I know everybody watching is worried about the quarterback battle in Buffalo (non-battle if you ask me – Tyrod Taylor all the way), but as I watched Saturday’s third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I am reminded of two teams known for their storied defenses over the years. Pittsburgh’s great “Steel Curtain” and the Super Bowl years of the early 90s for Buffalo are two legendary eras in the NFL.
Both teams consistently had solid defenses over the past decade, but for the 2015 season the Buffalo Bills have a defense that most analysts expect to see as the best. It made Rex Ryan drool, right?
Specifically the defensive line, which outside of you creating in a Madden franchise mode, you might have a hard time realizing it exists. This front four is so fearsome, that even NFL.com recognized all four starters in their Top 100 List, which was the first time to ever happen.
If you’re a fantasy football owner, you might have already done your research on the Bills defense, but fantasy predictions don’t always do justice to what we see in reality. Let’s break down the Bills D-line a little further and how it stands up to the other solid defenses in the league.
This amazing defensive line is led by defensive end Mario Williams, who over the last three years with the Bills has had over ten sacks a season. Lined up next to Super Mario is another ten-year pro, also named Williams. Kyle has played his whole career in Buffalo as a grizzled defensive tackle. When they are paired with indomitable Marcell Dareus, it gives you three players who combined last season with 25 sacks.
Best part of the D-line is on the opposite side of Mario, you have the underrated six-year pro Jerry Hughes. He has quietly amassed 20 sacks over the last two seasons with the Bills, and if you weren’t a Bills fan, you probably didn’t even realize how talented he was. Don’t get me wrong, I think he benefits from the other three stud lineman absorbing a lot of attention, but has shown he can carry his own and has steadily become a force since joining the team.
How do these guys stack against the rest of the defensive lines around the league? I think you are hard pressed to find four lineman as talented as Buffalo’s four monsters.
Then again maybe you don’t have to go too far to find competition. Right in the AFC East, the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins both have young, talented defensive lineman.
The Jets currently feature Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, and first-round draft pick Leonard Williams. Throw in Sheldon Richardson and that’s a freakishly talented and complete defensive front that Rex Ryan left behind.
Miami’s line will give offenses fits as well. Adding a beast like Ndamukong Suh in the middle paired with Earl Mitchell is huge. Couple that with Olivier Vernon and the ever vicious Cameron Wake as the bookends and the Dolphins will be right up there in the sacks category as the season progresses, provided everyone stays healthy.
There are a few other teams that have solid talent on the line – the Seattle Seahawks with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett as well as the Houston Texans who have the incomparable J.J. Watt (best player in the league in my opinion), along with new signing Vince Wilfork and second-year man Jadeveon Clowney.
However, if I had to make a prediction of a team that will have a similarly successful defensive line this year it would be the St. Louis Rams. Chris Long, Robert Quinn (ten sacks), Aaron Donald (ten sacks), and Michael Brockers. Going past the starters, the Rams even added depth with the former Detroit Lion and stud tackle Nick Fairley joining the team in free agency. Likewise, after Jarius Wynn went down with a season ending injury, the Bills added veteran depth with Red Bryant, IK Enemkpali, and brought back Alex Carrington who played with the Rams last season.
On paper both teams defensively are looking to have a solid season, and you could even go as far as to say that their D-lines might be 1A and 1B when all is said and done. Top to bottom the Rams have a better overall defense, and their talent is only overshadowed by the fact they have struggled offensively over the years like the Bills.
It’s only preseason, and I don’t put a lot of faith into everything I see out there as most starters aren’t giving it their all, but already the Bills front four has combined for two sacks and 16 tackles. Dareus and Kyle Williams have each had a touch of the injury bug. Dareus is in a contract season and will also be serving a one-game suspension once the regular season starts.
This defensive line will be asked to perform play after play. They have shown they have the ability to do so.
I believe once they are healthy and in full regular season form, all four will have a repeat of last season. That means that the quarterbacks and offensive coordinators of the AFC East have to sleep with both eyes open when it comes time to play these sack specialists.
The Bills defensive line gives hope and relief to diehard fans as a result of talent like that in the trenches. When a visiting team is in a third and long situation and the train horn blasts around Ralph Wilson Stadium, they can feel a sack coming.
This defense has holes in the secondary, but the line is for real. As a Bills fan, this is what you hope for in a season full of playoffs dreams and aspirations.
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