Bills LB Terrel Bernard Joins Historic Company in Win vs. Commanders

Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard achieved a feat not seen in over 15 years during his dominant performance against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills had an unexpected player steal the show during Sunday's 37-3 blowout win over the Washington Commanders.

It wan't quarterback Josh Allen, or receiver Stefon Diggs or any of the other usual suspects. Instead, Terrel Bernard, a 2022 third-round pick out of Baylor, was the one turning heads on Sunday. This game marked only the fourth start of Bernard's young career, and it was easily his best showing yet. 

Bernard was all over the field on Sunday, and easily the Bills' best defensive player. He finished the game with seven total tackles, two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in a dominant showing. 

"It was fun. That's the name of the game, making plays," Bernard said after the game. "So going out there and doing everything that I could to help this team win. I had a great time."

© Jamie Germano, Democrat and Chronicle

Bernard's production directly led to two Bills touchdowns as well. The first came in the opening quarter, when his sack for a loss of 10 yards ended the drive and allowed the Bills to score on the first play of the ensuing drive. The second came early in the fourth quarter, when Bernard recovered a fumble in Washington territory to set up another Buffalo touchdown.

Bernard's impact on the defense is clear to see, even for the players on the other side of the ball.

"Just the vibe and the confidence that he gives off, it's infectious to that defense," quarterback Josh Allen said.

With his performance on Sunday, Bernard entered an elite group of NFL players. According to the Bills' site, Bernard became the first player since 2007 to record multiple sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in the same game. The last player to do so? None other than Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Terrel Bernard is the first NFL player to record 2+ sacks, an INT & a fumble recovery in a single game since Bears HOF LB Brian Urlacher in 2007 (12/17 at Min.) pic.twitter.com/KNlkExRJuM

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 24, 2023

Bernard entered the season with great pressure on his shoulders, as he was the one to replace departing starter Terrell Edmunds. With Bernard making just one start in his rookie season, replacing someone of Edmunds' caliber seemed like a daunting task. Through three games, though, the second-year linebacker has more than rose to the occasion.

"Just building confidence that I can do it," Bernard shared. "Coming in, you don't really know, to be honest with you. Going day-by-day trying to stack days, get the confidence in my teammates, get the confidence in myself, get the confidence with the coaches."