The Buffalo Bills haven’t had a very good start to the season in the trenches on defense in 2020 … and the coaching staff is doing something big about it.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, defensive end Trent Murphy and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips are expected to be healthy scratches against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday. Along the defensive line this year, the Bills haven’t gotten the production the team has been used to in recent memory. This offseason, the Bills let both Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson walk in free agency.
Against the Titans, Phillips had some strong play against the run, but both guys have struggled to generate much of any pass rush. Overall, Buffalo’s entire edge defending unit did a bad job against the Titans, both on pass and rushing plays, in Week 5.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was not sacked one time in Buffalo’s last game, and by comparison, the Chiefs offense, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, will be throwing the ball much, much more in Week 6.
So far this season, the Bills average two sacks per game and 12 teams are averaging less than that per week. However, sacks isn’t just the overall number to consider. In terms of QB pressures, the Bills have 37 in 2020, which is sixth-worst in the NFL heading into Week 6.
What could be expected without Murphy is more Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison? Typically during Sean McDermott’s tenure as head coach, he runs a big rotation along the defensive line to keep guys fresh. But the Bills might try to loosen up on that and leave starters out there longer in an effort to generate a more consistent effort. In the middle of the defensive line, that could mean more Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler without Phillips. Ed Oliver typically plays next to Phillips, not in his one-tech spot, so his snaps might stay close to the same.
At about 3:30 p.m. we’ll know what holds true with this report as well. That’s approximately the time when the inactive lists for both the Bills and Chiefs will be released.
Check back at Bills Wire around then for the latest updates.
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