PITTSFORD, N.Y. — An improved pass rush is high on the list of what the Buffalo Bills need to reach the Super Bowl.
Their failure to consistently generate enough pressure on the quarterback, especially in the playoffs, has been a large factor in repeatedly falling short.
Consequently, pressure is building on incumbent members of the defensive line – especially ends A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham – to deliver or else possibly not make the final 53-man roster. Both joined the Bills as second-round draft picks, Basham in 2021 and Epenesa in 2020, so expectations are elevated.
“There are pivotal pieces on our roster that need to step up,” coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday before training camp practice at St. John Fisher University.
The same goes for end Greg Rousseau, a ’21 first-rounder, though he has a bit more leeway than Epenesa and Basham. The Bills needed more from Rousseau after Von Miller, the team’s marquee free-agent signee last year, suffered a season-ending knee injury 11 games into the 2022 season. They didn’t get enough of it.
With Miller’s status for the start of the season uncertain, the Bills added another veteran edge rusher in free agency last June, Leonard Floyd, from the Los Angeles Rams. There’s reason to believe Floyd will make a significant impact, but the line’s overall performance will depend on a collective surge. Epenesa and Basham must demonstrate through the rest of training camp and the preseason they can be a part of that.
Want to be impactful
“Those two guys will tell you that they want to be as impactful as they possibly can be,” said Eric Washington, the Bills’ assistant head coach/defensive line coach. “There are some small details, some small awareness pieces because when you come to this level, you’re playing against typically an immovable object. You have to find a way to create separation and sometimes that happens before the ball is even snapped. Sometimes that happens based on the situation.
“And we have to make sure that our angles are tight, that we are really exemplifying all of the rush fundamentals that we have to the absolute best of our ability, our high end so that we can win our one-on-one. And they’ve done some nice things. There are some things that are outside of their control – seven-man protection, chip blocks – (so) we have to do some things to help them schematically. And we will. But they’ve really taken advantage of the offseason. I like where they’re headed. And so far in training camp, I like what they’re doing.”
The bottom line is that the Bills’ defense mandates that their ends and tackles rush effectively most of the time. Yes, there will be times when pressure is generated through blitzing.
However, it has generally not been the Bills’ way to rely heavily on manufacturing pressure through the scheme. That could change slightly with McDermott now in charge of the defense. He was known to have an aggressive nature with his scheming and signal-calling in his previous job as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.
But McDermott’s fundamental belief is that his linemen need to mainly be the primary force in making life uncomfortable for opposing QBs.
“It comes down to just the tenets of our system,” Washington said. “Our system is a penetration system. We do really depend on our front four to, first of all, collapse the pocket and squeeze the pocket, win our one-on-ones, and generate pressure with the absence of blitzes.”
Floyd, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams with Miller, needs to be a mainstay in that approach. He becomes especially important if Miller ends up missing a significant amount of time.
Floyd enjoys the fact that he’s being counted on to help upgrade the Bills’ D-line. “It’s also a challenge,” he said. “You’ve got to answer, too. You’ve got to come in every day and fight hard and work as hard as you can to achieve the goals that we’re putting out there for us.”
‘Fundamentals and mindset’
At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Floyd doesn’t appear to have the necessary size to be impactful, particularly against the run, but he has been.
How?
“It’s fundamentals and mindset,” Washington said. “I mean, Leonard is a very physical, aggressive player, a very edgy player. ... And he understands that when he’s at the point of attack, he’s got to establish the edge of the defense, period. That’s the key to stopping the run. And he’s got to be able to finish if he’s challenged. He has a really, really competitive, aggressive mindset. His hands are extremely violent, and he understands pad level and all the things you have to do to give yourself a chance to win there.
“It might look like (he lacks the strength to be effective), but it’s a lot of power,” Floyd said. “It’s a lot you have to deal with, quickness and everything. And I want to make sure you see that during the season. It’s a lot more than you think, man, just the body structure. It’s how I’m setting up the move. I’m getting them off the ball, I’m getting them weak. I’m kicking, then you hit them with that power.”
Floyd said he thinks he and Rousseau can make an imposing duo. “Man, there have been a few times we’ve been in there together,” Floyd said. “It’s gonna be hard to deal with.”
Washington describes Floyd as a “really edgy guy,” playing with a sense of competitive purpose that
“He gets (ticked) off if he’s blocked,” Washington said. “He doesn’t ever think he should be blocked or stalled as a pass rusher. And I absolutely love that. He’s got a lot of pride in how he performs.”
“That’s basically how I feel pretty much when I put my pads on,” said Floyd. “It’s time to get violent, it’s time to make plays, man. That’s really all I think about making plays. Especially when I know I’ve got Von and all of them. They’re gonna make a play. I want to make sure I make a play before them. It’s like competition. Who’s gonna get there first?”
Depending on when/if Miller returns to full form, that list must also include Rousseau, Epenesa, and Basham.