Playoff Bills Again Can't Rush, Run or Win: Bengals Bash Buffalo

For the third straight season, the Buffalo Bills are exiting the postseason because they can't find a pass rush, or a running game.

There's a trend developing in the last three playoff losses for the Buffalo Bills following Sunday's Divisional Round exit after falling 27-10 to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Bills' pass rush and their rushing offense are nowhere to be found in those contests.

Sunday, Buffalo's defense sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow - playing behind a patchwork O-line - just once. 

On the flip side of that, Buffalo's rushing offense has been just as bad unless quarterback Josh Allen produced it himself. 

After this latest defeat, Bills running backs have rushed for fewer than 50 yards in the last three playoff losses.

What's more troubling is, this postseason playoff struggle isn't new, but it hasn't been fixed yet by coach Sean McDermott and his staff. 

In McDermott's first season leading the team, his squad was eliminated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 Wild Card Round. 

His defense got to quarterback Blake Bortles just twice while hitting him just four times in total. 

On the ground, Bills backs gained nearly 100 yards but needed 24 carries to do it. 

Of course, this could be dismissed as a team inherited by McDermott and still under development. 

And in 2019, Buffalo's next trip to the playoffs, it appeared the pass rush was at least becoming a strength. 

Despite losing to the Houston Texans in that year's Wild Card Round, the Bills sacked quarterback Deshaun Watson seven times and hit him 12 times. 

Still, McDermott's offense failed to carry the day, gaining just 80 yards on 21 carries by the team's running backs.

But the optimism in the team's pass rush has faded over the last three postseasons, and the running game has continued to decline. 

In back-to-back elimination losses to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 and 2021, the Bills' pass rush got to quarterback Patrick Mahomes for just three sacks combined and hit him just seven times in eight quarters. 

On the ground, Buffalo running backs gained less than 45 yards in each contest and put just one rushing touchdown on the board. 

And now, this latest exit from the playoffs, once again being escorted out of contention by an offense that relies on its quarterback as the lone ground threat. 

Hampered by a defense that couldn't pressure Burrow consistently despite Cincinnati missing two starting offensive linemen on a unit that ranked 17th in the regular season in preventing sacks. 

There's no reason to celebrate falling short yet again after being a preseason Super Bowl favorite. 

And until McDermott figures out how to get the Bills a legitimate rush game on both sides of the ball, no chance they get to the top of the AFC like so many have predicted they would for three years now.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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