Bills’ Von Miller, Sean McDermott on Greg Rousseau’s ‘big time day’

#Bills’ Von Miller, Sean McDermott on Greg Rousseau’s ‘big time day’

Buffalo DE Greg Rousseau tied a Bills franchise record for sacks (3.0) Sunday en route to a 34-28 season home opener win.

The Bills 2021 first-round NFL Draft pick logged three sacks on Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, including a fumble.

After he notched his first sack in the first quarter, the Cardinals were racking up offensive yards and points on the Bills’ defensive unit to the tune of 191 yards and 14 first-down conversions during the first two-quarters of the game, scoring every possession except for a kneel-down to end the first half.

But Rousseau continued the dominant play he’s exhibited as of late.

The fourth-year defensive end answered and got to Murray on the first Arizona possession of the second half for an 8-yard loss on third-and-6. He followed that up with a strip sack recovered by Dorian Williams that gave Josh Allen the ball back, which the QB then threw for a touchdown pass to receiver Khalil Shakir to give the Bills a lead they built on and never relinquished.

“Yeah big time day, big time day. I love that he carried over to the game what he had shown in training camp and then the last couple weeks in practice,” HC Sean McDermott said postgame about Rousseau. “

That’s big, like when you can take how you do things from practice and do it in the game that’s a mindset right and so that’s that’s also growth and maturation in and of itself.”

The Bills head coach was not the only one to speak highly of Rousseau after the game, as OLB Von Miller took the postgame press conference podium with the young edge rusher.

“It’s a great feeling to see him grow and see him develop into one of the premier pass rushers in this league. There’s only about 5 of them and he’s one of them,” he added

A frequent headline topic this offseason has been the fifth-year option which locks Rousseau in on his rookie deal for two more years through the end of the 2025 NFL season.

Whether a precursor to an extension or a prove-it period, Rousseau is quickly making his case for the former option.

If his elevated level of play continues, the price tag to re-sign him to a new deal could go up as well, which would suggest an extension would be better sooner. Time will tell how things unfold in terms of a new deal, but for now, Rousseau is steadily earning it week to week.

And that effort was big in a comeback win on Sunday.

WATCH: Bills’ Greg Rousseau strip-sacks Cardinals’ Kyler Murray

Greg gets him:

Greg Rousseau is having a breakout game against the Arizona Cardinals which is hopefully only the start of a breakout 2024 season.

Rousseau has notched his fifth-career multiple sack game against the Cards. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray felt this one.

On the Cardinals’ ensuing drive after Buffalo tied the game at 17 after halftime, Rousseau beat Arizona offensive lineman Paris Johnson and went in for a clean hit on Murray.

Not only that, Rousseau knocked the ball loose which was picked up by linebacker Dorian Williams.

Rousseau’s takedown can be found in the clip below:

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Bills vs. Cardinals: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 1

#Bills vs. #Cardinals: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 1:

The Buffalo Bills will host the Arizona Cardinals in their upcoming Week 1 matchup.

Even with it being a cross-conference clash, it will still be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.

Here are three key matchups to watch during Sunday’s Bills-Cardinals contest:

CB Rasul Douglas vs. WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

(Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

While there will be tons of excitement in Buffalo watching the Bills’ top rookie draft pick, wide receiver Keon Coleman, there is another rookie wideout worth watching on Sunday. It’s Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals are hoping his skillset instantly makes their offense better. That’s why he was the first non-quarterback selection at the 2024 NFL draft.

Douglas returns as Buffalo’s top cornerback this season. The Bills will hope Harrison’s NFL successes do not begin until Week 2.

DE Greg Rousseau vs. OL Paris Johnson

(Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

With the uncertainty facing Von Miller, the departure of Leonard Floyd, and Rousseau moving another year into his career… this needs to be his season to shine. The Bills will hope he’s going to hit double-digit sacks in 2024 and his first test is Johnson, the Cards’ former right tackle now turned left tackle.

WR Khalil Shakir vs. CB Garrett Williams

(Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Shakir will lineup plenty in the slot where Williams will defend. Shakir is also the only returning Bills wide receiver that has caught a pass from quarterback Josh Allen in the regular season. He needs to step up in the early stages of 2024.

