The Buffalo Bills enter Week 1 with a lot to prove against an Arizona Cardinals team far too many people are sleeping on.
series is dedicated to breaking down how the Buffalo Bills match up with their opponent in every game of the 2024 NFL season. This series will look at five key matchups: Bills Pass Offense vs. Opponent Pass Defense, Bills Rush Offense vs. Opponent Rush Defense, Bills Pass Defense vs. Opponent Pass Offense, Bills Rush Defense vs. Opponent Rush Offense, and Bills Special Teams vs. Opponent Special Teams.
Buffalo should have their pick of multiple mismatches to attack on any given play, but what makes matters worse for the Cardinals is that Josh Allen is set to have plenty of time to find the best one. The Cardinals' pass rush is by far the weakest part of their team with major concerns about where their pressure will come from. On the inside, their six rostered defensive tackles had 9.5 sacks last season on a combined 2,507 snaps.
And even if they can, Buffalo has alternative ways of attacking opponents on the ground. The obvious is Josh Allen who has proven to be one of the most dominant running quarterbacks in NFL history. Consider this: Allen, who averages roughly nine rushing touchdowns per season, is just nine rushing touchdowns away from passing O.J. Simpson in career rushing touchdowns. If the Bills get into the red zone, there is one player they will rely on to punch the ball in, and that’s obviously Allen.
Where Buffalo can make up for a slight disadvantage at the skill positions is in the trenches where they have the horses to make Murray uncomfortable. Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa enter 2024 with high expectations and equally high potential. They will line up against Paris Johnson and Jonah Williams in two matchups which could go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game.
But their efficiency doesn’t stop at running back, it extends to their quarterback. Murray was well shy of 100% in 2024 and still averaged 30.5 rushing yards per game, a full-season pace of 519 yards. Now even healthier, Murray’s legs are set to factor heavily into the Cardinals' season-long success, as whether as a scrambler or via a designed run, Murray will make it difficult for opposing defenses to keep track of where the ball is.
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