The Buffalo Bills have been forced to use a lot of different players amid an injury-riddled season. Although it’s led to lineup changes on pretty much a weekly basis, it’s also allowed Sean McDermott and his coaching staff to see which depth options may deserve bigger roles.
Buffalo is still trying to chase down the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but those hopes fade with each additional win by Patrick Mahomes and Co. In turn, the Bills may try to rest some starters over the final few games, especially if they become locked into the No. 2 spot.
In other words, Sunday’s clash with the New England Patriots followed by AFC East rematches with the New York Jets and Pats are still a proving ground for players who want to see a significant snap share in the postseason. Let’s examine three reserves who are building strong cases.
Bills Players Earning Bigger Playoff Roles
RB Ty Johnson
Johnson has played a consistent third-down role throughout the season. While he’s always an effective blocker, the last few games illustrated his ability to make an impact as a pass-catcher. It’s created another weapon for Josh Allen that opposing defenses must worry about.
The 27-year-old University of Maryland product recorded five catches for a team-high 114 yards in Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions. His best performance of the campaign came on the heels of a game against the Los Angeles Rams where he tallied two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Ty Johnson didn’t look like a running back on that over-the-should catchpic.twitter.com/qBf50u1jHY
— Scott Spratt (@Scott_Spratt) December 15, 2024
It’s unlikely Johnson will eat into James Cook’s snap share, which usually hovers around 50 percent, but he could make rookie Ray Davis less of a factor. The Bills’ backfield playing time breakdown could look something like this in the postseason:
- Cook: 55 percent
- Johnson: 35 percent
- Davis: 10 percent
Davis, whose snap share for the season stands at 22.3 percent, hasn’t made much of an impact lately. In turn, his role could be reduced to short-yardage situations in must-win games.
Meanwhile, Cook is having a terrific season as Buffalo’s lead back and Johnson has earned a bigger playoff role with his recent play.
WR Mack Hollins
Hollins got off to a sluggish start after signing with the Bills in the offseason. His lack of early impact led general manager Brandon Beane to acquire fellow wideout Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. That move was expected to virtually eliminate Hollins’ role.
Instead, injuries to Cooper and Keon Coleman allowed the eighth-year journeyman to stay on the field. He’s taken full advantage of the second chance, catching three touchdowns over the past six games. He’s also one of the NFL’s best blockers at the position.
The Bills receiving corps has finally gotten healthy over the past few weeks. Even though that’s raised renewed questions about Hollins’ role, it’s hard to see him getting shut out. He’s simply become too much of a well-rounded asset to the team.
Mack Hollins returns the onside kick inside the 5!
: #BUFvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/6dtS64V2d3
— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2024
Instead, don’t be surprised if Buffalo starts incorporating more four-wide sets. Most likely, that’d see Cooper and Hollins on the perimeter. Top target Khalil Shakir and Coleman, who found success from inside alignments in college, would then work out of the slot.
That’s a lot of talent for opposing secondaries to worry about, and either Cook, Johnson, or tight end Dalton Kincaid would also be on the field. On top of it all, the more spread out the Bills offense becomes, the more running lanes Allen has, as well. It’s a lethal combination of factors.
DE Javon Solomon
The Bills’ biggest concern as the playoffs approach is their lackluster pass rush. They rank 20th with 32 sacks on the season. It’s a significant issue because the postseason is filled with elite quarterbacks. If you don’t get pressure, they’re going to pick your defense apart.
Greg Rousseau (7.5 sacks) and A.J. Epenesa (five sacks) have been solid, but it’s meek beyond that. Von Miller has four sacks, but just one in his past seven games. Nobody else on the roster has taken down the opponent’s quarterback more than twice.
Enter Solomon. The fifth-round pick only has two sacks, but he’s played just 5.6 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie. He nearly doubled that last week, getting a 10 percent snap share, and his upside was evident despite not recording a sack.
I look forward to year 2 Javon Solomon pic.twitter.com/ilN1tHrvdL
— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) December 19, 2024
Solomon ranks ninth among all NFL edge-rushers in Pro Football Focus‘ pass-rush grade (86.2). All the usual warnings about small sample sizes apply here, but that’s still an impressive number. It’s also worth noting he racked up 16 sacks in 14 games during his final college season at Troy.
Look for the Bills to use Solomon more heavily in the final three regular-season games, particularly if Miller continues to struggle. The rookie could end up being the ultimate playoff X-factor if he’s able to leapfrog the future Hall of Famer to become the team’s No. 3 edge-rushing option.
Main Image: Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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