The biggest storyline of the Bills’ season so far has been the offense’s explosive start, and deservedly so. However, two players on the defense have flown under a lot of people’s radar.
Against the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions, Deone Walker and Greg Rousseau stepped up when the team needed them most. It’s easy to highlight the flashy touchdowns and big stats of Josh Allen, but these two also deserve recognition.
Transitioning from Sean McDermott’s 4-3 defense to Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 left many questions in the offseason. The Bills needed players to step up in their new positions, and Walker and Rousseau have done just that.
Between these two, the Bills have finally found the pass rush they’ve desperately been looking for the last few years. There’s still a lot of season left, but the signs for Walker and Rousseau’s breakout seasons are already evident.
Rousseau Has Been the NFL’s Best Pass Rusher Through Two Weeks
Through the first two weeks of the season, Greg Rousseau has been statistically the best pass rusher in the NFL.
Rousseau currently leads the league in sacks (4), forced fumbles (3), and pass-rush win rate (30.6%) among edge rushers. He leads in every important stat for an edge rusher.
While the sample size is small, it’s still exciting for Bills fans. Seeing a player like Rousseau, who was on the cusp of being great for so long, finally break out is rewarding.
Many people were skeptical when the team signed the former first-round pick to an extension before last season. In the first year of that four-year extension, though, he’s proving everyone wrong.
All it took was moving from defensive end to outside linebacker. This change has allowed Rousseau to utilize his length and athleticism in coverage as well.
With most of the season left to play, things could change. Rousseau looks to finally be putting everything together, though. He was already one of the best run defenders in the league, but he’s become a reliable edge rusher in the team’s new scheme too.
After many years of searching, the Bills finally have their franchise edge rusher.
Walker Is Thriving as Buffalo’s Nose Guard
The lesser-known name between the Bills’ two breakout stars is Deone Walker. Walker, now in his second year, is a former fourth-round pick out of Kentucky. If he hadn’t suffered a back injury during his junior season, he likely would’ve gone much higher in the draft.
At the time, the pick was viewed as a steal, and it still is. Walker didn’t play a ton his rookie season, but his presence was still felt. Now in year two, the 6-foot-7, 331-pound disruptor has moved to nose guard full-time.
In Leonhard’s scheme, he always gets the best out of his defensive line. This has been no different through the first two weeks of this season.
While other aspects of the Bills’ defense have struggled, Walker has become one of the immediate bright spots. Between disrupting the run, becoming an efficient pass rusher, and tipping passes at the line of scrimmage, he’s thrived.
Walker’s impact is felt on every play. To be so effective at nose guard is something that isn’t seen often.
The team hasn’t played a scheme where they used a nose guard in a long time, but in general, defensive tackle play was underwhelming under Sean McDermott. Just like Greg Rousseau, having another player on the cusp of breaking out on the defensive line is exciting.
It gives fans hope that the defense can finally deliver a closing sack in big moments.
Many people don’t know Deone Walker’s name yet, but they will by the end of this season.
The Bills Have Two Cornerstone Defenders Locked Up Long-Term
Having two players break out in a new defensive scheme already is huge for the Bills’ long-term success. While the second and third levels of the defense adapt, the team has Rousseau and Walker to rely on.
Both players are in Buffalo for the long haul. Rousseau is in year one of a four-year extension, and Walker is in year two of his rookie contract. Hitting on draft picks like this is how teams set themselves up for long-term success.
President of football operations Brandon Beane gets a lot of flak for some of the moves he makes. In this case, though, investing in Rousseau is starting to pay off. He and the front office also didn’t let Deone Walker’s injury scare them away from drafting him.
There’s a lot of season left for the Bills, but with these two players breaking out, things are looking up. Remember the names: Greg Rousseau and Deone Walker. If they continue this level of play, they’ll be competing for All-Pro honors.
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