Jerry Hughes showed up for his post-game interview after Sunday’s win over Miami wearing one of the ghost masks that Ben Affleck wore from a robbery scene in the movie, “The Town.”
“I watched the movie,” Hughes said. “I’m the muscle in the group. I don’t have the looks to be Ben Affleck.”
That’s debatable, but Hughes certainly looked scary – both on and off the field – against the Dolphins.
He sacked Tua Tagovailoa late in the game, and he had four other hurries, according to Buffalo News charting.
The Bills’ defensive line is deeper than ever. It is off to an excellent start to the season, helping the defense to the No. 1 ranking in the NFL entering this week’s game in Jacksonville.
But as deep as it is, the 33-year-old Hughes remains as critical as ever to the success of the Bills’ front four.
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Hughes still has the best pure speed edge-rush move of the six defensive ends on the roster. He still leads the team in pressures on the quarterback, and he still leads the defensive ends in playing time – the truest test of who the coaches trust the most.
Hughes has played 58% of the defensive snaps. Last year he played 59%. Rookie Greg Rousseau is second among defensive ends at 50% of the snaps.
“Early on in the season, it was about me getting healthy,” Hughes said after Wednesday’s practice. “I came into camp with a calf injury. The past couple games actually, I’ve felt my best all year. We’ve got a great group of guys. We’re so deep. It’s not really like you’re missing someone, it’s we’re reloading the chamber. So whenever someone else is out there I know they’ve got the kind of equal opportunity as me. For me it’s all about being healthy right now. I think I’m at a perfect place.”
Hughes has 1.5 sacks this season. He had 4.5 last season and then three in the playoffs, for 7.5 in 17 games. Pretty good, not awesome. But his pressure rate was more impressive. He was 12th among full-time defensive ends, pressuring the QB 8.5% of pass plays, according to Pro Football Focus. This year, he’s 18th at 8.7%, and he’s ninth if you don’t count screens, rollouts and play-action, which give the pass blockers more time. (Amazing how numbers can be crunched these days.)
Hughes gave Miami rookie tackle Liam Eichenberg fits Sunday. Late in the game, he got his body low, got under Eichenberg and turned the corner with force in getting his sack.
On the play before, Hughes forced an incompletion and a holding penalty against right tackle right tackle Jesse Davis. You could tell Davis was fearful of Hughes’ speed because of the way he kick-stepped backward in a panic. You want to retreat that fast? Fine, let me help you. Hughes bull-rushed him straight back into the QB.
“All game he was getting out kind of early, so I knew he kind of honored our speed, especially from the first game we played against him and A.J. blew by him,” Hughes said, referring to A.J. Epenesa. “So I knew if he was going to keep doing that throughout the game, it was about taking advantage of it at the right time. The fourth quarter was the right place and the right time.”
Rousseau doesn’t quite have the “bend” ability of Hughes. Nobody who’s 6-foot-7 does. But combine Rousseau’s speed and with his rare arm length, and the first-round draft pick has shown surprising effectiveness so far. Rousseau ranks 23rd in pressure rate at 8.2%, and he’s third against “true pass sets,” subtracting screens, rollouts and play-action.
“He’s doing a great job,” Hughes said. “He’s not your typical rookie who comes in here and his eyes are all big. He’s been all business since Day One. It’s a testament to his maturity level and the way he carries himself. He’s able to pick up on a lot of things quickly. Coach has been on him, and it’s paying off for him.”
Hughes has the versatility to rush from either side, which increases his value. A top-10 caliber defense needs the kind of speed rush threat that Hughes provides. Hughes had a hurry on the interception by Micah Hyde against Washington. His twist stunt helped Star Lotulelei get a sack against Houston. Hughes was excellent against the Chiefs. The Bills need him to keep producing.
Good edge rushers have a track record of aging well.
Ex-Dolphin Cameron Wake had six-plus sacks from age 33 through 36. Ex-Raven Terrell Suggs had seven-plus through age 36. Julius Peppers had seven-plus through age 37 for the Packers. Colts great Dwight Freeney had 8.0 at age 34. Colts great Robert Mathis had 7.5 at age 34. The list goes on.
“I think it’s a testament to those guys taking care of their bodies,” Hughes said. “A lot of those guys I’ve been able to talk with. I’ve watched those guys play, they’re very good technicians. But the one thing that’s key is taking care of their bodies Monday through Friday.”
Hughes is in the last year of his contract. It would be very good news for the Bills this year if he played well enough down the stretch to earn another contract from general manager Brandon Beane.
“Aging like wine,” Hughes smiled.
