Bills PFF Ratings for Week 9: Buffalo earns elite pass-blocking grade in win over Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills didn’t bring their best game to Highmark Stadium on Sunday, but that didn’t matter.

After another slow start, Buffalo was able to cap off its regular season win over the Miami Dolphins with a 30-27 win that went all the way. Who performed well and what areas need the most improvement? Pro Football Focus (PFF) gives us a look at the team’s performance one day after its seventh win of the year.

Here’s a look at the best and worst grades on the roster according to the analytics site.

Elite Pass Blocking Rated Bills

Buffalo’s offensive line did a great job keeping Josh Allen up on Sunday. Allen was hit three times in the win and was sacked just once on his 39 pass attempts. In the past, Allen’s athleticism has allowed him to avoid a lot of contact. This season, however, the offense has done fantastic blocking work and PFF recognized the unit for its play on Sunday. Buffalo’s pass blocking received an overall grade of 91.8 this week.

With overall pass blocking receiving such high marks, it’s no surprise that the offensive line dominated in Buffalo’s top-five category.

Top 5 offensive grades

• RT Spencer Brown: 83.7
• LG David Edwards: 82.4
• LT Dion Dawkins: 75.1
• C Connor McGovern: 74.8
• QB Josh Allen: 73.7

Whatever Aaron Kromer does as the Bills’ offensive line coach, it’s not enough. Kromer has done a fantastic job with the unit this season, which was reflected on Sunday against Miami. This offseason, Buffalo moved McGovern from defense to center while using Edwards at left guard. The unit hasn’t missed a beat and is arguably the best offensive line Buffalo has had during the Sean McDermott era.

Brown, Edwards and McGovern were great at pass and run blocking. Brown earned an 83.2 pass-blocking rating and 81.4 run-blocking rating, while Edwards earned an 82.0 pass-blocking rating and 78.9 run-blocking rating and McGovern posted a 76.7 pass-blocking rating and a 73.9 run-blocking rating.

O’Cyrus Torrence didn’t make the top five, but he held his own as a pass blocker on Sunday, earning a grade of 80.1 in that category.

Top 5 defense grades

• CB Rasul Douglas: 72.6
• S Taylor Rapp: 71.6
• DE Greg Rousseau: 69.7
• LB Dorian Williams: 67.8
• S Damar Hamlin: 62.9

As reflected in the overall grades, Buffalo’s defense didn’t have the best performance on Sunday against the Dolphins.

Both of Buffalo’s safeties found their way into the top 5 thanks to their tackling qualities. Rapp received a grade of 85.3 in this category, while Hamlin received a grade of 90.9. The tackling at the back of the defense performed well against a Dolphins offense that doesn’t lack speed and the ability to make you miss.

The worst 3 offensive classes

• WR Keon Coleman: 55.3
• WR Curtis Samuel: 51.9
• TE Dawson Knox: 35.9

Coleman received a pass-catch grade of 55.1. He probably did poorly in this category, as he missed a pass early in the game that resulted in an interception by Jalen Ramsey. Samuel also found himself in the bottom three lines on offense. Although Samuel is playing with an injury, he hasn’t come close to living up to his contract through the first half of the 2024 season.

Defensive ratings in the bottom 3

• LB Terrel Bernard: 45.6
• DT Eli Ankou: 41.1
• DT DaQuan Jones: 3/30

It was a bad day at the office for Buffalo’s defensive tackles. DaQuan Jones’ overall grade of 30.3 reflected that he struggled on Sunday, but his run defense (28.0) and tackling grades (19.5) clearly illustrated how poor the starting defensive tackle was played.

Ed Oliver didn’t make the bottom three thanks to a top-notch pass rush grade (90.9), but his run defense (33.2) and tackle grades (23.7) are very concerning.

Reserve defensive tackle Eli Ankou also made the final three list. Bills GM Brandon Beane should work hard to add another defensive tackle as the trade deadline approaches.

*For top 5 and bottom 3 classes, a minimum of 10 snaps will be used