Bills bolster defense ahead of Divisional Round vs. Bengals
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for their Divisional Round showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, a couple of recent roster moves should bolster the team's most favorable matchup in the game. On Saturday, the Bills elevated two defensive linemen from the practice squad; defensive tackle Eli Ankou and defensive end Kingsley Jonathan. That makes them eligible […]
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for their Divisional Round showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, a couple of recent roster moves should bolster the team's most favorable matchup in the game.
On Saturday, the Bills elevated two defensive linemen from the practice squad; defensive tackle Eli Ankou and defensive end Kingsley Jonathan. That makes them eligible to play against the Bengals.
Jonathan had a promising showing in limited playing time against the Chicago Bears in Week 16, recording a defensive stop per PFF. Ankou was active against the Miami Dolphins in last week's win and had a decent showing at DT.
The Bills could use all the help they can get rushing the passer.
Since Von Miller's injury, they've ranked near the bottom of the league in pressure rate when rushing with four. Considering Joe Burrow is a tough QB to blitz, getting home without extra pressure will be key in the Divisional Round.
This could be a mismatch favoring Buffalo though. Cincinnati will be lining up three backups across the offensive line. Adding defensive linemen to the gameday roster just increases the team's chances of disrupting the game at the line of scrimmage.
Kingsley Jonathan, the undrafted rookie, is often criticized because of his size. At 6-4, 260, Jonathan was able to make an impact in his game against the Bears, however.
The Bills are now six-point favorites over the Bengals as the betting spread has continued to move in favor of the home team.
Featured image via Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
