The Buffalo Bills have spent plenty of time this season trying to patch over problems on defense, and a lot of the attention has landed on the secondary and the linebacker group. But there’s another missing piece that may be doing even more damage: Ed Oliver.
Oliver, the star defensive tackle, has played in only three games for Buffalo this season because of injuries. He missed Week 2 after suffering a hip injury in warm-ups, then exited early in Week 4 after taking a shot to his left knee. And while the conversation has centered on the back end of the defense, his absence may be the bigger issue.
The numbers back that up. With Oliver on the field, Buffalo has allowed 25.3 points per game.
Without him, that number jumps to 31.7. The Bills have also given up fewer yards per game when he plays, and they’ve generated 17 quarterback pressures in those games compared with just six total in the three he missed.
The late-game breakdowns tell a similar story. In the games Oliver missed, opposing offenses were able to drive down the field late and score touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders, and that also happened after he left against the New England Patriots.
His absence may be showing up in the play of Greg Rousseau, too. With Oliver available, Rousseau had four sacks and six tackles for loss. Without Oliver, Rousseau didn’t record a tackle for loss in those games.
There’s also been a ripple effect on Deone Walker. With Oliver sidelined, the second-year defensive tackle has been double-teamed on 71% of defensive snaps.
So while the focus has been on the secondary, Oliver’s return could give Buffalo the kind of lift this defense has been missing. That’s the hope as the Bills get set for a tough matchup with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
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