Leonard Floyd can help Bills fill Von Miller void
After months of waiting to see if Von Miller would be ready to go for the Buffalo Bills' Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, the news broke Tuesday that Miller will start the season on the PUP. That means Miller will miss the first four games of the season, at minimum, after tearing […]
After months of waiting to see if Von Miller would be ready to go for the Buffalo Bills' Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets, the news broke Tuesday that Miller will start the season on the PUP.
That means Miller will miss the first four games of the season, at minimum, after tearing his ACL against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
There's no other way around it: The decision is a smart one, but it's also a big blow to the Bills' pass rush. We saw how much the unit dropped off without Miller on the field and while there's always room for growth and development, we won't officially know if things have improved until the bullets start flying in Week 1.
But, even with the uncertainty, there's one guy who has a good shot at helping the pass rush stay effective during Miller's extended absence: Leonard Floyd.
Floyd, a seven-year veteran that was signed in June, isn't a perennial Pro Bowler nor is he a game-wrecker, by any means. However, he is a solid veteran that has recorded 9.0 or more sacks in three straight seasons. Now, a lot of that success certainly came because of Floyd's teammate, Aaron Donald, playing on the same defensive line.
Floyd really stepped it up when Donald went out for the year in Week 13, however. He recorded four sacks over the final four games of the season, along with four of his 10 TFLs on the year and 10 of his 22 QB hits. It was a very nice close to the season and it's clear the Bills are hoping Floyd's momentum can carry over into the 2023 season. Especially while Miller is out.
Floyd performed at a top-flight level in Weeks 14-18 last season despite the Rams being out of the playoff picture. He produced a 17.7 percent pressure rate during that span, ranking 14th among 198 qualified defenders (min. 50 pass rush snaps in Weeks 14-18). Floyd tied for 13th with four sacks and ranked within the top 10 in pressures (23; eighth), hits (nine, eighth) and hurries (14, eighth). – Larry Holder, The Athletic
Per Pro Football Focus, Floyd also recorded 2.0 of his final 4.0 sacks when rushing against a true pass set, which was fourth-best out of 73 qualifying players. His pass rush productivity rate of 16.7% tied for fourth-best, as well.
He also has some good pieces around him. Ed Oliver is no slouch in the middle. In fact, he's one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game. Greg Rosseau, the pass rusher opposite Floyd, is also coming into his own after recording 8.0 sacks, 10 TFLs, and 14 QB hits in 2022.
I don't know if the Bills pass rush will be a top-5 unit in September, but they certainly have plenty of effective pieces in place to keep things running smoothly until Miller's return.
And once that happens -if the team is healthy, obviously- all bets are off.
Bills make the mature decision for superstar Von Miller
Should pay off.
Featured image via Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
