The Buffalo Bills are sitting pretty at 2-0, rocking the league’s top offense by DVOA at a scorching 56.8%. But hold up, because this Week 3 matchup against the desperate 0-2 Los Angeles Chargers is a whole different animal. The Bolts’ offense is down at 27th in DVOA with a brutal -20.6%, and Justin Herbert has been under pressure on a crazy 45.5% of his dropbacks. That’s the second-highest rate in the league, and his PFF grade drops to 28.7 when he is feeling the heat. The question for Sunday is loud and clear: Can Buffalo’s defense get to Herbert before Herbert gets to them? Because while the Bills’ overall DVOA is second-best at 52.7%, their defense is chilling at 19th with a +9.0%.
Rousseau’s Relentless Rush Faces a Giant Challenge
Our guy Greg Rousseau has been an absolute wrecking ball at outside linebacker, and it’s looking like Jim Leonhard’s defense is the perfect fit for him. The man notched an 84.5 PFF grade against Houston and then climbed to a ridiculous 90.8 against Detroit, second only to Deone Walker among Bills defenders on Thursday. He is absolutely feasting with four sacks and three forced fumbles, including that clutch strip-sack that sealed the deal against the Texans with only 16 seconds left. But listen, this Sunday isn’t gonna be a walk in the park. Rousseau lined up mostly over the right tackle in Week 1, and that means he is staring down Joe Alt this weekend. Alt, ranked the No. 2 right tackle in the league by Bleacher Report this summer, has a solid 75.3 PFF pass-block grade and has only allowed two pressures. Rousseau has to be on his A-game, because Alt’s main weakness has been discipline, not his blocking, with five penalties, four against the Raiders. This is Rousseau’s toughest test yet, and the Bills defense needs him to keep that impact coming.
Dawkins’ Wall Against Elite Pass Rushers
Dion Dawkins, aka the Shnowman, has been holding it down on the offensive line, too. He dropped an 81.7 PFF grade against the Lions, which was the fifth-best on the roster, and Bleacher Report gave him an A for what they called a nearly perfect night against Aidan Hutchinson. In Week 1, he put up an insane 87.5% pass-block win rate in one-on-one situations, making Danielle Hunter disappear for one of the quietest games of his career. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. He whiffed on a key fourth-down block that day, and his run-blocking grade was a concerning 39.9 on PFF. That run-blocking number matters because the Chargers swallowed Ashton Jeanty last week, limiting him to just 2.4 yards per carry for 48 yards. The real challenge, though, is in the pass rush. Tuli Tuipulotu racked up 13 sacks and a 17.9% pressure rate last season, sixth in the entire league! And rookie Akheem Mesidor is the only Charger in the top 40 of PFF’s pass rush win rate at 20%. The Chargers’ production hasn’t quite matched the names yet, only getting eight pressures against the Cardinals. Dawkins will decide if that trend continues on Sunday. Christian Benford, the cornerback, is another guy who could make a huge difference.
This Sunday’s game is more than just a Week 3 contest. It is a critical early-season test that will show us exactly what this Bills defense is made of when the stakes are sky-high against a desperate Chargers squad. Don’t miss it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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