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Bills’ Sean McDermott on CB JaMarcus Ingram: ‘Real proud of him’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott on CB JaMarcus Ingram: ‘Real proud of him’

It’s not uncommon for Bills head coach Sean McDermott to throw his support behind a depth player on Buffalo’s roster.

It’s also not uncommon for it to be a member of the team’s defensive backs group.

On Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he liked what he saw in how hard CB Ja’Marcus Ingram played, and spoke about it to the press afterward.

“He practices the same way,” McDermott said. “His teammates love him, they respect him for the way he works and all of the work he puts in physically, all of the work he puts in on the mental part of the game. I’m just real proud of him.”

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Ingram signed with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie in 2022 after playing in college as a walk-on at Utah State, as a transfer at Texas Tech, and then finishing with the University at Buffalo as a Bison.

He’s played in five games over the last two seasons and has been on and off the Bills practice squad, released and re-signed at times, and endured finding himself in a position to now be the team’s fourth cornerback behind starters Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford, and Kaiir Elam.

Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich views him as an example of the Bills approach to player development.

“Ja’Marcus, his development is really, to me, one of the cool things that when you coach, you’ve got different tiers of players. But here’s a guy that I believe came to try out at camp,” Babich said. “Came in at like 170 pounds, as tall as he is, and put in so much work and grinded and worked while he waited, and those types of things.

“And it’s just really cool to see a guy like Ja’Marcus really growing and developing in a way that you see clear dividends from the hard work he’s put in.”
As for the corner, he too pointed to some of the work he’s put in and the results it has produced after focusing this offseason on his press footwork, agility ladders, and pedaling.

“Just really all the base fundamentals,” Ingram said per The Buffalo News, “and that puts you in position to make plays.”

He also set out to work on writing a children’s book called “The Little Player That Could” that will be out around Thanksgiving of this year.

“It’s based on my story,” Ingram shared. “I want to teach kids or inspire kids to have perseverance and resiliency in life and whatever dream that they’re chasing.

“But the story happens to just be about me and what I kind of went through my career to get to the point where I’m at. But I want people – well, kids – to be able to be inspired by my story, to just persevere through anything and whatever it is that they want to do in life.”

“I felt like that was something that that I could leave for my son,” Ingram said. “He just turned 1, so I’m reading him books and stuff like that. I feel like that was something that I could leave behind for him, but also be able to inspire others with the platform that I have and something that could, like, leave my work, long after I’m gone.”

Local Buffalo LB Joe Andreessen on opportunity with Bills: ‘Nothing to lose’

Local Buffalo LB Joe Andreessen on opportunity with #Bills: ‘Nothing to lose’

Western New York native Joe Andreessen is playing his way into competition for making the Bills’ 53-man roster thanks to a strong performance in preseason action against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

On Saturday the rookie was calling and leading the Bills defense on the field against a pro offense led by a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Russell Wilson.

He would finish the game leading the team with 12 tackles.

“It was kind of nice,” Andreessen said to the media after the game. “They didn’t surprise me with it or anything like that. … I’m an undrafted guy, and I kind of looked at it as an opportunity, like nothing to lose.”

While he is one of the newer faces on the roster, he is a familiar one to Buffalo. Andreessen is a Lancaster, NY native and played college football at the University at Buffalo before signing with his hometown team in May following a successful rookie tryout.

“A lot of people aren’t really expecting me to make the team,” he continued. “You know, I’m a rookie tryout guy, so it was just something to take full advantage of, and hopefully I showed it to people out there today.”

Starting weakside linebacker Matt Milano is out for much of the regular season with a bicep tear and Terrel Bernard, who played in his place during an injury last season, was held out of this weekend’s game as a precaution at the position.

That opened the door for Andreessen to see playing time with Buffalo’s starters in only his second career game.

One of Buffalo’s leaders on defense, pass rusher Greg Rousseau, spoke about how Andreessen was not fazed by any big moments or by playing in front of a big stadium crowd.

“He’s that guy,” Rousseau said. “You couldn’t sense any fear with Joe. He stepped up to the plate, called it with the ones, and it was great seeing him flying around here and making open-field tackles. He was doing his thing.”

Baylon Spector and vet Deion Jones are who Andreessen is competing with behind Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams in the linebacker’s group. Still, the rookie is making a case on the field for consideration.

And his new head coach had good things to say about him as well.

