Buffalo Bills LB Matt Milano led the NFL in one telling statistic in 2018
By Avery Duncan
![MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Milano #58 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after recovering a fumbled ball in the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Milano #58 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after recovering a fumbled ball in the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/35d514d7ef9c7b9856bdd8650bb1db4deebe4a555d7cb5b7718324d41870cccf.jpg)
Matt Milano was outstanding in his second-year for the Buffalo Bills; statistics continue to back that statement up.
A safety turned linebacker at Boston College, it should be no surprise to see Matt Milano — the Buffalo Bills’ fifth-round pick in 2017 — excel in coverage. He was undersized heading into the NFL, and lacked as a run-stopper, measuring in at 6-foot, 221-pounds. His saving grace, as a prospect, was his ranginess as a linebacker. Nonetheless, selecting him was a bit of gamble.
It turns out, general manager Brandon Beane hit, and he did so in a big way. In just his second year as a pro, Milano led all NFL off-ball linebackers (minimum 300 snaps) in opposing passer rating. Per Pro Football Focus, the Boston College product allowed a 67.0 passer rating in coverage.
For context, the NFL’s league-wide passer rating in 2018 was 92.9, the highest of all time. The last time we’ve seen this number dip to Milano’s territory was in 1978.
No linebacker forced a lower passer rating in coverage last season than Matt Milano of the Bills! pic.twitter.com/bsGeYAXx5f
— PFF (@PFF) June 12, 2019
Heading into 2018, Milano had the benefit of the doubt. There wasn’t much tape on him; quarterbacks felt comfortable throwing his way. After a 13-start campaign that featured 78 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, three interceptions, a sack, and a league-low opposing passer rating mark now on his resume, quarterbacks are studying him.
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Before Milano suffered a season-ending broken leg in December, he was a leader of a No. 1 ranked Bills pass defense. Entering 2019, most figure he’ll return to that same status alongside second-year Tremaine Edmunds — a 6-foot-5 athletic 21-year-old hoping to take a similar step as Milano did as a sophomore.