Through the first five games of the 2017 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills’ defense has been stellar. The Buffalo defense is near the top of the league in turnover differential and safety Micah Hyde leads the NFL with four interceptions.

This Bills defense is also a stark reminder of prior teams in Buffalo, teams that had staunch defenses but lackluster offenses. The Bills again this year have struggled to balance this, as they sit 30th in total points scored.

Hyde commented on this realization on the John Murphy Show this Wednesday.

“We feel as a defense we have to get takeaways to help out our offense.”

It almost feels like a broken record hearing the need for takeaways to even give the offense a shot at this point. It’s pressure that’s been unfairly placed on the shoulders of the defense time and time again, but this year’s team has taken it in stride.

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Incredibly for Buffalo, their young secondary full of misfits has become one of the most efficient units in the league. Hyde touched upon the communication within the secondary during the interview.

“I just think it’s the type of players we both are. We’re competitors. We communicate a lot,” said Hyde. “. . . you’ve got to give it to the coaches also. They have us communicating on the back end. Everybody on the defense is talking.”

Communication? That concept didn’t exist the last few years with Stephon Gilmore and others on the Bills defense, and it may still not exist for those who’ve departed the Queen City.

Aside from Cincinnati Bengals’ wideout A.J. Green, Buffalo has kept the majority of other team’s weapons in check. Granted, the Jets might not have a weapon and the Falcons lost their top two receivers against the Bills, but this defensive secondary might be the best fans have seen in a while.

The Buffalo defense has allowed the lowest number of points in the NFL thus far. However, Hyde knows that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a challenge for the Bills’ secondary in their upcoming matchup.

“The weapons on their team haven’t had explosive games, but we know what they’re capable of doing…”

DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans lead Tampa into Orchard Park on Sunday, a place that has grown so much on Hyde since moving there in April.

“I love it. I love every bit of it,” said Hyde.

“That place gets loud, it really does. I’m excited to see what Sunday’s like.”