The Buffalo Bills defensive line is hobbled in a bad way. A room that entered the season with six players on the roster now has just three available for Thursday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Eighth-year defensive tackle Ed Oliver has officially been ruled out with an ankle injury on the short week.
Oliver joins DeWayne Carter, who is also on the sideline with an injury, as well as Larry Ogunjobi who is suspended for the first six regular season games.
This leaves just three healthy defensive tackles on roster. DaQuan Jones will lead the two rookies, T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker, into battle.
Heading into the test, veteran defensive end Joey Bosa gives a bode of faith in his young teammates.
“Think we did well. I mean, missed Ed last week, but I think DQ stepped up at the 4 Tech, and Deone, I mean, both of our rookies, I’m really proud of,” said Bosa. “I think they’re making strides every single week, and they’re gonna be really good players.”
T.J. Sanders Has Been A Non-factor So Far
T.J. Sanders was the Bills‘ second round pick. Selected 41st overall, the 300-pounder out of South Carolina was supposed to be a deep rotational piece on a six man unit. But since Oliver joined the wealth of injured defensive lineman, Sanders’ progression has been sped up.
Through the first two games, he has left a lot of meat on the bone. He is ranked 155th of 159 eligible defensive lineman on Pro Football Focus.
He has posted a PFF grade of 35.8 on his relatively high snap count of 39. He’s made just one tackle, posting a low rush defense grade.
However, in the pass game he has shown some real promise. He is credited with four hurries and four total pressures which is 15th and 32nd in the league respectively.
Keep an eye on his play against an injured and weakened Miami offensive line.
Deone Walker By The Numbers
Deone Walker is a six-foot-six monster. The fourth round selection was made with high hopes that he would fit in seamlessly on an already tall defensive line.
In the first two weeks, he has played less than Sanders but made the most of his snaps. His overall grade is 14 points higher than Sanders’ and his pass rush grade holds up to any comparison.
He is posting a 63.3 pass rush grade, which is just above league average.
The former Kentucky Wildcat is struggling to stop the run, but to be fair, the entire defense is. They have gone against two of the best running teams in the NFL, perhaps making the run defense grade for both rookies a non story.
Regardless of how you feel about their utilization so far, the two rookies are in a massive spot Thursday night. With an incredibly weakened unit, they will be asked to play more snaps than they ever have, and generate more production than they have so far.
The Dolphins are not traditionally a between the tackles team, so as far as matchup is concerned, the spotlight placed on the interior defensive line should not shine too bright.
Ed Oliver Ruled Out For Bills, Two Rookies Forced To Step Up