Tag: Star Lotulelei

WATCH: Luke Kuechly surprises Cam Newton during live stream at Super Bowl

Check out this must-see moment between Panthers greats Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly from Thursday:

Go grab your tissue box, Carolina Panthers.

Now that he’s a full-fledged YouTuber, franchise great Cam Newton has been setting up shop at radio row this week from the site of Super Bowl LVIII. And during his second outing on the job, he got a heartwarming surprise from an old friend . . .

Former linebacker Luke Kuechly—one of Newton’s “favorite teammates of all-time,” per Newton—joined his pal on the set for a few minutes. Cam wasn’t stingy with more superlatives either—also presenting to some and introducing Luke to others as the “epitome of an ultimate teammate,” “a professional,” and, of course, “Captain America.”

Newton would then ask Kuechly how, during his illustrious eight-year NFL career, he could turn the switch from Clark Kent to Superman.

“You wanna compete, man. You wanna win,” Kuechly replied. “You work so hard and you wanna win. And I think that’s really what it comes down to is the competitive side of guys is ultimately what makes ’em a good football player.

“And you know how it was in Carolina—we had the best dudes. Whether it was Thomas [Davis] or G.O. [Greg Olsen] or [Ryan] Kalil or you or Chuck [Charles Johnson] or K.K. [Kawann Short] and Star [Lotulelei], and I’m missin’ guys, Roman [Harper] and Peanut [Charles Tillman] and Josh [Norman]—everybody on our team was so doggone competitive. Stew [Jonathan Stewart], [Mike] Tolbert, Fozzy [Whittaker]. And it was just kinda an understanding of like, this is how we do things in Carolina and if you don’t wanna be a part of it, then go on and get out.”

The way they did things resulted in the most sustained success in franchise history. With Newton and Kuechly leading the way, the Panthers captured three consecutive NFC South titles and an NFC championship between 2013 and 2015.

So, hopefully this new era in Carolina starts stacking up some competitors, or dawgs, of their own.

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5 defensive tackles Chargers could consider signing

A look at five defensive tackles the Chargers should consider amid season-ending injuries to Christian Covington and Otito Ogbonnia.

The Chargers are down to three defensive tackles on the active roster following the season-ending injuries to Austin Johnson and, most recently, Christian Covington and Otito Ogbonnia.

Head coach Brandon Staley confirmed Monday that the team will promote Joe Gaziano from the practice squad and add two more players to fill the position group.

Tyeler Davison was signed off the Browns’ practice squad on Tuesday morning, which means they could look to sign one more.

Who else could Los Angeles add to the room?

Let’s take a look at five interior defenders that would make sense.

List of Buffalo Bills players who are still free agents

List of #Bills players who are still free agents:

As free agency always goes, it’s all about the incomings and outgoings… especially when someone like Von Miller is involved with the Buffalo Bills.

But we’ve hit a bit of a grey area as well. The Bills have some players who still remain free agents and have yet to re-sign or sign with a new team.

Here’s a rundown of such players from Buffalo’s 2022 roster:

DT Star Lotulelei released by Buffalo Bills

DT Star Lotulelei was released by the #Bills:

The Buffalo Bills made a transaction that some wondered whether or not would happen. It has.

The team announced on Friday that defensive tackle Star Lotulelei has been released.

During the opening week of free agency, the Bills have made several additions to their defensive line. Specifically in the middle, tackles Tim Settle and DaQuan Jones were signed.

Lotulelei was likely moved down the pecking order because of that–but now he’s completely out of it. Both Settle and Jones are known to play space-eating and run-stopping roles on the D-line, just as Lotulelei had done.

On Thursday, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott provided a bit of insight into what could happen with Lotulelei. The coach did not say he would be released, however, he did not say he would stay.

Reading between the lines, that’s a bit telling.

“We’ll see. We’ll just take it one step at a time,” McDermott said via video conference.

Lotulelei signed as a free agent with the Bills prior to the 2018 season. Early in his career in Buffalo, Lotulelei was often touted by teammates for doing that dirty work in the middle of the defensive line.

In 2020, Lotulelei sat out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned in 2021, but his play took a step back.

The 32-year-old missed time due to injury and COVID-19 and eventually Harrison Phillips took over his starting spot last season. Even upon returning Lotulelei did not take that spot back.

It remains to be seen what salary cap ramifications come from releasing Lotulelei.

If he’s an immediate cut, Buffalo will save $1.5 million against the cap in 2022 and the team will have a one-year dead cap hit of $7.7M.

If he’s a post-June 1 designation, he’ll save the Bills $4.1M in 2022, but the team will have dead cap hits of $5.4M next season and $2.6M in 2023.

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Bills 2022 offseason preview: Where does Buffalo stand at DL?

Bills 2022 offseason preview: Where does Buffalo stand at DL? It’s an interesting position to watch in the coming weeks (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills have dedicated quite a few resources to the defensive line over the past few seasons. Last offseason, the Bills spend their first two draft picks on defensive ends, selecting Miami’s Greg Rousseau and Wake Forest’s Boogie Basham with their opening selections. The Bills also added free agent Efe Obada to the mix.

