Harrison Phillips
The Buffalo Bills didn’t have many players ruled out this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers but the absence of Star Lotulelei could be big for this defense. The veteran defensive tackle was expected to return to being a starter after opting out last year that can help against the run.
The Steelers have one of the better rookie running backs in Najee Harris and should look to him early and often. The pressure will be on the Buffalo Bills to win in the trenches and it got a little tougher without Star Lotulelei.
However, one player that has the potential to replace Lotulelei and play at a high level is Harrison Phillips. The former third round pick has had an up and down career and back in 2019 looked to be on the verge of breaking out before suffering a torn ACL.
He did return last season but struggled to get back to the level he showed in 2019. This preseason though, Phillips looked to be playing closer to that level before a knee injury in the second preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
While the Buffalo Bills are expected to look to a number of players to replace Lotulelei this week, Harrison Phillips is the key to this group having a good week against the Steelers.