Bills are making a Joey Bosa realization that the Chargers already knew

Joey Bosa has played three games for the Buffalo Bills and his production has been a mixed bag. After Buffalo's Week 3 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Bills fans are starting to come to the same Bosa realization that Chargers fans know all too well.

At his best, Bosa is one of the most disruptive defensive players, let alone edge rushers, in the entire sport. Bills fans saw that in Week 2 against the New York Jets. Bosa turned in the best game he's had in years, making his one-year deal with Buffalo look like a huge bargain.

This Week 2 showing came after a slow Week 1. And while Bosa's Week 3 was not nearly as slow as his Week 1, he did take a step down from his production vs. the Jets. And there lies the realization: at this stage of his career, Bosa is no longer the consistent top-tier edge rusher that his namesake suggests he is.

Chargers fans already knew Joey Bosa wouldn't be consistently great for the Bills

This is not to say Bosa is a bad player; that is far from the truth. Bosa, even in a slower game, is more impactful than the average edge rusher in the NFL. Heck, the Chargers themselves could use a player of Bosa's caliber with Khalil Mack currently sidelined with injury.

At this stage of his career, though, the great games are just harder to string together. Chargers fans know this all too well from the last few years, where Bosa was inconsistent both in his production and his durability.

And that is a completely different variable. Bosa hasn't played a full season since 2021. It would be surprising to many if he ends that drought.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bosa recorded two pressures in Week 1, seven pressures in Week 2, and four pressures in Week 3. His four pressures in Week 3 came on a season-high 31 pass-rushing snaps. PFF also gave Bosa a 27.7 tackling grade due to his two missed tackles in the game.

These missed tackles ultimately didn't matter as the Bills' offense guided the team to a comfortable 31-21 lead. However, against a more dynamic quarterback and offense, Bosa's mediocre game could have made a bigger difference.

Plus, it's not like Bosa was going up against Joe Alt. The Dolphins have one of the worst offensive lines in the sport, setting the stage nicely for Bosa to have a great game for the second week in a row. But at this stage in his career, that doesn't seem to be in the cards.