The goal was to create a deep, formidable group of players capable of rotating and consistently causing problems for opposing quarterbacks. Part of this was in response to finding a way to match up against Patrick Mahomes following the Bills loss in the 2020 AFC Championship game.

For the most part, the unit worked well. While the defensive line group did not necessarily have a standout performer, the sub of the parts was often greater than the whole.

The Bills allowed the fewest points in the league. They also surrendered the fewest passing yards in the NFL, a credit to the defensive line working in concert with the secondary.

However, for as much as the Bills have put into the defensive line, there were times when the unit could have been more dominant. They recorded 42 sacks, tied for 11th in the league. In addition, they allowed the 13th-fewest rushing yards, which feels good, but there were times were the line was pushed around a bit at the point of attack.

Still, a defense that gives up the fewest points in the league can only be viewed as a success. Ed Oliver flashed moments of dominance in the middle. Harrison Phillips provided a viable influence in the middle of the line. Greg Rousseau gave viewers a glimpse of his pass rush prowess. Veteran Mario Addison led the way with seven sacks. And, Jerry Hughes put up another good season pressuring the quarterback.

The group had a nice 2021 campaign, and more will be expected of the group moving forward. They were good, but they need to be dominant if the Bills are to make a push to the Super Bowl.

Instant analysis: Bills embarrass Patriots in wild-card blowout

Instant analysis: #Bills embarrass #Patriots in wild-card blowout (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills obliterated the New England Patriots in wild-card action, winning 47-17 in front of a raucous Highmark Stadium.

Leading into the game, national pundits made the weather a major story. With wind chills reaching -7 degrees, there were concerns that this game would be one that would be won with the ground game. Well, the Bills flipped that script and put up an astounding 47 points and 482 total yards through the frigid conditions.

Buffalo throttled New England in every phase.

Offensively, Buffalo scored touchdowns on all seven of their offensive drives. Every sequence was filled with highlight-reel plays.

The Bills opened the scoring on their first drive with a touchdown pass from Josh Allen to tight end Dawson Knox. Allen, as he has done so many times this season, extended the play, eventually throwing a pass that only Knox could catch.

Knox high-pointed the ball and make a spectacular grab:

Buffalo’s dominance continued with each subsequent drive. New England’s defense had zero answers to address the Bills offense. Buffalo passed the ball with ease, as Allen finished the game 21-of-25 for 308 passing yards and five touchdown passes.

Knox caught two touchdown passes, while receiver Emmanuel Sanders, wideout Gabriel Davis and lineman Tommy Doyle also reeled in scores. Doyle’s score was the cherry on top, as the big man helped put the Bills up by 37 points:

Just as impressively, Buffalo moved the ball on the ground efficiently. Devin Singletary rushed 16 times for 81 yards and two scores.

When called upon, Allen put pressure on the Patriots defense with 66 rushing yards on six carries. Allen’s early runs put defenders in a bad position, as they were forced to consider the quarterback’s ability to run, which helped open up possibilities in the playbook.

In addition, the Bills offensive line was strong, dominating the point of contact in the trenches. The unit did not allow a sack during the evening. Furthermore, Buffalo rushed for 176 yards, averaging 6.8 yards a carry before garbage time.

The Bills defense showed they are not to be messed with, as they keep Pats QB Mac Jones off balance all evening. Buffalo knew that if they forced the game into Jones’ hands, they would be in control of this game.

Jones was inconsistent with his accuracy all evening. When it appeared that he had a chance to make a play, Buffalo usurped the momentum, stealing the energy from the New England offense. Safefty Micah Hyde made the defensive play of the game with an over-the-shoulder interception at the Bills goal line:

Corner Levi Wallace also recorded an interception on a Jones pass that was deflected multiple times.

Buffalo’s defensive line was flying all over the backfield. They recorded three sacks, as Star Lotulelei, Jerry Hughes, and Boogie Basham all brought Jones down in the backfield. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds led the way with eight total tackles for the unit. The Bills defense limited any yards after the catch, so the Patriots could not break any big plays on the night.

Simply put, Buffalo was the better team on the field Saturday.

All of the hype about the weather was drowned out by the Bills commanding performance. It all starts with Allen for Buffalo. Without a doubt, Allen gives the Bills a chance to win any game moving forward.

The Bills supporting cast is so deep that it’s difficult to find issues with this team. If Buffalo puts forth this type of performance in each game for the remainder of the postseason, it will be quite a successful run.

Buffalo will know their opponent after Sunday’s slate of games. If the Chiefs  wins against the Steelers, then Buffalo will travel to Arrowhead field next weekend. If Pittsburgh is able to pull off the upset, then the Bills will host the Cincinnati Bengals.

No matter what, Buffalo will surely enjoy this victory, cementing this performance as one of the best in postseason team history.

