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The Buffalo Bills got a wonderful gift from rookie pass rusher Greg Rousseau against the Kansas City Chiefs: He proved them right, doing so with a statement.
Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs were driving. Down 31-13, Kansas City was in the red zone and needed a score to make the final frame a tight-knit affair.
Rousseau decided that wasn’t necessary.
Recognizing a throw from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was coming his way, Rousseau leapt up, swatted the ball, and caught his own deflection:
Get it, @gregrousseau!
đź“ş: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/90JqqaM0UO
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 11, 2021
Like quarterback Josh Allen jumping over a defender, the play had guys in Buffalo’s locker room talking after the game
“Huge play,” McDermott said via video conference. “When you see a young guy make a play like that, I mean, the future is bright. Again, another unselfish player the way he approaches every week.”
In grabbing that ball out of the air, Rousseau did more than slow the Chiefs’ momentum. What he really did prove that Buffalo’s front office knew what they were doing this offseason.
It’s well known that the Bills took their two losses to Kansas City in 2020 into consideration when doing their work this spring. Rousseau, Buffalo’s first-round pick at the recent NFL draft, was the centerpiece of those efforts.
Rousseau isn’t the one that makes those narratives, but he knows they’re out there. Those come with pressure for such a young guy, especially someone who did not play last season. He opted out of college football in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Taking a swing on Rousseau is certainly paying dividends early this season for the Bills. Rousseau didn’t just impress with his hands, either. The pressure he was putting on the Chiefs backfield was noticeable throughout the game.
But of course, the turnovers always catch your eye like it did for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
“That was a big time play, that was really big and I’m happy for him. He just keeps getting better,” Edmunds said.
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