Josh Allen, Offensive Lines And More In Critical…

2. The Bills’ pass rush vs. Colts’ protection.

The Bills’ leading sack-getters are Mario Addison and Gregory Rousseau, who each have three sacks. But make no mistake, the Bills’ pass rush is effective and productive – 13 players have at least half a sack, and Buffalo is sixth in the NFL in pressure rate while being 24th in blitz rate, per Pro Football Focus.

Meaning: This is a Bills front that consistently gets after quarterbacks on its own.

“What’s unique about their front is they rotate their guys more than any other team in the league,” head coach Frank Reich said. “Their highest play percentage by a d-lineman is like 58 percent (DT Ed Oliver). That’s the lowest in the NFL of any four-down front.

“That just speaks to the fact that they have a lot of confidence in their depth. They’re extremely good players, they’re very well-coached, they’re very synced up. I’ve got a lot of respect for (head coach) Sean McDermott. I know him personally, I know his as a coach. Him and (defensive coordinator) Leslie Frazier are two of the better defensive coaches in the league.”

Sunday’s game will be a full four-quarter challenge for the Colts’ offensive line given how fresh Buffalo’s front usually is because of their ability to rotate players so well.

And it’s no wonder the Bills have the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense – it’s not just that they lead the league in interceptions and are allowing a league-low 60.7 passer rating. Their pass rush and coverage are excellent working in tandem, and that’s how they’ve become the toughest team to throw the ball against in the NFL in 2021.