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Joey Bosa has gone from a team that has hope in the Los Angeles Chargers to a team that may be ready to win the Super Bowl in the Buffalo Bills.
Bosa has always been one of the most feared defensive players in the league, but his role with the Chargers had changed over the years. He was with the Chargers for 9 years and a was a five-time Pro Bowler. He won the rookie of the year award in 2016, the team's final year in San Diego.
Bosa was an excellent pass rusher throughout his career, but while he managed to play 14 games last year in Jim Harbaugh's first year with the Chargers, he had only played 14 games combined in the 2022 and 2023 season. Additionally, he was playing linebacker in three of the last four seasons as his role changed quite a bit. The Chargers released him in early March.
The 6-5, 280-pound Bosa is scheduled to play defensive end with the Bills, and that suits the soon-to-be 30-year-old very well. “It's exciting for me, no more outside linebacker,” Bosa said. “I'm ready to get my hand back in the dirt, get back to the six technique and rush the passer.”
Bosa did not like playing the linebacker role. It's not that he struggled when it came to playing against the run, but that position took away from his ability to get after the quarterback.
His pass rush numbers have suffered quite a bit in recent years. While injuries have played a prominent role in his dip in production, he has just one double-digit sack season in the last five years.
He started his career with three double-digit sack seasons in his first four years, with a career-best of 12.5 in in 2017.
He has had just 14 sacks in the last three seasons combined.
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Bills season will likely come down to Josh Allen's production
The Bills need to get better on defense if they are ever going to get past the Kansas City Chiefs while holding off the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and perhaps the Chargers.
However, the Bills fortunes will likely rest with quarterback Josh Allen. He is one of the elite quarterbacks in the game, and he can take over at any point with his arm or his legs.
The Bills have often found that they need big plays from Allen in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line. Allen certainly has taken many chances throughout his career and turnover have resulted, but he is a dominant player who may get to a new level if the Buffalo defense shows improvement.
The Bills ranked 18th in yards allowed last year, giving up an average of 341.5 yards per game last season. That was too many for head coach Sean McDermott's team, and he is hoping that a healthy and motivated Bosa can make a difference.
