With the Buffalo Payments 2024 season coming to an in depth after shedding within the AFC Championship Sport to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, there’s one deadly flaw that derailed this workforce’s possibilities of successful their Tremendous Bowl. Contemplating they’re in the identical convention as Mahomes and the Chiefs, their Tremendous Bowl possibilities will solely grow to be accessible if they’ll beat the workforce that seemingly crushes their playoff possibilities every season. So, through the 2025 NFL Offseason, the Payments ought to have one main precedence in thoughts: Enhance their move rush.
Since Mahomes and Allen entered the NFL, each quarterbacks have been in conversations about being one of the best within the league. Whereas Mahomes has the benefit by way of accolades, Allen would not fall behind within the expertise division.
However, one a part of this Payments workforce that obtained uncovered within the AFC Championship Sport was their lack of move rush.
Not solely was it noticeable within the convention championships, but it surely was evident all through this season that the Payments weren’t a workforce that created plenty of stress defensively.
And though the Payments had a robust 2024 season, that was extra resulting from Josh Allen being Superman offensively than it does the rest.
If the Payments wish to play in a Tremendous Bowl anytime quickly, their move rush should get tightened up this offseason.
The Payments move rush is their deadly flaw
Whereas Ed Oliver and DaQuon Jones have been within the high 20 defensive tackles at creating move rush, per ESPN, the Payments haven’t got that very same kind of success on the sides, inflicting a serious lack of quarterback pressures.
In actual fact, creating stress was a serious wrestle for this protection all season, per Jonathan Acosta on X.
“Priorities #1, 2 and three for Brandon Beane this offseason ought to be beefing up #Payments move rush,” Acosta wrote. “Getting stress on the QB is the one factor confirmed to be efficient towards all the high QBs, and it’s one thing they simply haven’t had constantly. One of many few stops that they had yesterday was a crimson zone sack from Jordan Phillips that led to KC settling for a FG.
“Aside from Leonard Floyd (10.5) final 12 months, it’s important to return to 2016 to seek out the final man with double digit sacks in a season (Lorenzo Alexander, 12.5). If Payments wish to lastly recover from this Mahomes/Chiefs hump and in addition be ready to cope with Burrow/Jackson, gotta add a man (or two) that’s going to continually be within the backfield making life tough for these QBs.”
Certain, different elements of this workforce want some work — together with receiver and secondary — however the portion of this workforce that ought to be a precedence is the move rush.
Payments want extra from EDGE/DL in 2025
Whether or not it’s via free company or the 2025 NFL Draft, the Payments should be lively this offseason in buying pass-rush expertise.
Though Miller was an elite move rusher at one time, he has utterly misplaced his shine.
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All through the 16 video games Miller performed within the 2024 season — each within the common season and the playoffs — he performed in roughly 33% of defensive snaps.
With the way in which Miller and the Payments restructured his contract after signing a $120 million deal when he joined Buffalo, he might get reduce as early because the 2025 NFL offseason.
Together with Miller, the Payments’ former first-round decide Gregory Rousseau was a little bit of a disappointment within the AFC Championship Sport.
Whereas he ended the sport with three tackles, he had zero quarterback hits and 0 sacks, displaying a really restricted affect on the move rush.
The Payments have gamers who might produce of their present spot, however typically — when the lights get turned up a bit — their move rushers are nowhere to be discovered, and that was very true towards Mahomes and the Chiefs.
If the Payments have their eyes on the expertise within the 2025 NFL Draft, they may get their gamewrecker, somebody they desperately want.
Nonetheless, if the draft is not their most popular technique to purchase move rushers within the offseason, free company can also be a chance.
Listed here are among the present gamers slated to be a free agent within the 2025 offseason, per Spotrac:
- Khalil Mack
- Haason Reddick
- Matt Judon
- DeMarcus Lawrence
- Josh Sweat
Whereas there are others that Buffalo might look to acquire to present their protection a much-needed enhance.
So, because the Payments look to re-tool for the 2025 season, they need to concentrate on buying proficient move rushers this offseason, as they clearly want it to take down Mahomes and the Chiefs shifting within the playoffs.
If they do not repair this deadly flaw within the offseason, the Payments could possibly be taking a look at an analogous disappointing finish to their 12 months in 2025.