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Alaina GetzenbergESPN
Easing into the season wasn’t an option for the Buffalo Bills.
They were tasked with opening the season over 2,500 miles away against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and finding a way to stop coach Sean McVay’s high-powered offense led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp. All that without the Bills’ top cornerback in All-Pro Tre’Davious White.
White is on the reserve/PUP list as he continues to rehab a torn ACL in his left knee. The corner who started opposite White last season, Levi Wallace, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. So the two outside cornerback positions came down to 2020 seventh-rounder Dane Jackson, who has led all offseason with White out, and rookies Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam.
The young corners started on a good note collectively in the 31-10 win, including holding the Rams scoreless in the second half and intercepting Stafford three times. There were no obvious missed plays or significant rookie errors. And it was Benford, the 2022 sixth-rounder, who got the start on the outside opposite Jackson — not Elam, the Bills’ first-round pick whom they traded two picks to acquire.
“Both players played well, played good solid football in their first outing, and I think it should give both of them confidence,” coach Sean McDermott said. “But also at the same time, we move forward with that competition, and they’re both trying to make each other better all the while.”
The defense limited the Rams’ receivers other than Kupp — who had 13 catches for 128 yards and accounted for over half of the Rams’ receiving yardage — to 16 receptions for 112 receptions and two interceptions when targeted. Wide receiver Allen Robinson was targeted twice on 45 routes, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The 4.4% target rate was the lowest of his career.
Nickel Taron Johnson played the second-most snaps among the corners with 50.
Benford had almost equal playing time to Elam, who finished with 30 defensive snaps (45%) to Benford’s 38 (58%). They were both on the field for the last two snaps without Jackson. The Bills started off the game rotating by giving each player two defensive series at a time.
“I thought [the rookies] had a hell of a game,” safety Jordan Poyer said. “It’s probably hard getting in some sort of rhythm [when rotating], but they were able to handle it. They didn’t blink. I trust those guys.”
After the game, Benford said he found out he was starting after Tuesday’s final practice. He also gave credit to the support he got from Poyer and safety Micah Hyde before and during the game.
“[The safeties] continually helped me throughout the whole game,” Benford said. “They were there by my side, every play, they looked at me, they dapped me up and they were like, ‘Let’s go.’ And it was kind of contagious.”
The Bills will be without White for at least three more games. He was injured last Thanksgiving. It could be longer as general manager Brandon Beane said they would like to give White more than just one week of practice to get ready. Buffalo’s bye is Week 7, which could mean he returns after that.
Going forward, McDermott said the team would monitor the competition on a week-to-week basis and continue to evaluate how Benford and Elam play in addition to accounting for the matchups the team is facing. The Bills next face the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
“[White going on PUP] kind of like gave you some direction,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “It made you narrow your focus a little bit, which is, I think, a plus in the circumstances, because otherwise for a long period of time, you’re wondering, is he going to be back this week? Is he going to be back in a couple of days? And you have these contingency plans. But once that decision was made, it really drew some conclusions.”
Source: www.espn.com