Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver received plenty of compliments from Las Vegas Raiders four-time Pro Bowl selection Maxx Crosby.
Appearing on NFL Network before the Bills’ divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens, Crosby identified Oliver as a potential difference maker against Baltimore’s powerful offense.
“I think he’s the key,” Crosby said. “You have Derrick Henry. You have Lamar Jackson. You have all these matchups up front. I think Ed Oliver is going to be the difference. The way he plays against the run and the pass is going to be critical. You see it on every play punching guys in the mouth and making plays in the backfield.”
As it turns out, Oliver played 41 of 59 defensive snaps in the Jan. 19 win, leading all Bills defensive linemen, including Edge Rushers, in playing time. He was credited with three stops highlighted by a tackle for loss as the Bills held running back Derrick Henry under 90 yards rushing.
“He played extremely well. He really did. In particular, the one point play stands out yesterday, where he came out of a block. He was in his gap, what we call a gap and a half , lost the block to play in the adjacent gap and made a heckuva tackle on the ball carrier,” said Bills head coach Sean McDermott, while speaking virtually to journalists a day after the 27-25 victory.
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Oliver, a Top 10 pick in the 2019 draft, totaled a career-high 29 tackles in 14 regular season games, but he still managed to appear on film.
“For me, the guy that stands out the most is Ed Oliver. I think he’s one of the most underrated inside players. The way he plays, with that maximum effort in the 3 technique, is very rare in this league,” Crosby said. .
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