Maligned Bills linebacker A.J. Klein has 'day of his life' against Seahawks

A.J. Klein hadn’t done much through the first half of the season, despite starting four of eight games as an injury replacement.

And Bills fans on social media had been happy to let him know.

“I don't pay attention to any of that stuff,” Klein said Sunday, after the game of his career. “I go out and do what I need to do and try to perform to the best of my ability. It's a good feeling when you go out and perform like this.”

Klein had a team-high four quarterback hits and two sacks on Russell Wilson, plus five solo tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in the Bills’ 44-34 victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Bills Stadium.

Klein’s strip sack and fumble recovery at the Seattle 19-yard line with 6 1/2 minutes remaining ended any threat of a Seattle comeback.

It was the fourth turnover forced by the Bills’ aggressive defense, after Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White recorded their first interceptions of the season and White pounced on a fumble caused by Jerry Hughes. Entering the game, the Seahawks had just seven giveaways on the season. 

“Tre’Davious made a hell of a play. Po made a hell of a play. Our D-line was eating,” safety Micah Hyde said. “A.J. Klein had the day of his life coming off the edge, had a couple of sacks. When (defensive coordinator Leslie) Frazier’s calling an aggressive game and our D-line is eating like that, that’s when we play at our best.”

Klein, whose 2 1/2 sacks this season match his career high from a year ago, said the aggressive game plan paid dividends.

“I think that's part of the mentality, that we went into this week knowing that we were going to have opportunities to get after Russell," Klein said. "We didn't want to, obviously, let him get comfortable because we know he's one of the best, if not the best quarterback in the NFL of making things happen with his feet, especially when things break down, so bringing pressure and getting him uncomfortable was a key part of the plan.”

Klein, 29, was starting in place of linebacker Matt Milano, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a partially torn pectoral muscle, meaning he’ll miss at least two more games.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said the 6-foot-1, 240-pound linebacker was around the ball all day.

“I know A.J. made the big play down the stretch on a sack fumble there, which is huge,” McDermott said. “That’s not a team that turned the ball over very much coming into this game, so my hat goes off to our defense and the defensive coaches.”

Klein wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

“Big plays cover probably some mistakes from earlier in the first half, but I know I can play football,” Klein said. “I have all the confidence in myself and I really don't pay attention to any outward or outside noise. That's one thing in this league you can't do. You just have to focus on yourself, focus on the process and get the job done on Sundays.”

Klein, a fifth-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2015, spent the last three seasons with the New Orleans Saints before signing a three-year, $18 million contract with the Bills in March. The deal included $11.3 million guaranteed.

Klein played for McDermott when he was defensive coordinator of the Panthers.

“He hasn't changed,” Klein said. “The same person he was as a (defensive coordinator) is who he is as a head coach, and that's part of the reason I decided to come here to Buffalo, because I want to be under his leadership. He makes this team what it is. We feed off of him, and he sets the tone and the tempo for the rest of the team. That's part of the reason I came here – familiarity with him, familiarity with the defense, which obviously now is paying off in the win column.”