ORCHARD PARK – Injuries are a part of life in the NFL, that’s the way it’s always been and that’s how it still is in a brutally physical game that can take a devastating toll on the human body.
Every team endures them, but the ones that are built the right way – with consistency in coaching and systems that keep depth players ready to take over when a starter goes down – are the teams who can usually overcome a series of injuries. And over the past two years, the Buffalo Bills the defense was certainly put to the test.
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Last year, the defense was crushed by injuries to players such as Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, DaQuan Jones and Terrel Bernard and that toll finally caught up with them in their divisional playoff loss. AFC against the Chiefs.
This year there was even more bad luck as Bernard, Milano, Taron Johnson, Ed Oliver, Dawuane Smoot and Taylor Rapp missed at least one game, with Milan having yet to dress following an injury in camp training that will probably keep him out. until December.
Through it all, the Bills have continued to rank sixth in the NFL in points allowed (18.3 per game), they are sixth in takeaways (14), fifth in passing yards per attempt ( 6.0) and sixths for the lowest red zone. TD percentage allowed (42.8%), and when they take the field at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, they will do so with a 6-2 record, 3 ½ games ahead of their opponent and chasing the closest, the Miami Dolphins.
Here are my mid-season grades for the defense:
Defensive line: B-
There are some nuances to the bills’ rush measures. They only rank 17th in the NFL in pressure rate at 33.1% and 19th in sack percentage at 6.4%, but that’s partly because the Bills have the fourth lowest rate in the league at 18%. Because they routinely rush with four-on-five offensive linemen and an occasional chip of a fullback or tight end, it makes getting home difficult.
Still, they affect opposing QBs, as evidenced by the 82.9 passer rating allowed, which is ninth best in the league. Ultimately, not having Von Miller in the last four games due to his suspension hurt, and it’s surprising to even write this considering the washed out 2023 season he had. But when Miller was on the field in the first three weeks — he barely played against the Ravens in Week 4 — he recorded a sack in every game, so his return Sunday should provide a boost.
Greg Rousseau started the season with a three-sack game against Arizona, then went quiet for a few weeks before breaking out with 11 QB pressures and a half-sack against the Titans, and he had four pressures and two passes deflected against the Seahawks. He leads the Bills in pressures with 32, which ranks 11th in the NFL.
AJ Epenesa lost his starting job before the Titans game, and that seems to have lit a fire as he has played well the last two weeks and has a sack, a forced fumble, and a batted pass. Smoot, who assumed Epenesa’s starting role, was solid, while Casey Toohill and rookie Javon Solomon each made minor contributions.
Internally, neither Oliver nor Jones have played at the expected level, but both have been better over the past two weeks since Oliver returned to the field after suffering a hamstring injury. The rest of the rotation has been disappointing, although Austin Johnson threw an interception last week and now-injured rookie DeWayne Carter made some spectacular plays through inconsistency.
Linebacker: B-
Because he hasn’t played in over a calendar year, you forget how valuable Milan is, and the Bills can’t wait to get him back because, assuming he can still be the player he was after two serious injuries, he made the difference. Dorian Williams attempted to replace him, and he has certainly made progress since his rookie season when he was overwhelmed. He leads the team with 70 tackles, but he still has moments – notably in pass coverage – where his great athleticism can’t overcome his mental processing.
Like Milan, Bernard makes the difference, but also like Milan, he struggles to stay on the pitch. He’s already missed the equivalent of about four games due to various ailments and the Bills need to get him back as they simply survive with Baylon Spector playing alongside Williams.
Bernard was a turnover machine last season, and even in limited playing time this season, he had an interception and a fumble recovery. Additionally, his ability to recognize what the offense is doing, both in the running and passing game, helps him put himself in the right positions to make plays.
Secondary: A-
Given the departure of longtime safety tandem Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, there were huge question marks surrounding Buffalo’s normally superb pass defense. Since the arrival of Sean McDermott in 2017, the Bills have almost always been a top 10 pass defense because not only did they have Hyde and Poyer, but they also had White and NCB Taron Johnson in the secondary during the most of his mandate.
Only Johnson remains from that quartet, but the Bills have rebuilt pretty well as CBs Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford have become one of the best boundary duos in the league, and Taylor Rapp has filled in nicely for Poyer.
As for Hyde’s replacement, Damar Hamlin is a limited player who is better suited coming off the bench, but right now he’s the default as free agent signee Mike Edwards hasn’t worked out, and the Rookie second-round pick Cole Bishop is not. I’m not ready to start.
Douglas allows a completion once per 11.7 times he is targeted, which is fourth best among all CBs in the NFL, while Benford is seventh at times per 10.4 targets. They simply lock down outside receivers and cause QBs to turn to secondary targets. Cam Lewis struggled to replace Johnson for five games, but now Johnson is back to play everywhere in the running and passing game.
One thing hurting the pass defense is yards after catch, as the Bills have allowed the fifth-most YAC in the league with 1,054.
Special teams: C
Because the Bills allowed a kickoff return in Week 1, they have the fourth-worst average allowed per return in the league at 32.7, and they are only slightly better at covering punts as they rank 17th with 9.4 yards allowed. Part of that is because there are no long-time special teams players in Tyler Matakevich and Siran Neal.
Punter Sam Martin’s 41.1 net average on 31 attempts ranks him 22nd in the league, but he’s only had four touchdowns and has passed 13 of 20. Overall, he’s been effective.
Sal Maiorana covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades, including 35 years as a full-time writer for D&C, and he wrote numerous books on the team’s history. He can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills midseason report card: Defense rises to the challenge
