'Like He Never Left!' Bills Coach Reacts to DaQuan Jones' Return

Originally posted on FanNation Bills Central
By Anthony Licciardi | Last updated 1/2/24

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones made his long-awaited return to the lineup on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Four first-half turnovers later, it was clear the unit he led for the first month of the season was happy to have him back.

Yet, he was largely held out of the box score and didn’t produce to the 2.5-sack, 10-tackle level he had before his pec injury. Nevertheless, Buffalo won 27-21 and played itself into an AFC East-deciding game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

Assistant head coach Eric Washington gave his reaction to the veteran’s victorious return.

“Strong point of attack, fundamentals, he did a nice job with some of the mid-zone run schemes. It was almost like he never left,” Washington said. “The sack that we had on third down, he did a nice job of working the pass-rush concept that we had.”

In all, Jones finished with a pressure and two tackles on 28 snaps. Perhaps it was unreasonable to expect him to immediately return to the All-Pro form he started the season with. Washington acknowledged that it wasn’t a perfect outing, but he isn’t concerned—nor should Bills Mafia.

“Just really pleased for a person that’s been away as long as he had, the timing was there, the rhythm was there,” Washington said. “There were a couple of signs of rust, but not a whole lot. Just his presence out on the football field, the intelligence, the experience, the ability to communicate and organize the front four. Really pleased with the way he played.”

It is yet to be seen if Jones will truly re-ascend, but those expectations—for the playoffs, should the Bills get there—are not unfair. They’re also incredibly exciting. Between edge rushers Greg Rousseau, Leonard Floyd, and A.J. Epenesa, exterior pressure has been pretty consistent. With Jones re-joining Ed Oliver, Buffalo could very well have the best pair of starting defensive tackles in the AFC playoff circuit, save for maybe the Indianapolis Colts.

That seems to be the internal expectation moving forward.

“I mean DaQuan is powerful, strong, he’s a three-down player,” Washington concluded. “So all of those things will definitely help you win.”

With a formidable four-down front, the back seven will be put in positions to win more frequently. That downstream effect, along with (hopefully) a mitigation of head coach Sean McDermott’s emotional blitzes, could mean even more for Buffalo as it approaches January football.

He’ll look to make an impact in Miami for the final game on the league’s regular-season schedule.

This article first appeared on FanNation Bills Central and was syndicated with permission.

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