So, I decided to really watch Greg Rousseau for a while. It wasn’t like, some official scouting thing, obviously. Just me, on my couch, trying to see what the fuss was about, you know?
It started after a couple of buddies were arguing about the Bills’ defense. One guy was high on Rousseau, the other thought he was just okay. I realized I didn’t have a strong feeling either way, just saw the highlights like everyone else. So, I figured, okay, new project for myself. For the next few games, I’m gonna focus on number 50 whenever the defense is out there.
My Little Watching Project
Here’s basically what I did, nothing fancy:
- Game Day Focus: When the Bills were on defense, I tried to lock onto Rousseau right from the snap. See where he lined up, who he was against.
- Rewind Button Abuse: My DVR got a workout. I’d rewind plays, maybe two or three times, just watching him. What move did he try? Did he get stuck? Did he chase well?
- Simple Notes: Just jotting down stuff like “good burst off the edge,” “got handled by that tackle,” “nice hustle play downfield,” or “seemed a bit lost on that screen.” Real basic observations.
What I Noticed (Just My Take)
Doing this consistently for a few games, patterns kinda pop out. You see beyond the sacks or the missed tackles shown on TV.
First thing: His size and length are legit. You see it on screen. When he gets his hands up, it’s disruptive. He bats down passes sometimes just by being huge and standing there. That’s something you notice more when you’re specifically looking for his impact on every play, not just the stat sheet plays.
Second thing: He seems to rely on that length and his initial move quite a bit. Sometimes it works great, he gets around the blocker. Other times, if that first move doesn’t hit, he looked like he was figuring out plan B on the fly. I remember one game, against the Dolphins I think, where their tackle just seemed to absorb his first punch over and over. But then, later in the game, he’d use a different little inside move and get pressure.
Third thing: His motor. Saw him chasing plays downfield quite a bit, which is always good to see from a big guy. Even if he wasn’t gonna make the tackle, he was heading towards the ball. That effort stood out when I was isolating him play after play.
It wasn’t always amazing. There were plays where he got sealed off on runs, easily. Sometimes he’d get caught guessing or would be a step late reacting. But you see flashes, you know? The raw stuff is definitely there. It was interesting just dedicating time to watch one guy like that, instead of just following the ball.
So yeah, that was my little Greg Rousseau watching experiment. Didn’t make me an expert, but gave me my own perspective instead of just echoing takes I heard somewhere else. He’s an interesting player to track, for sure.