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The Bills’ top-five grades from PFF against the Panthers

The #Bills’ top-five grades from PFF against the #Panthers:

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It was a big day for the Buffalo Bills’ defensive front-seven against the Carolina Panthers. They sacked quarterback Cam Newton four times and had seven tackles for loss. Based on Pro Football Focus‘ grades this week, they seemed to agree.

Four of the top five graded players via the football analytics outlet are Buffalo’s defensive linemen and linebackers:

 

Jerry Hughes always tops the league in pressure rate but never seems to bring down the quarterback for a sack. On Sunday, the longest-tenured Bill continued that trend but had one tackle for loss and one pass defense.

Following Hughes on the grade sheet is the man who lines up next to him. Ed Oliver ate up the interior of the Panthers’ offensive line, resulting in two tackles for himself. Oliver has continued to mold into the player Buffalo drafted him to be. He’s been an excellent defender the last eight weeks of the season and stepped up while other defensive tackles have missed time.

The lone offensive nod on the list goes to Gabriel Davis at No. 3. With no Emmanuel Sanders, Davis stepped up to lead the Bills in catches, yards, and scores. He’s presently on a three-game touchdown streak and Sunday marked his first career multi-score game.

The heavily criticized Tremaine Edmunds is at four. Edmunds had seven tackles and one quarterback hit in the box score. His main responsibility on Sunday was keeping Newton in the pocket and limiting the Panthers’ run game with the quarterback.

Star Lotulelei finishes fifth against his former team. The nose tackle has seen his role go a little bit more to Harrison Phillips the last month but he still excels at eating up blockers.

Lotulelei had two tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit.

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Bills’ Star Lotulelei out vs. Buccaneers

#Bills’ Star Lotulelei out vs. #Buccaneers:

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed early on Friday that his team will be without two pieces against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.

Via his weekly appearances on the team’s radio partner, WGR-550, McDermott said tight end Tommy Sweeney and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei will not play.

Sweeney, a depth piece behind starter Dawson Knox, has a hip injury.

The bigger loss is Lotulelei.

Lotulelei is battling a toe injury and had been in and out of practice this week. Most recently on Thursday, Lotulelei did not practice.

Both Sweeney and Lotulelei suited up in Week 13 against the New England Patriots and sustained their injuries during the loss.

During his weekly press conference on Friday before a Sunday game, McDermott went on to note that Lotulelei has been “frustrated” with his time off the field this season. Injuries and COVID-19 has held Lotulelei to only eight games played.

“Sometimes you have those seasons where things come up more than other seasons. Some of that’s what he’s dealing with and we just want him to get as healthy as he can as soon as he can,” McDermott said.

Without Lotulelei, Buffalo will provide a heavy dose of Harrison Phillips in the middle of their defensive line against the Bucs.

Tampa sports an offense with a bruising running back in Leonard Fournette. Buffalo has struggled against such players in 2021.

Bills Wire will provide the full and final injury reports for the Bills and Buccaneers when they are made available later on Friday. Check back.

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Bills vs. Patriots: 3 key matchups in Week 13

#Bills vs. #Patriots: 3 key matchups in Week 13:

The Buffalo Bills will face the New England Patriots in their upcoming Week 13 game.

While the stakes will be very high regarding the AFC East, it will still be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.

With that, here are three key matchups to watch between the Bills (7-4) and Patriots (8-4):

Bills get Star Lotulelei, Jon Feliciano, Spencer Brown back at practice

#Bills get Star Lotulelei, Jon Feliciano, Spencer Brown back at practice:

A trio of starting players for the Buffalo Bills returned to practice on Tuesday just in time to potentially face the New England Patriots in Week 13.

The Bills (7-4) see the full returns of two players from their Reserve/ COVID-19 list.

That pair is defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and rookie offensive tackle Spencer Brown, who were activated from the designation.

Because of the nature of the list, both Lotulelei and Brown are cleared to start on Monday against the Patriots (8-4). Lotulelei has been on the COVID list since Nov. 14 while Brown’s spell there began on Nov. 18.

While that’s good news, the Bills (7-4) are not fully in the clear with offensive lineman Jon Feliciano.

Buffalo designated Feliciano to return from injured reserve on Tuesday as well. He landed on IR on Nov. 6 thanks to a calf injury.

Changing Feliciano’s status simply means he can now practice with the team. It does not mean he will play vs. the Pats.

Buffalo has 21 days to activate him full to their 53-man roster or else Feliciano returns to IR. So the Bills could just be getting him in playing shape to return in two games… time will tell.

If that window closes and Feliciano goes back and is not activated from IR, he goes back to the injured reserve list for good and his season is over.

The Bills will certainly hope that Feliciano will be available and good to go against New England.

For what it’s worth, prior to facing the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, Buffalo designated wide receiver Marquez Stevenson for return as well. He immediately got into the lineup.

Returning Lotulelei, Brown and Feliciano would be positive additions to Buffalo’s play in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Buffalo also placed rookie offensive lineman Tommy Doyle on the COVID-19 list after activating Brown and Lotulelei from it on Tuesday. Cornerback Tre’Davious White was also placed on injured reserve with his season-ending ACL injury.

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