed time due to injury and worked his way back to the field.

The team has had several injuries to its secondary and a number of injuries in its defense overall.

Bishop played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in five of Buffalo’s eight games this season, and has had back-to-back weeks in which he’s logged seven tackles. Bishop leads the Bills’ defense this season with 41 total tackles and five passes defended, and has two sacks and an interception as well.

The safety showed his speed and talent, keeping stride with Chief’s receiver Xavier Worthy in motion on a play in which he caught him to break up a Patrick Mahomes pass.

“I thought Cole played outstanding tonight,” said Allen postgame.

That he performed at the level he did against Buffalo’s AFC rival Kansas City Chiefs, was significant, both in his impact in the win and also potentially in projecting the type of impact he could have the rest of the season and beyond.

He understood that KC can be a threat until the clock runs out, and was only relieved when the game was over.

“Not really until the very end,” Bishop shared about when he felt the relief.