After a slow start in the first half of Week 1, the Buffalo Bills’ pass rush has been dominant to start the season, and it has national media personalities buzzing about their potential this year.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky joined the Bills’ radio program “One Bills Live” this week and complimented the Bills’ D-line, more specifically the pass rush.
“It’s two weeks into the season, but I do think the [Bills’] defensive line is starting to show itself when it gets to Ed [Oliver], [AJ] Epenesa, Greg [Rousseau], and Von [Miller] in some of those obvious pass situations,” Orlovsky said.
There were concerns about the pass rush going into the season after losing Leonard Floyd to the San Francisco 49ers, but Rousseau has taken his game to another level in year three and Miller looks like his old self. Parlay that with a steady force in Oliver in the middle, and this puts their pass rush among the best in the league to start the season.
“I think the way that Buffalo is handling Von is really smart… I think Greg is really starting to show himself… Ed obviously had another big game,” Orlovsky said.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Bills have the fourth-best pass-rush grade in the NFL, trailing only the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. The run defense has looked middle-of-the-pack thus far, but it has done enough to put the opposing offenses in second-and-long and third-and-long situations. That is when the pass rush is getting there in a blink, some ending in sacks but most affecting the throw from the quarterback.
Through two weeks, the Bills are tied for tenth in sacks (6), and tied for fourth in interceptions (3).
The Bills’ pass rush will try to disrupt the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense on “Monday Night Football,” much like the Browns did in Week 2 when they posted ten hurries and four sacks on 17 total pressures.
“You do not want either of those tackles single blocking Rousseau and or Von right now,” warned Orlovsky regarding the Jaguars’ offensive tackles.