Despite Josh Allen's chaotic, turnover-filled day, the Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Chargers to advance to 3-0. The star of the day was the same man who has been the star of Jim Leonhard's defense all season: Greg Rousseau.
Rousseau has been on a tear so far this year, and he etched his name in history with another multi-sack performance on Sunday. With two sacks against the Chargers, he became the first player since 2000 and the third player in NFL history to have three consecutive games with two or more sacks to start a season.
Marc Gastineau (1984) and Kevin Greene (1998) are the only others to accomplish the feat.
Rousseau's hot start is exactly what Leonhard's defense has needed to help the Bills start the year undefeated.
Greg Rousseau is the cog that makes Jim Leonhard's Bills defense run
While Leonhard wasn't the defensive coordinator in Denver, his Broncos background is a telling example of how his defense runs. He mixes up his looks in an attempt to keep offenses guessing and relies on quick pressure from his edge rushers to shut down the passing game. Nik Bonnito was the ace pass rusher when Leonhard was in Denver, and Rousseau has filled the role in Buffalo.
Of course, we're comparing apples and oranges when comparing the Broncos' and Bills' defenses. Denver has one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Patrick Surtain II, while Buffalo's secondary remains one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster.
Even if Christian Benford is underrated, neither he nor Maxwell Hairston compares to Surtain II in coverage. With potential weak spots on the back end, the pass rush becomes even more important.
Rousseau's pass-rushing production has helped alleviate some of the pressure on Buffalo's secondary.
Sack numbers can often be deceiving, as many pass rushers will pick up a sack created by a different defender's pressure. Rousseau's production has been the real deal, though. Per PFF, he has already generated 23 total pressures this season, which ranks second in the NFL.
He's not just a pass-rusher, though. Rousseau has had one of the most effective run-defending stretches of his career in these first three games, producing 12 run stops so far.
Without Rousseau on the field, Leonhard's defense would lose its teeth. Leonhard needs his star pass rusher to make his unit run, just like Rousseau needs Leonhard's scheme to put him into so many advantageous situations. It's the perfect fit between player and coach, and the Bills are reaping the benefits.
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