“He did [have a game],” McDermott shared. “Yeah, he did. When a young guy gets an opportunity and he makes the most of it, it’s just fun to watch. Watch a young man like that, especially a local guy. I think I met his aunt in the elevator in the hotel. She was excited, was on the phone with Joe’s mom, who had just called in at the time. You love stories like that, right? Real happy for Joe.”

During the second half on a fourth-and-2 run by Steelers quarterback Justin Fields in Buffalo territory, Andreessen tackled him in the open field to end their drive with a seven-yard loss to give the Buffalo offense the ball back.

“I was telling the guys on the sideline I was super nervous,” Andreessen noteed. “That’s a very athletic guy out there and there was a lot of room. … I was just in my zone and he broke contain. I was trying to track the near hip and I didn’t want him to cut back on me and I didn’t press it super hard.”

Bills’ Greg Rousseau knows early sacks were ‘huge’ against Steelers

#Bills’ Greg Rousseau knows early sacks were ‘huge’ against #Steelers:

Greg Rousseau might not do what he did against the Pittsburgh Steelers in every game for the Buffalo Bills… but dang, would they ever take it.

In very limited playing time over the course of three series played by the starters on Buffalo’s defense… Rousseau had 2.5 sacks. After the Bills picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, some questioned it.

Those folks are awfully quiet this weekend and Rousseau knows it.

“Coach McDermott always talks about a line of scrimmage, so being able to go out there and get three sacks in the first two possessions and two sacks on the first two 3rd downs, I feel like it was huge,” Rousseau said.

Of his sacks, Rousseau split one with defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was quick to note that it was a team effort following the win.

“The defense came out with a purpose, and they understood the plan,” McDermott said via video conference. “They understood what they wanted to get done.”

But it’s hard to debate: Rousseau was very impressive in Pittsburgh.

For more from Rousseau, see the attacked WKBW-TV clip below:

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Bills’ Greg Rousseau splits two defenders for sack vs. Steelers (video)

Preseason or not, what an effort:

That’ll do. That’s the Greg Rousseau the Buffalo Bills want to see in 2024.

In an excellent effort, the Buffalo pass rusher recorded a sack in his team’s second preseason contest of the summer.

Rousseau, lined up at the left edge position, burst through two Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen and dropped quarterback Russell Wilson for a sack.

Even better: It was a series ending takedown on third down.

Check out the play below:

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BIlls’ Greg Rousseau named ‘player who could breakout in 2024’

#BIlls’ Greg Rousseau named ‘player who could breakout in 2024’

Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau has been solid during his tenure in Buffalo. In four years, he has consistently improved and entrenched himself as an integral part of the Bills defensive line.

Last season, Rousseau led the Bills defensive ends in snap percentage, seeing 54.6 percent of the snaps.

The Bills moved on from Leonard Floyd, who led Buffalo with 10.5 sacks last year. In addition, Von Miller is coming off his worst season as a pro, registering only three tackles and no sacks.

Thus, Rousseau will have greater responsibility as he enters his fourth professional season. The Miami product should have more opportunities to play in a variety of situations for Buffalo’s defense in the fall.

With this in mind, the 33rd Team’ sees Rousseau as a defensive player who could break out in the 2024 season.

The analysis highlights that even though Rousseau’s sack total dropped during the past two campaigns, the end has shown improvements in other aspects of his game:

Rousseau was a much better player in 2023 as he created more pressures (68) and improved significantly as a run defender. During the 2022 season, Rousseau was just an average run defender who teams would run toward when possible. But in 2023, he became an above-average run player, finishing the season with 19 stops. His improvement as a run defender has been a steady one despite it being a weakness coming out of college. Now, he is an every-down player who can thrive in any situation.

In addition, Rousseau was on par with some of the league’s best in different metrics. Rousseau’s pass-win rate was 16.0 percent last year, just behind Pittsburgh’s superstar TJ Watt (16.9 percent). Rousseau was slightly ahead of Danielle Hunter (15.7 percent) and Maxx Crosby (15.5) percent. Mosher posits that if Rousseau can improve this number, a double-digit sack season may be on the horizon.

