Buffalo Rumblings
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for their Week 17 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team sits at 11-4, fresh off a hard-fought 23-20 road win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. This victory marked their fourth straight, clinching at least an 11-win season for the sixth-consecutive year, and locking them in for the AFC playoff race.
The Bills’ offense leaned heavily on the ground game, while the defense generated key stops, including multiple sacks and pressures from the edge. Quarterback Josh Allen completed just 12-of-19 passes for 130 yards, with the rushing attack and defense carrying the day in a low-scoring affair where Buffalo overcame being outgained in total yards (259-294).
With the Eagles holding a strong NFC East lead and potentially managing player rest, this home game at Highmark Stadium could impact seeding. Buffalo’s elite rushing efficiency (second in the league in yards per attempt) faces Philly’s solid defense, which means that individual performances will be crucial.
Let’s examine the top three Bills players trending up (our “Heroes”) and three trending down (“Head-Scratchers”), supported by key stats from sources like ESPN, Pro Football Reference, and some other team reports.
Greg Rousseau dominated in Week 16 against the Browns, recording a season-high 2.5 sacks, nine pressures, seven quarterback hits, and key late-game disruptions that forced a turnover on downs and intentional grounding, closing the game. His performance helped limit Cleveland’s offense despite time-of-possession disadvantages.
Season-long, Rousseau has 6.5 sacks through 15 games, 43 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble, with consistent performances against the run in four straight seasons. His pass-rush dominance against the Browns was really fun to watch, and something that Bills Mafia was eager to see. Buffalo will need this version of Groot to challenge the Eagles’ line and the mobile Jalen Hurts.
I’ve been critical of Dion Dawkins recently, but there’s no denying that, when focused, he’s one of the best left tackles in the game. Against the Browns, he anchored the left side masterfully in Week 16, holding defensive end Myles Garrett to just one pressure on 18 pass rushes while helping Buffalo’s ground success (160-plus rushing yards total) and James Cook III’s explosive gains, also joining the running back and the team’s superstar quarterback as the three Bills’ Pro Bowl selections this season.
To push it home a bit further, Garrett’s half a sack against the Bills was the first game he’d been held without a full sack since Week 6, and the first outing since Week 10 where he didn’t record at least two quarterback hits in a game.
Dawkins has been inconsistent in 2025, but he’s trending in the right direction at the right time, protecting Allen’s blindside and contributing to the team’s top-tier rushing attack. His physicality has shielded Allen during a season of offensive highs, and against Philly’s edge rushers, his upward trajectory remains vital for...
