The Buffalo Bills offense could hardly do anything in the second half against the tougher-than-advertised Cleveland Browns defense.
Yet, it was the Bills’ defense that carried them to the verge of the playoffs and specifically Greg Rousseau, according to coach Sean McDermott.
Rousseau wrecked the Browns’ chances of rallying by posting a season-high 2.5 sacks and coming through on the Browns’ final offensive drive in Buffalo’s narrow 23-20 win at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday.
Buffalo (11-4) won its fourth straight game. The Bills can clinch a playoff spot with an Indianapolis Colts loss on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers or by winning one of their final two home games against either the Philadelphia Eagles or New York Jets.
Sean McDermott: The Bills ‘Needed That’ Performance From Greg Rousseau
Rousseau has been Buffalo’s primary EDGE rusher since he joined the roster in 2021, even with the likes of Von Miller and now Joey Bosa on the Bills.
So with the Bills offense sputtering — they scored just three second-half points and put up only 62 offensive yards on 27 plays — Rousseau rose the occasion, especially in the fourth quarter.
He posted 1.5 sacks on Cleveland’s final two drives and would have set a new single-game career high if not for quarterback Shedeur Sanders‘ throw away on 2nd and 18. That resulted in an intentional-grounding penalty that pushed Cleveland to its own 1-yard line and forced it to punt, and the Bills made sure the Browns offense never got the ball back.
“That was huge. We needed that from Greg,” McDermott said. “We believe that he can do that. He can impact the game, so it’s good to see him get back in that mindset. The grounding call was huge.”
Aside from his second-highest single-game sack mark, Rousseau also posted seven quarterback hits on Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Rousseau’s sack on Gabriel’s lone drop back, on 3rd and goal at the Buffalo 4-yard line, forced the Browns to kick a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown midway through the second quarter, in what turned out to be a huge play.
“I was just playing fast and doing my [1 of 11 men on the defense],” Rousseau said. “Just trying to work off the guys out there with me.”
Greg Rousseau Snapped His Midseason Slump
Rousseau broke his five-game skid of no sacks last weekend in Buffalo’s win over the New England Patriots, then his multi-sack effort officially put that slump behind him.
Rousseau still has the chance to equal his single-season career high for sacks, eight which was set last season. But even though he didn’t get the tackles for loss on the quarterback, McDermott didn’t see him getting frustrated or changing his approach.
“It’s not that he hasn’t been trying. He’s been giving great effort,” McDermott said. “Greg’s built that way. He’s a very conscientious young man.”
Though Rousseau had a hand in all three of Buffalo’s sacks Sunday, McDermott felt the whole defense had the opportunity to affect Sanders. But he was pleased to see Rousseau deliver.
“His production today was certainly significant and needed and felt,” McDermott said.
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