5 duds in Buffalo Bills’ Week 7 loss to New England
By Brandon Ray
1.) Jordan Phillips
When defensive tackle Ed Oliver was ruled out Friday, the defensive line was going into this game thin upfront in the trenches. The only good news about Oliver being ruled out was the opportunity for guys like Poona Ford and Jordan Phillips to step up and help stop the run and create interior pressure. Even though the Bills allowed under 100 yards rushing, they did end up allowing four yards per carry on the ground and provided no interior pressure.
Phillips did not record a single tackle. He was only able to deflect one pass from the line of scrimmage. The defensive line came in as a liability against Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, but it was the lack of pass rush that hurt the Bills more than anything. Much like the secondary, the defensive line may need additional help through trade with DaQuan Jones being gone for the season, and now Oliver has an injury on his plate this season.