Buffalo Bills' position group again near best in NFL in key area

Many critical elements make up an efficient NFL offense.

The quarterback position is perhaps the most essential, but beyond that, there may be no more important group than a team’s offensive line.

And the Buffalo Bills have enjoyed one of the most effective and most durable trench units in the league over the past several seasons.

Connor MvGovern — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) gets pass protection from Buffalo Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence (64) and Buffalo Bills guard Connor McGovern (66) during first half action at the Bills home game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 29, 2024. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Incredible durability

The Bills’ offensive line ranks near the top of the league in both run block win rate and pass block win rate. But perhaps the most impressive statistic that this unit has compiled this season concerns its grit, toughness and strength.

According to Next Gen Stats, the Bills’ Week 1 offensive line has played 710 snaps together through the first 16 weeks of the year, which is the third-most in the NFL this season. And at the center of the team’s spectacular durability has been Buffalo’s interior O-lineman, including left guard David Edwards, center Connor McGovern and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence.

Edwards, McGovern and Torrence have yet to miss a start this season, which is a rarity among the 32 teams in the league. The Bills are one of just four teams in the league to start the same interior trio in every game this season, and per Next Gen Stats, their 13 quick pressures allowed are the fewest, and their average time to pressure of 3.66 seconds is third-longest in the league among core units.

Brown has missed three games, while Dawkins has been sidelined once this season.

MORE: Former All-Pro chooses between Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts ahead of Bills-Eagles matchup

Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown — Jan 9, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (73) and offensive tackle Spencer Brown (79) celebrate a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Continued trend

The team’s durability in the trenches has been a common theme over the past three years, as the members of Buffalo’s front five missed just one game due to injury throughout the 2023 and 2024 campaigns combined and have followed that up with another remarkable year of availability during the 2025 season.

Protecting Josh Allen has not come as easily for the Bills as it did the past few seasons, as they’ve allowed their QB to be sacked 35 times this season, three shy of his career-high in 2019. With that said, running back James Cook has enjoyed the team’s continuity up front, as the Buffalo offensive line has cleared the way for his league-leading 1,532 yards rushing entering the final two games of the season.

There have been plenty of ups and downs for the Bills this season, but one constant has been the readiness of the team’s offensive line, which has remained a force under Coach Aaron Kromer. And they will need that to remain the case with the postseason just a few weeks away.

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