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Buffalo Bills: Leonard Floyd and Von Miller might be the best edge combo in football

By Loyal Ricks Jr

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Leonard Floyd #54 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a sack during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: Leonard Floyd #54 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a sack during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The Buffalo Bills are hungry for another Super Bowl appearance. A 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals sent Buffalo home in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs last season. Their offense struggled to score points, and their defense failed to secure the endzone. A bitter end to the season forced the franchise to re-evaluate their roster. There were certainly holes to fill, starting with a lackluster pass rush.

Buffalo Bills struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season

Leslie Frazier’s defense has maintained a solid reputation. In 2022, his group ranked 5th in points allowed (344) and finished with the 8th-best coverage rating (80.3). They played well enough to clinch a playoff berth but fell short against a talented quarterback with a plethora of trio of dominant receivers. Burrow picked Frazier’s defense apart, finishing the game with 242 yards passing and a ticket to the Conference Championship.

Pressure in the pocket could have changed the result for Buffalo. Joe Burrow was hit once on 36 attempts. He had time to hit downfield targets, which led to points on the board. Von Miller was sidelined due to knee surgery, leaving Buffalo’s defensive front to fend for themselves.

Getting to the quarterback wasn’t an issue during the regular season. Buffalo earned the fifth-highest pass rush rating (77.8) last season. Von Miller recorded 8 sacks before his season-ending injury. Without him in the lineup, the Bills slowly lost their presence in the backfield.

Buffalo Bills sign Leonard Floyd to one-year deal

If the Bills have to play without their superstar edge rusher this season, they’ll be more than prepared. On Monday, Buffalo signed Leonard Floyd to a one-year deal. Floyd is a speedy pass rusher that will expose weaker offensive tackles. He recorded three multi-sack game performances in 2022, totaling nine for the year.

A reunion between two talented edge rushers should result in success. Floyd and Miller terrorized quarterbacks together in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams. Their relentless attack stifled gunslingers, resulting in a Super Bowl LVI win.

Eliminating elite quarterbacks from the playoff bracket is mandatory for winning an AFC title. The Conference is full of gunslingers that could change the game within minutes. Without Leslie Frazier, the Bills must rely on their X-Factors to make big plays this season. They invested in another force off the edge, and expect to see great results.

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