The Buffalo Bills and their “X-factors” continue their 2025 NFL season with a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Week 11 at Highmark Stadium.
While game plans, coaching, and strategy will play a part, but sometimes a big emphasis will sit with some individual players. In terms of the Bills defense, who could those be?
Here are Bills Wire’s three potential X-factors on the Bills (6-3) defense against the Buccaneers (6-3):
DE Greg Rousseau
The Bills’ secondary needs to perform against Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. The best method of shutting down Mayfield might come from the trenches, though.
Pro Football Focus grades Rousseau as the 10th best pass rusher in the NFL heading into Week 11. He needs to show that.
LB Terrel Bernard
Regardless of who is at running back against the Bills defense, they seem to have successes in 2025. It will be a full-defensive effort, but Bernard is the quarterback of Buffalo’s defense in terms of stopping an opposing ground game.
DT DaQuan Jones
Jones is a combination of both above.
He’s a space eater in the middle of Buffalo’s defensive line. Jones needs to close gaps when the Buccaneers try to run the ball up the middle. If he takes up blockers on passing downs? That would free up Rousseau and Joey Bosa, too.