Lance Lysowski
Ed Oliver didn’t appear to have any ill effects Wednesday afternoon after the 6-foot-1 defensive tackle had his left foot stepped on during a physical, padded practice for the Buffalo Bills.
Oliver spoke to reporters, then walked normally to their locker room at One Bills Drive. A case of friendly fire turned out to be more serious than expected, and coach Sean McDermott announced to reporters Friday that Oliver won’t be available Sunday afternoon when the Bills face the New York Jets in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s unfortunate,” said McDermott.
It’s likely Oliver will miss at least two games because the Bills host the Miami Dolphins on Thursday in Week 3. Each of the team’s defensive tackles on the practice squad − Jordan Phillips, Zion Logue and Phidarian Mathis − can be elevated three times for game day before they must be signed to the active roster, but it’s rookie T.J. Sanders who is expected to start in place of Oliver.
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Sanders’ regular-season NFL debut was rocky. He ranked 140th out of 143 defensive linemen in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus’ overall player grades. Of Sanders’ 16 defensive snaps, 11 were in the first half and he didn’t play in the fourth quarter. The Ravens mostly had success no matter who was on the field Sunday night, but they gained 228 yards and scored four touchdowns with Sanders in the game.
Though the Jets (0-1) don’t have a two-time MVP quarterback or future Hall of Famer at running back, their 394 total yards in Week 1 were tied for fifth-most in the NFL. They are going to try to gash the Bills by running the ball. It will be an opportunity for Sanders to show how quickly he learned from the good, great, bad and ugly moments against Baltimore.
“There’s a lot there − some good and some certainly to improve on,” McDermott said when asked Friday the lessons Sanders must take from his snaps. “The biggest thing for him and for all of our young players is learning what it takes to play at his varsity level. ... It’s different, and it hits ya. It hits ya fast.”
Here’s a snapshot of those plays, with insights from Sanders:
Situation: First-and-10 at Buffalo’s 22-yard line with 5:40 left in the first quarter and the Bills leading 7-0.
Sanders’ most impactful snap was a disappointment for the second-round pick. As soon as Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson received the shotgun snap, Sanders got through the B gap and ran around massive right guard Daniel Faalele to pressure the two-time MVP.
Jackson rolled to his right to avoid Sanders and threw the ball over the head of receiver Zay Flowers to avoid a sack. Two plays later, Greg Rousseau’s rush from the left side helped Oliver sack Jackson and Baltimore settled for a 52-yard field goal.
It was Sanders’ only pressure of the game, but he didn’t show the quick twitch that can make him a handful for offensive linemen.
“I actually feel like I got off slower on that one than I usually can,” he told The News. “I took a little out free step and the guard thought I was going to go out to a game or something, so he actually kinda let me free on that one, so I wouldn’t credit myself on that one. Get off is definitely something I pride myself on, but I’ve got to be more consistent with that.”
Situation: First-and-10 at Buffalo’s 15-yard line with 10:31 left in the second quarter and Baltimore leading 10-7.
Sanders’ stance was too narrow on too many run plays, he explained Friday afternoon, but there were moments where he showed the explosive first step that convinced general manager Brandon Beane to trade up to select him. Sanders drove his hands into Ravens left guard Andrew Vorhees and quickly fought his way into the backfield. Though Baltimore third-string running back Rasheen Ali still gained 5 yards, it was an example of how Sanders needs to approach every snap.
“I wasn’t striking as aggressive in the first half as I did in the second,” said Sanders. “I have to read my keys. It’s really simple. ... I have to keep my eyes locked on the guard, play fast and trust my training.”
Situation: Second-and-10 at Baltimore’s 46-yard line with 2:43 left in the second quarter and the Ravens leading 17-10.
The Ravens’ offensive line pulled left as soon as Jackson took the shotgun snap, leaving Sanders unblocked as Derrick Henry received the handoff. Sanders took a poor angle, though, and he got shoved by tight end Charlie Kolar as Henry ran to the weak side for a 17-yard gain.
“I got off the ball very good,” Sanders said. “It was just a wham (block). Thinking about getting off the ball and the wham came. Just keeping my charge. Three plays later, I had a base block and my charge was great on that.”
Situation: First-and-10 at Baltimore’s 46-yard line with 19 seconds left in the first quarter and Buffalo leading 7-3.
Ravens right tackle Roger Rosengarten and Faalele double-teamed Sanders, pushing the rookie 5 yards back as Henry tried to find a hole in the Bills’ defense. Terrel Bernard scraped over the top to tackle Henry as Baltimore gained just 2 yards on the play.
“I felt like I wasn’t coming out good,” said Sanders. “I have to have that mindset to get off the ball, so I don’t end up getting pushed 5 or 6 yards back. That was a good play for me to look back on afterwards.”
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