Rookie recap for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 after victory over Rams
Christian Benford/Kaiir Elam
Another big surprise for the Buffalo Bills was Christian Benford getting the start at cornerback over first round draft pick Kaiir Elam. The sixth round draft pick was listed as the backup on the initial depth chart but the coaching staff decided Benford was the better player to start.
Even though Benford got the start, it was a split role and Benford would play only 58% of the defensive snaps. He would finish the game with three total tackles and one pass defended. He was targeted four times by Matthew Stafford and allowed two receptions for 32 yards with Stafford finishing with a QB rating of 77.7 when throwing in his direction.
While Benford got the start, Kaiir Elam would play a good part of the game and finish being on the field for about 45% of the defensive snaps. He had a similar stat line to Benford as he would finish with three total tackles and allowed two receptions on three targets but only gave up 13 yards.
The Buffalo Bills’ secondary as a whole did a good job against the Rams’ passing game and Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam were a big part of their success.
This week the Bills are set to play the Tennessee Titans and it will be interesting if the workload splits between the two rookies. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Christian Benford see more snaps this week as the Buffalo Bills might want more size on the edge against Derrick Henry and the Titans run game.
