One hit-or-miss that the Buffalo Bills have had in the Josh Allen wasn’t even on the offensive side of the ball. It involves the pass rush coming from the defense, which has been a contributor in letting the team down in the playoffs. Just last season in the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, Bo Nix was nearly standing perfect in the pocket.
Nix threw the ball 46 times and the Bills didn’t register one sack. Not one, which is just ridiculous. Now granted, a 4-2-5 defense doesn’t exactly scream bringing the pressure off the line. But a 3-4 scheme that Buffalo is switching to does.
With this new switch under Jim Leonhard, the Bills needed to make some adjustments that included switching their edge rushers to outside linebackers, and then bringing in more help which they did by signing Bradley Chubb and then drafting T.J. Parker.
Now with the pass rush looking more different than it has in recent memory, the Bills will be looking to bring a more aggressive approach to get after the quarterback. Even though this unit hasn’t always been the best, Carter Bahns from CBS Sports gives the Bills’ pass-rush unit a little bit more love than fans may have expected.
Bills' pass rush has optimism for 2026 (but they need to prove it)
Bahns put together a rankings list of all 32 team’s NFL edge rusher group going into the season, and the Bills were ranked at No. 15 despite the inconsistency and chance in scheme. Both Bradley Chubb and Greg Rousseau were listed as the key contributors.
"Losing Joey Bosa to free agency (and perhaps retirement) is a tough blow, but there was never any guarantee he would stick around beyond one year anyway. Chubb is a perfectly acceptable replacement to pair with Rousseau in a scheme that helped build the most formidable passing defense in the league last year. Neither is a superstar, but both are renowned disruptors and should play off each other nicely." said Bahns.
If the Bills can get a healthy Bradley Chubb, their pass rush is going to be elevated. Even though there are injury concerns with Chubb, he has put up 19.5 sacks in last two healthy seasons (2023 & 2025). Not to mention, he is a perfect 3-4 outside linebacker who can also help defend the run.
For Rousseau, stopping the run has been his specialty since arriving to Buffalo. When it comes to his pass rush, he hasn’t put up more than 8 sacks in a season. However, that’s why Chubb was brought in. Sliding Rousseau to outside linebacker is a better fit because he knows how to set the edge against the run, and having Leonhard as his new defensive coordinator should help him with his pass rush ability.
The rest of the group will have to step up, especially someone like T.J. Parker and Landon Jackson. Fans should be hopeful for what this unit will do in 2026, and having them in the middle of the pack is right. Now it’s time for them to elevate themselves by producing on the field.
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