Two Bills rookies put dominant reps on film in win over Saints

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The Buffalo Bills haven’t made things easy on themselves over their past two games, but they were able to put their foot on the pedal and comfortably win by two scores against the New Orleans Saints in what felt like a bit of a sleepy start for the Bills — especially on the defensive side of the ball.

It was a fascinating day for Bills rookies who fluctuated snaps from where they had been in recent weeks. We also continued seeing ascending play from a couple of players who are looking like early hits from their most recent draft class.

CB Maxwell Hairston

Hairston is now eligible to come off of Injured Reserve (IR) having spent the prior four games sidelined. But while it seemed Hairston would be ready to return from a sprain he had in training camp, some of head coach Sean McDermott’s recent comments suggest it could take some more time for Hairston to return. It seems that the injury may be lingering, but McDermott also cautioned expectations for Hairston’s missed time. McDermott has always tempered expectations for rookies. Time will tell when (or even if) Hairston returns this year. But he has been working to the side with a large brace within the past week.

DT T.J. Sanders

Sanders still isn’t playing optimally a quarter of the way into his rookie season in the NFL. But the flashes are still there and there’s no doubting the athlete Sanders is. He had a couple of reps affecting the passer on Sunday. You’d like to see him disrupt the run more as he’s still struggling mightily with finishing plays at the point of attack at the moment. Stack-and-shed is where Sanders can get better. That improvement alone will help his overall game and the comfort will improve with him on game days.

EDGE Landon Jackson

Through four games of the season, Landon Jackson still hasn’t earned a jersey on game day. The return of Michael Hoecht in Week 7 won’t help that goal for the third-round rookie. Despite different combinations of guys receiving active status on game day, Jackson’s status has not changed yet.

DT Deone Walker

Walker has been one of the Bills’ best players on the defensive side of the football the past two weeks. He’s popping more in the run game blowing up interior blockers on his way to the ball carrier. Walker looks tremendous and getting better at a rapid rate in the run game from where he was three weeks ago. It’s been so fun to watch his development early on and he looks like the Bills’ best defensive tackle. His snaps should only elevate as the year goes on even as Larry Ogunjobi returns from suspension.

DB Jordan Hancock

Despite earning his first active status on game day Sunday, Hancock did not log a snap on defense. He did, however, play eight snaps of special teams. It’s a good sign for Hancock to be in the lineup for the first time after dealing with some preseason injury. Hancock is a player who could ascend as a contributor based on some of his early signs in camp and into game atmospheres this preseason.

TE Jackson Hawes

Hawes logged the most snaps of any Bills tight end on Sunday. He’s just being an absolute force as a lead blocker on counter, angling out defenders, and being a reliable pass catching option weekly. For the job he performs, Hawes has legitimately been one of the Bills’ best players the first quarter of the season. He’s been sensational and possibly the best blocking Y-tight end in the NFL this season.

CB Dorian Strong

Strong rotated for 15 snaps on Sunday, which was a change of pace since Tre’Davious White returned to the lineup from a week one injury. Strong got some run with the game still in the balance as he spelled White for some opportunity. He wasn’t tested much, but he did play a swing pass well to force the back outside-in and ultimately force running back Alvin Kamara to the perimeter and, ultimately, out of bounds for no gain. The rotation of Strong is a notable data point as White has made his splashes, but it’s been inconsistent with him clearly losing a half step.

OL Chase Lundt

Lundt was another player who earned himself a jersey on Sunday and got in for three late snaps for the Bills. Lundt likely was the swing tackle option if Ryan Van Demark went down or struggled mightily. Starting right tackle Spencer Brown’s injury allowed for Lundt’s entry to active status. If Brown returns next week, that likely downgrades him back to a healthy inactive



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