Four Downs: Embracing the Gregory Rousseau hype train

The first preseason game is in the books for the Buffalo Bills, a 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions. This edition of Four Downs has plenty of thoughts on Friday night’s game including Gregory Rousseau, Tyler Bass, and much more.

Gregory Rousseau appears to be the real deal

Yes, I certainly do realize that it is just a preseason game. I also realize that Rousseau only played 20 snaps in this game. But when rookie defensive end Gregory Rousseau recorded a sack on Jared Goff on the third snap of the game, I may have been a bit too excited. But honestly, I have no problem being excited with Rousseau’s play, as this was the player I was most interested to see on Friday night.

Since he was drafted with the 30th pick in the first round, Rousseau has displayed an infectious personality, that has quickly made him a fan favorite. Add in a solid performance at OTAs, minicamp, and the first two weeks of training camp, and you can understand why the hype is very real with the University of Miami-product.

While it is certainly very early, it is great to see Rousseau flash early. Many expected him to be a bit of a project after sitting out the 2020 college season, but all indications to date are that Rousseau will make an impact this season. I may have to pump the brakes from time to time, but for now it is full speed ahead.

Tyler Bass in mid-season form

One of the highlights from Friday night’s game was the play of second-year kicker Tyler Bass. Preseason football may be overblown, but I always feel there is a great value that can come from putting your kicker in pressure situations. Bass nailed all four of his kicks (three FGs and one PAT), including a 44-yard game winner. Should Bass take the next step in becoming a bit more consistent this season, he could quickly become one of the top kickers in the league.

Pod of the Week

One of my favorite podcasts each week is “Go Long” with Tyler Dunne and Jim Monos. They feature a variety of guests each week, and I always appreciate the thoughtful conversation they have on wide-ranging NFL topics. This week they talked about Josh Allen’s contract extension with Matthew Fairburn from The Athletic, in an episode that is well worth the listen.

Kudos to Davis Webb

One of the nicer surprises for me on Friday night was the play of quarterback Davis Webb. It was our first time seeing Webb take the field in a Bills uniform, and he performed admirably. He is not going to compete for the backup job with Mitchell Trubisky, but could force the Bills to keep him on the 53-man roster. A string of performances like this, with his reputation of being great on the sidelines and locker room, could force the Bills to make a tough decision on cutdown day.