Buffalo Rumblings
Arguably the league’s best interior defensive lineman, Jones would add to a potent front-four
The Buffalo Bills have played well defensively this postseason. Through two games, they’ve allowed an average of 16 points per game, though that’s heavily skewed in a tale of two contests.
The Bills allowed just seven points in a 31-7 romp against the Denver Broncos during Super Wild Card Weekend before allowing 25 points to the Baltimore Ravens in a 27-25 win last Sunday.
Buffalo’s defense forced four punts and two turnovers on downs against Denver. The Bills then failed to force a punt against Baltimore, but they forced three turnovers — quarterback Lamar Jackson threw an interception and fumbled, and tight end Mark Andrews fumbled, as well. Overall, Buffalo’s defense has rounded into form at the right time.
With another postseason date against the Kansas City Chiefs looming this weekend, that defensive success is a welcome sight. It was just last postseason that the Bills entered play against the Chiefs as a verifiable M.A.S.H unit.
Last year, the team was without linebackers Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, and Baylon Spector. They were down cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Christian Benford, and fellow corner Rasul Douglas was seriously limited by a knee injury. They also were without starting safety Taylor Rapp.
The Bills have plenty of depth on defense, but there are still some areas where they’d love to improve. Third-down efficiency, for example, has been a rather large issue — as has consistently pressuring opposing quarterbacks. While the Bills have had more success playing man coverage this season, they still have some players who can be exploited by the right team.
In a continuation of our fictional series, we’re going to discuss a few Chiefs players who we believe would make picture-perfect additions to the Bills. As if the focus on the defense wasn’t hint enough, all three of our suggested additions come from KC’s defensive unit.
This is a no-brainer. Jones is arguably the best defensive tackle in football, and he might be the best defensive lineman in football, period, given his versatility.
Jones’ ability to stop the run and impact the passing game from multiple alignments gives opposing teams nightmares. Statistically speaking, Jones had one of the worst years of his career.
He totaled 37 tackles, five sacks, and 20 quarterback hits. If he were on Buffalo’s roster, Jones would rank third among defensive linemen in tackles, third among defensive linemen in sacks, and second overall in quarterback hits.
Imagine pairing Jones with Ed Oliver in the middle on passing downs. With Von Miller and Greg Rousseau on the outsides? Yes, that would be great. Chris Jones is a dynamic player who still has plenty left in the tank.
On second thought, you know what would be better than pairing Jones with the unit listed above? Putting Karlaftis on that line in place of either Miller or Oliver, and letting Rousseau rush from the inside....
