For the fourth straight week to open the 2026 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills defensive line is staring down an opponent with a serious injury problem on their offensive front. The New England Patriots just announced on Tuesday that veteran right guard Greg Van Roten is headed to IR with a thigh injury, a tough blow for their O-line woes.
Patriots’ O-Line Is Shorthanded, Again
This isn’t just one guy, either. Van Roten, who actually played for the Bills back in 2022, was already filling in for the Patriots’ starting right guard, Michael Onwenu. Onwenu, a really darn good player, fractured his ankle against the Steelers in Week 2 and has been on IR ever since. Now, the Patriots are looking at Ben Brown, a 28-year-old journeyman with just 14 career NFL starts and 1,016 snaps since the start of 2023, to slide into that right guard spot for Sunday’s game. He’ll be sandwiched between second-year pro Jared Wilson at center and the grizzled veteran Morgan Moses at right tackle. It’s not exactly a picture of stability for New England.
A Trend That Can’t Be Ignored
Think this is new for Buffalo? Nope! The Bills have basically been on a tour of banged-up offensive lines this season. Back in Week 1 against the Texans, they didn’t even have newly signed right tackle Braden Smith available. Week 2 saw the Lions trot out backup center Juice Scruggs because Cade Mays was hurt, and they were missing left guard Christian Mahogany and their rookie first-round right tackle completely. Then in Week 3, the Chargers were down to their third-string left guard, had rookie center Jake Slaughter playing just his third NFL game replacing Tyler Biadasz, and Cole Strange had to sub in for Trey Pipkins at right guard. You can’t make this stuff up, can you? It’s been a wild ride for opponents’ O-lines.
The Real Story Behind Buffalo’s Defensive Dominance
So, yeah, the Bills’ D-line looks incredible. Greg Rousseau has been playing at an All-Pro level through three games. Deone Walker? Same deal. Buffalo is sixth in the entire NFL in defensive pressure rate at a blistering 40.3%, according to Fantasy Points Data Suite. But we gotta keep it real, right? It’s been a luxury for the Bills’ pass rush to face these “relatively banged-up” offensive lines to kick off the 2026 season. And guess what? That trend is totally continuing this Sunday against the Patriots. Will the Bills’ defensive front keep racking up the stats? Absolutely. But the big question is, how much of it is pure dominance, and how much is the schedule stacking the deck? This Sunday against the Patriots will be another chance to see if they can maintain that pressure against another MASH unit.
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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