The Buffalo Bills are less than 24 hours away from their matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, and it’ll be their easiest matchup until Week 16 against the New England Patriots. After this matchup, they will face the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Detroit Lions. Buffalo needs to stack wins now before their schedule gets tougher, meaning this game could go a long way in playoff seeding. So, who do the Bills need to rely on on their defense to win this game?
Linebacker Dorian Williams
The Bills will have to make a concerted effort to get to the ball and make the tackle. And while that sounds obvious, the Colts are going to make you pay for missing a tackle. Star running back Jonathan Taylor has had a stellar season thus far, rushing for 502 yards and five touchdowns with a 4.8-yard average. With the secondary playing very well up to this point, Indianapolis is going to make it a priority to get the run game going, meaning multiple players on the front seven, including Dorian, will have to be on their game. Dorian has been excellent in his first season as a starter, making 84 tackles, including four tackles for loss.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas
As was just mentioned, the secondary has played very well this season and has given up very few big plays. Receivers Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, both having larger roles in this offense, have catches of 65 and 69 yards this season, while Michael Pittman Jr and AD Mitchell have 33 and 30-yard catches. The Colts have been getting their yards out of splash plays, so something has to give this week. I would bet my money on Buffalo’s secondary controlling the game, but how Douglas plays will affect a lot.
Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones
As the Bills' focus should be on the run game, DaQuan Jones will be another player who is key to stopping the run. In his three years with the Bills, Jones has been counted on in run support, totaling 10 tackles for loss despite missing a good chunk of the 2023 season. Buffalo currently ranks 15th in run defense, according to Fox Sports. A very average season in that area of Buffalo’s defense, and one that’s going to need to step up as we draw closer to the playoffs. As Buffalo begins to face the tougher part of their schedule, this will be a nice tune-up game for the run defense.