The Buffalo Bills’ offensive line has been a problem all season, and the team’s decision to do nothing about it may cost them.
The offensive line has frequently appeared in my weekly Studs and Duds columns, and not in the positive column. Earlier in the season, I also wrote about how Pro Football Focus had ranked Buffalo as one of the worst run-blocking units in the league. Right tackle Spencer Brown and guards Ryan Bates and Rodger Saffold all have run-blocking grades at 55 or below on a scale of 0-100.
Yet it hasn’t been just the run-blocking. Three of their five starters also came into Sunday’s game against the Jets with average to below-average grades in pass blocking, an issue that Josh Allen’s legs and ability to improvise have been able to cover up for much of the season.
The issues have been so glaring at times that, heading into the trade deadline, many expected Buffalo to make a move for more offensive line help. Instead, the deadline came and went and Buffalo did nothing to improve their starting line or even add versatile bench depth.
That decision could prove costly for Buffalo in its quest for a Super Bowl title.
Sunday’s game against the Jets was just another example of the offensive line continuing to underperform. Josh Allen was sacked three times, hurried eight times, and hit five times. The offensive line was also called for seven penalties, five of them accepted.
The mistakes by the offensive line not only put the Bills in consistent long down-to-gain situations but effectively killed more than a few drives.
After six straight combined punts by the two teams, Nyheim Hines’ punt return set the Bills up with a first down just on the other side of the 50-yard-line. On a 3rd-and-2, Josh Allen rushed for a first down to the Jets’ 37-yard line, but it was wiped out after a holding call on Dion Dawkins. On the next play, Allen was sacked, and the Bills were forced to punt. Again.
Later on, Greg Rousseau strip-sacked Joe Flacco with five minutes left in the third quarter and the Bills up 14-7. Josh Allen then completed a 17-yard pass to Gabe Davis, and the Bills were looking to score and put a feisty Jets team away. On the next play, a seven-yard run by Isaiah McKenzie to the Jets’ 20-yard line was wiped out by another holding call on Dawkins.
The Bills were forced to settle for a field goal to take a 17-7 lead.
On the next drive, on a 3rd and 3 from the Jets’ 29-yard line with 12:44 left in the game, the Bills allowed immediate pressure on Allen, who got was brought down behind the line of scrimmage, which forced another field goal attempt. The Bills took a 20-7 lead but continued to allow the Jets to stay in the game.
All of that is just a small slice of the impact the offensive line can have on the game. The problem for the Bills is that these issues have been far too common this season, and now there is seemingly no solution in sight.
Back-up tackle David Quessenberry has not proven to be an upgrade on Spencer Brown when he’s had the opportunity to fill in, and it’s highly unlikely that any team cuts a lineman who could help a playoff team this late in the season. That means the only potential upgrade available to the Bills is activating guard Ike Boettger from injured reserve.
In 2020, Boettger played predominantly left guard and had a run-blocking grade of 72.3. He took a step back in 2021 before getting injured, but it’s possible that he could be an update on Saffold, who has been a poor free agent signing by general manager Brandon Beane.
In fact, building up the offensive line continues to be a problem area for Beane, who just recently had to cut former second-round pick Cody Ford and has been hit-and-miss with free-agent signings like Saffold, Darryl Williams, Quinton Spain, and Brian Winters, among others in recent years.
While the Bills were still able to hold on and win on Sunday, the offensive line stands out as a glaring weakness on a team that has been playing inconsistent football for almost two months now. With Von Miller and Micah Hyde out for the season on defense, the Bills are going to need their offense to carry the load again if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs.
If the offensive line keeps playing like this, that’s going to be a tough ask.
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