Raiders Opponent: Key Players on Defense for Bills

The Las Vegas Raiders are on the road again for Week 2, as they will be at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., taking on the Buffalo Bills.

The Raiders defeated a divisional rival in Week 1, while the Bills lost in overtime to a divisional rival.

The Raiders are looking to remain undefeated and the Bills are hoping to avoid falling to 0-2. The Bills are one of the most talented teams in the NFL, so the Raiders will have to play at their best to continue their winning ways.

The Bills are especially talented on defense, with a group that features plenty of talent and depth at all three levels.

Let’s take a closer look at three players on the defensive side of the ball who could be crucial to the game plan that the Raiders must account for.

Defensive End Gregory Rousseau -- Since being a first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Rousseau has developed into an underrated pass rusher.

In 2022, Rousseau doubled his sack production and posted 37 total tackles with 10 tackles for losses. At 6-foot-6 and 266 pounds, Rousseau is a twitchy, bendy athlete with elite closing speed off the edge.

The Raiders' offensive tackles will need to be mindful of all the different ways Rousseau can beat them, otherwise he will wreak havoc in the backfield for the entire game.

Safety Jordan Poyer -- Poyer has been an elite safety in the NFL in the last six seasons.

Poyer was named First-Team All-Pro in 2021 and a Pro Bowler in 2022, intercepting nine passes in those two seasons. He also posted 156 total tackles and 17 passes defended. Poyer has also posted three seasons with 100 or more tackles since 2017.

With his safety partner Micah Hyde, Poyer will try to cause problems all day for the Raiders’ passing attack, so Coach Josh McDaniels, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders’ wide receivers must account for these two elite players in the secondary.

Linebacker Terrel Bernard -- Taking over as a starting linebacker for the first time, the second-year man has big shoes to fill.

Bernard is undersized for his position at 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds, but possesses a high-level of athleticism and acts as a heat-seeking missile, flying to the football as a run defender and also being able to cover the middle of the field.

When it comes to run scheming and short to intermediate passing, the Raiders have to know where No. 43 is at all times, because if they don’t he will make a crucial play.

The Silver and Black remain on the road this week as they travel to play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 1:05 p.m. EDT/10:05 a.m. PDT.

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