Bills Open To Activating Veteran for Playoffs vs. Steelers: 'It's Certainly Possible!'
The Buffalo Bills aren’t just playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. They’re also playing the weather. The elements are a frequent factor in Orchard Park, and the possibility of a snow game on Wild Card Weekend is looming.
Despite being well-adjusted to the cold, fans should be rooting for the warmest, driest game possible. Not only for their fellow Bills Mafia members freezing in the stands but for the outcome of the contest as well.
There’s no question Buffalo is a better team on paper than Pittsburgh. But if the weather can render parts of the Bills offense inaccessible, the gap between these two teams shrinks. Josh Allen may mitigate those concerns, but special teams prowess and consistency at receiver are only hurt by bad weather.
Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) runs past Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Linval Joseph (93) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
© Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Subsequently, there’s a good chance the Steelers rely even more on a run game that has been the strength of their rather mediocre offense. Quarterback Kenny Pickett’s struggles have opened the door for Mason Rudolph to start a playoff game. Snow game or not, Buffalo better be ready to defend the run.
That development could open the door for the “return” of defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
Signed mid-season, Joseph was meant to add depth to the middle of the Bills’ defensive line, especially while DaQuan Jones missed time. He spent most of his time at nose tackle but ultimately wasn’t very productive. For the final two games of the regular season, he was inactive.
Assistant head coach Eric Washington spoke about the possibility of Joseph finding his way back into the lineup, alongside Jones – rather than instead of him.
“It’s certainly possible,” Washington said. “That situation, who dresses, the decisions are made as far as that’s concerned is fluid from a week-to-week basis. Some of it has to do with availability and some of it has to do with the style of offense that we will see with the next opponent, so that’s certainly a possibility.”
Joseph has logged six pressures, a sack, and 12 tackles since his Buffalo debut in Week 9. He hasn’t been as effective on a down-to-down basis against the run, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be useful against Pittsburgh.
Only four teams run the ball more often than the Steelers, who are not shy about testing defenses between the tackles. The Bills won’t be in a rush to take star tackle Ed Oliver off the field, but a package consisting of Jones and Joseph gives them the size to combat Pittsburgh’s physical style of play.
A few early-down stops could put a poor quarterback behind the eight-ball and let a piping-hot defense heat up Sunday’s action. Look for the Bills to try and make Rudolph beat them, rather than the cloud-of-dust (snow?) running back Najee Harris may provide.
