Buffalo Bills' A.J. Epenesa 'Went Crazy!' in Loss to Jacksonville Jaguars

Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa showed out across the pond, complicating decisions for Buffalo's brain trust.

The Buffalo Bills fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 25-20, on Sunday. The loss marked a disappointing end to a statement-making win streak. However, it wasn’t without its fair share of impressive performances.

Buffalo’s defense was forced to withstand injuries to each level of the defense but turned in an otherwise acceptable performance. Part of that effort came down to the pass rush generating consistent pressure and creating splash plays – Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence fumbled three times, losing two.

Buffalo’s ability to make Lawrence uncomfortable can be attributed to the play of defensive end A.J. Epenesa.

Epenesa entered the game with three passes defended, no forced fumbles, and a single sack. He’d improve on all of those by the end of his trip to England.

Von Miller was justifiably impressed with his fellow linemate’s play and spoke about it after the game.

“A.J. went crazy, he went crazy the last game before against the Dolphins,” Miller said. “Definitely not surprised. We see it every day in practice, he’s an incredible player.”

Epenesa celebrates a big stop :: Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

Epenesa, along with defensive tackle Ed Oliver, was critical to Buffalo’s limited doses of success. He was credited with four tackles, a tackle for loss, and two sacks. Additionally, he forced a fumble and tipped three passes.

“Definitely not satisfied either,” Miller added. “He has a lot more to go, he has a lot more big-time plays to show everybody. Everything he’s doing in the game, we’ve seen in practice. He’s an incredible player, big-time defensive end for sure.”

Miller’s comments reveal the confidence the Bills have in him, but the next step is putting their money where their mouth is.

Starting edge rusher Greg Rousseau was inactive in Week 5, and Miller was mostly invisible. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd has played well, too. Regardless of Miller’s pedigree, Epenesa cannot be the one losing snaps to his ramp-up.

He’s too critical to this defense’s depth, and his knack for finding the football is only going to become more necessary. With an injury to linebacker Matt Milano believed to be serious, and the secondary already dealing with injuries, Buffalo cannot afford to sacrifice anything in its pass rush.

Next week, the Bills will return home to face the middling New York Giants. Expect Buffalo to make sure Epenesa plays enough to make his impact felt against a poor offensive line.