Rousseau enters the season as Buffalo’s No. 1 defensive end. He has a great deal of experience on the field, taking starting snaps early in his career. The 33rd Team sees things turning out well for Rousseau’s development this year:

Rousseau just turned 24 and already has three seasons under his belt with nearly 2,000 snaps played. But going into Year 4, the expectations are even higher. The Bills need Rousseau to be a star on the edge and be a consistent pass rusher in big games. And given his trajectory, it’s not hard to believe that it will happen given his rapid improvement.

Rousseau has started all 46 games he has played in a Buffalo uniform. Over three seasons, he has recorded 129 total tackles, 42 quarterback hits, 17 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception.

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WATCH: Bills QB Josh Allen reunites with fan from Children’s Hospital

WATCH: Bills QB Josh Allen reunites with fan from Children’s Hospital

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen took a moment to greet a special fan during the team’s training camp this past week at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York.

After the day’s practice, Buffalo’s QB1 was greeting, high-fiving, and giving autographs to a number of fans waiting for a chance to meet him.

And one in particular stood out.

It was a fan who Allen inspired several years ago at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.

He shared the past connection along with a message Allen had shared first with him back when he was a patient, “Stay strong and never give up.”

WROC-TV shared the video of the moment Allen reconnected with the fan via social media, found here:

The hospital has become a part of the history and relationship between Allen and the Bills fans, 27,000 of whom notably came together to donate a total of $1.1 million to the hospital following the 2020 passing of his grandmother, Patricia Allen.

The result was the naming of the ‘Patricia Allen Pediatric Recovery Wing’ on the 10th floor of the medical facility.

The hospital would then go on to work with the quarterback and Allen family to launch the Patricia Allen Fund to benefit the critical care team while providing continued support for equipment, training, education, and programs.

Their team provides life-saving care to the most acute patients in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, emergency department, and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.

Allen’s visited patients there and continued his support in a variety of ways not limited to but including donating all proceeds from the sale of his limited edition cereal collaboration with Pittsburgh-based company PLB Sports & Entertainment, “Josh’s Jaqs”, to the Children’s Hospital each of the four years it’s been on shelves.

33rd team: Greg Rousseau is Bills’ ‘breakout candidate’ in 2024

33rd team: Greg Rousseau is #Bills’ ‘breakout candidate’ in 2024:

The Buffalo Bills could benefit should a recent prediction from an NFL analyst come to pass.

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher named his “breakout candidate” for the Bills in 2024, and it was none other than DE Greg Rousseau.

Mosher compiled a list of NFL Defensive Players Who Could Have Breakout 2024 Seasons and views Rousseau as a player with that potential.

It would be a logical progression for the 24-year-old.

The early returns during his rookie deal have been good, as the edge rusher quickly became a regular part of the Bills defensive pass rush group and developed into a consistent starter and threat to opposing quarterbacks.

While his abilities make him a strong breakout candidate already, some additional factors could help boost chances of his taking the next step at the pro level this season.

The Bills picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal this Spring, likely setting the stage for an extension. So Rousseau will be motivated to demonstrate his worthiness of higher earnings on his next deal.

While he is already a towering force on his own, fellow defensive end A.J. Epenesa and defensive tackle Ed Oliver both took the next step themselves, becoming key disrupters to opposing offenses.

The 2024 NFL Draft saw the addition of another disruptor in defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, a potential if not likely day-one starter on the defensive line, alongside them.

Those players, plus a healthy Von Miller, could mean trouble for opponents.

For more on Rousseau, here is Mosher’s breakdown below:

“Rousseau was a much better player in 2023 as he created more pressures (68) and improved significantly as a run defender,” Mosher writes. “During the 2022 season, Rousseau was just an average run defender who teams would run toward when possible. But in 2023, he became an above-average run player, finishing the season with 19 stops. His improvement as a run defender has been a steady one despite it being a weakness coming out of college. Now, he is an every-down player who can thrive in any situation.

“. . . Another encouraging stat is his overall pass-rush win rate (16.0 percent), which is ahead of other star rushers including Maxx Crosby (15.5 percent), Danielle Hunter (15.7 percent), and not far off from T.J. Watt (16.9 percent). If that number continues to rise, we should see Rousseau post a double-digit sack season sooner rather than later . . . The Bills need Rousseau to be a star on the edge and be a consistent pass rusher in big games. And given his trajectory, it’s not hard to believe that it will happen given his rapid improvement.”