Buffalo Bills’ fans aren’t used to seeing the same offensive line return from one year to the next. That will finally reign true this season, as all five starters from last year will suit up for Week 1 and beyond.
Running the football wasn’t a problem for the Buffalo Bills in 2015.
Rex Ryan’s ground and pound mentality has helped the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line earn the #10 spot in Pro Football Focus’ 2016 Offensive Line Rankings.
The additions of Richie Incognito and John Miller have helped Eric Wood secure the interior running game. Locking up Cordy Glenn long-term gives the Bills closure for their coveted left tackle they have been searching for since the departure of Jason Peters.
The Bills topped the league in rushing yards per game. It was a drastic improvement from their 25th ranking in 2014. With the help of the Greg Roman offense and Tyrod Taylor’s ability to scramble out of the pocket, the Bills totaled 152.0 yards per game with an average of 4.8 yards per rush. The success has also earned Incognito the No. 97 spot in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2016.
For that reason, it is no surprise Pro Football Focus ranked the Bills where they are. They listed the team with the #10 ranked running backs entering 2016 as well, but the offensive line will give running backs all the glory.
PFF said the following about the Bills offensive line:
"Projected starters: LT Cordy Glenn, LG Richie Incognito, C Eric Wood, RG John Miller, RT Jordan MillsRoster depth: Cyril Richardson, Cyrus Kouandjio, Fernando VelascoKey stat: Richie Incognito finished the 2015 season as PFF’s second-highest-graded guard.The Bills weren’t able to upgrade their line in the offseason, but they did bring back Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito, which will certainly help. Buffalo is this high on the list because of how well Glenn, Incogntio, and Eric Wood gelled last season, with all three earning top-10 overall grades at their respective positions. They are this low on the list because John Miller didn’t grade well—even for a rookie—and Jordan Mills has consistently graded poorly in pass protection. The only change was adding Fernando Velasco and letting go of Kraig Urbik as their backup interior linemen."
The Bills do not have as much depth as they did in 2015, but Greg Roman’s running the ball mindset will definitely get this offensive line on the move more in 2016.
Only time will tell, but things are looking up for the Bills offense.
Do you think the Bills should be ranked higher, lower or do you agree with PFF? Leave comments below!