Why Return of Bills DT DaQuan Jones is Kind of A Big Deal for Buffalo
Anyone questioning DaQuan Jones's importance to the Buffalo Bills' defense needs to simply turn on the tape from the team's divisional round playoff loss to Cincinnati last season (assuming they haven't already burned it).
The defensive tackle was inactive due to a calf injury and his absence was more than noticeable. For a defense that was already without All-Pro talents Von Miller and Micah Hyde, the loss of Jones proved too much to bear. The Bengals bullied the Bills in the trenches, averaging 5.1 yards per carry in the 27-10 victory. Cincinnati totaled a whopping 30 first downs and rushed for 172 yards.
Unfortunately for the Bills, they’ve only had Jones’ services for four full games this season as the defensive leader tore his pectoral muscle while attempting a tackle during the team’s London game against Jacksonville in Week 5.
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Although it was initially speculated that Jones could be done for the year, the Bills are receiving as good of a late-season addition as any team around the league. Jones has been activated off Injured Reserve and is ready to go against the New England Patriots in Week 17.
“I’m excited to be back out there with the guys, go out there and fly around and make plays,” said Jones on Friday in Orchard Park.
Prior to the injury, Jones was making impactful plays no matter what the defensive situation required. Seven of his 10 stops came on run plays. The interior lineman also recorded 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits through his first four games.
"I think that was evident from the first four games that he played. What's he's been able to do at the line of scrimmage in the run game, and, then when he's able to convert run to pass in the play action game on those early downs it's been effective for him and for us," said McDermott during his weekly Friday appearance on WGR's Extra Point Show.
Now, Jones, who has been nothing short of a fruitful free agent addition prior to the 2022 campaign, is back for the stretch run and the Bills are a better defense because of it.
“I put a lot of work in to get to this point and I’m just happy my body was able to heal as quickly as it did,” said Jones.
