With Ed Oliver sidelined, Bills’ rookie T.J. Sanders delivers memorable response on upcoming showdown against the Jets
The Buffalo Bills are going to be without Ed Oliver for Week 2 against the Jets. Rookie T.J. Sanders opened up about his increased role heading into the matchup.
The Buffalo Bills are going to be shorthanded when they take on the New York Jets in Week 2 of the NFL season. Head coach Sean McDermott said on WGR550 that defensive tackle Ed Oliver is out with an ankle injury. To make matters worse, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it is a “multi-week” injury.
Ahead of the matchup, rookie second-round pick T.J. Sanders spoke with Matt Parrino, Bills beat reporter for Syracuse.com, about what he’s expecting from the game. Sanders was asked about the challenges that the Jets pose and how they’re similar to what the team had to overcome against the Baltimore Ravens.
“We know those guys, they ran the ball about 40 times last week, so it’s going to be a big part of their game coming into this week,” Sanders said. “They put up about 32 points, they feel like they have success with it, and coming against us they probably watched the game last week and felt like they got success against us as well.”
Sanders drew a laugh from Parrino with his answer.
“So just coming in with our hard hats on, knowing what type of game it’s going to be,” Sanders said.
Ed Oliver ruled out for Week 2 vs. Jets, T.J. Sanders set to replace
With Oliver out for the game, Sanders will look to take on an expanded role on the defense. He’ll have some big shoes to fill after Oliver had the game of his career, forcing a key fumble late in the contest that was a catalyst for the team’s comeback.
Sanders is certain to hear his name called more often during the contest. With the increased role, Sanders was asked if he would approach this week differently with heightened expectations. Needless to say, the rookie is dialed in.
“I think you just approach it with the same mindset,” Sanders said. “Coming out here, play your best, put your best foot forward. Just take everything you’ve done throughout the week and put it on display in the game. I don’t think there’s too much to overthink.”
T.J. Sanders’ snap count in Week 1 vs. the Baltimore Ravens
That limited experience is about to expand significantly. According to Pro Football Focus, he played in 16 snaps on defense (11 against the run, five rushing the passer) and generated one pressure (hurry) in his first NFL game.
Patrick Moran shared a worrisome stat about the rookie. While only playing in 16 snaps, the Ravens scored four of their five touchdowns while Sanders was on the field.
These weren’t Sanders’ issues alone, and he was facing the best run team in football — a point that was emphasized in the post. It was a tough task for Sanders to line up against Tyler Linderbaum.
The run defense is going to need to step up against the Jets, who are going to utilize running back Breece Hall and quarterback Justin Fields in a similar fashion as the Ravens did with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Sanders fully understands what type of game this will be and seems ready for the challenge.
Earlier in the week, receiver Keon Coleman said the word of the year was “execution,” to take what they’ve been doing in the offseason and apply it during the game. While not saying the word, Sanders’ response was grounded in executing on what he’s learned throughout camp and the offseason.
It’ll be a tough challenge for the rookie, but at the very least, he’s got the right mindset heading into the contest. Getting these reps in will go a long way for his development, and it’ll be interesting to see how Buffalo handles the interior with Oliver out.
We won’t have to wait long as the Jets and Bills are set for action on Sunday, Sept. 14. After McDermott expressed that this week would be hard, the defense should be hungry to get back out there and try to silence some critics.
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