Sacked: Can Bills' New Pass-Rush Duo Be Among NFL's Best?
Ironic that Von Miller recently hosted his annual Pass Rush Summit. Because in order to take the next step in the NFL playoffs, his Buffalo Bills have to dramatically improve in one of the game's simplest-yet-most-significant plays:
Putting the quarterback on the ground.
The Bills managed only 40 sacks last season. The two teams that played in the Super Bowl were Nos. 1 and 2: Philadelphia Eagles (70) and Kansas City Chiefs (55). For a Super Bowl favorite most of the year, the Bills lived without a pass-rusher reaching double digits in sacks. Miller missed the last six games and still led the team with eight, same as 2021 first-round pick Greg Rousseau.
It's no surprise then, that when compiling its list of the league's best pass-rush duos Bleacher Report left the Bills out in the cold. No Top 5. No honorable mention. No nothing.
B/R's Top 5:
5. Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave, San Francisco 49ers
3. Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns
2. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
1. T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Signed as a free agent last offseason, Miller was supposed to help Buffalo's rush. And he did, until suffering a torn ACL on Thanksgiving. Without him, the Bills only got to Joe Burrow once in 36 drop-backs - on a Matt Milano blitz - during their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
Buffalo has two reasons to believe it could drastically improve its pass rush and place a duo on the list this season: 1. The return of Miller; 2. The arrival of Leonard Floyd.
While the 34-year-old Miller maintains his knee is healed, the addition of Floyd - signed last week as a free agent - should take some of the pressure off him. Floyd had nine sacks in 2022 and has 29 over the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
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