Getty Images

There was no shortage of discussion about the shortcomings of the Bills offense this summer and the decision to go with Nathan Peterman as the starting quarterback hasn’t put them to bed.

Whether it is Peterman’s inexperience, the shaky offensive line or thin receiving corps, people have reasons to think the Bills offense is going to have a hard time once the regular season starts this weekend. That extends to members of the team’s defense as well.

Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander added it all up and said the defense needs to carry the team until the offense can take on a bigger share of the burden.

“Our goal is always to win and to do that you have to take the ball away. We want to be a top five defense,” Alexander said, via the team’s website. “We want to be the leaders of this team as far as giving our offense advantageous field position, short fields. The main reason why is because we understand we’re going to have a young quarterback in terms of experience. So, we need to help the offense out as much as we can. It’s going to take time until Nate is able to develop and really take the reins of the offense and make it his own and become that guy. So right now, we feel defensively we have the pieces in place to be the bell cow of this team and lead the way.”

Such an arrangement leaves little margin for error for the defense and safety Micah Hyde said the unit needs to “be more consistent and it starts with us not beating ourselves.” Sunday’s trip to Baltimore will be the first test of that approach to the 2018 season.