The Bills blitzed the second most among teams in Week 8, only behind the Minnesota Vikings, whom they’ll take on this Monday. The increased aggressiveness paid off, resulting in the highest pressure rate in the NFL last week (61.3%).
Pressure on the QB came quickly, with Buffalo holding the sixth-fastest average time to pressure (2.48 seconds) in Week 8. The Bills also had the sixth-highest sack percentage in the league in Week 8 (12.9%), converting those pressures to sacks at a high clip.
OLB Greg Rousseau was dominant rushing the passer against the Ravens, leading the group with six of the team’s 30 pressures. Rousseau created pressure on 27.3% of his rushes, good for fifth among players with 10 or more rushes in Week 8.
11 different players, including Rousseau, generated at least one pressure for the Bills, with eight recording multiple. DL Deone Walker was efficient on the inside, finishing the week sixth in pressure rate among qualified defensive linemen (19%).
Coverage and the rush in harmony
The front seven controlling the line of scrimmage paired well with the secondary playing its best game of the season.
Limiting opposing passing attacks was high on Buffalo’s priority list entering Week 8. Baltimore threw the ball 61.2% of the time against the Bills, the ninth-highest rate league-wide.
Acknowledging that Buffalo faced backups Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley and Joe Fagnano most of the day, the defensive backfield was still impressive, only allowing 68 passing yards, tied for the fourth-lowest total in a game this season.