Raiders Opponent Defensive Star: LB Matt Milano

The Las Vegas Raiders are traveling to Orchard Park, N.Y., to take on the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium this Sunday.

These two teams had different results in their first games of the season, the Raiders emerging victorious and the Bills dropping an overtime game.

The Raiders will face another tough defense on the road, as the Bills have an incredibly talented roster, especially on that side of the ball.

One player Coach Josh McDaniels and the Raiders will have to game plan for is linebacker Matt Milano. Milano has been one of the most underrated linebackers in the NFL for the last four seasons, even after earning First-Team All-Pro recognition.

In that All-Pro season with the Bills, Milano posted 99 tackles, 12 tackles for losses, 11 passes defended and one and a half sacks. In his career, he has posted 466 tackles, 58 tackles for losses, 38 passes defended and 10.5 sacks.

Milano’s game goes unnoticed because of all the talent on the Bills’ defense, but he has been one of the most important contributors to that unit. He plays with an aggressive edge, making plays on ball carriers and diagnosing offensive plays to shut them down.

Milano posted eight tackles and an interception in the Bills’ opening game loss to the New York Jets, jumping in front of a Zach Wilson pass.

Milano, 29, earned a two-year contract extension from the Bills in March, locking him in through the 2026 season. He has improved each season and become an anchor for the Bills’ defense, and he was rewarded for it.

The Raiders will have to be mindful of Milano, as he likes to play aggressive and fly downhill against the run. He is also a great athlete who can play passing lanes and shut down the middle of the field, as he has been one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL in the last few seasons.

The Bills have been one of the best defenses in the NFL since Coach Sean McDermott took over, and Milano is a massive reason why. He can single-handedly impact a game with his defense, and the Raiders will hope to slow him down in order to have a chance to win the game.

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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