Bills new-look line faces huge test at Baltimore

Groy 'excited' about following in Eric Wood's shoes

When the Buffalo Bills announced that Nathan Peterman would be their starting quarterback, a news conference was held to hail the new king.

The naming of Ryan Groy as the team’s new starting center had a bit less fanfare. The announcement was a throwaway line by head coach Sean McDermott. Heck, Groy was lucky he found out.

“It wasn’t much more than what he told you guys (media), ‘You’re going this week, be ready,’" Groy said. “It wasn’t anything special, just another day.’’

Like Kent Hull arriving in Buffalo and getting picked up at the airport in an equipment van while Jim Kelly was hopping into a limousine.

Yes, just another day for a football lineman.

But that’s OK.

For blockers, blending into the woodwork is a good thing. It means no holding penalties were called, no sacks were allowed, no doubts surfaced.

Unfortunately for Groy and his linemates, they’ve become the center of attention entering the Bills’ regular season opener Sunday at Baltimore.

The extensively remodeled unit, which could be featured on an episode of Property Brothers, yielded five sacks and was flagged four times in a full half of work against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 26.

That performance in the so-called “dress rehearsal game’’ for the real thing was the story behind the story as the Bills’ first-unit offense mustered 78 yards, including negative 5 passing, under rookie quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills fell behind 20-0 and lost 26-13.

“It was embarrassing as a unit,’’ Groy said after that game.

That sort of accountability played a role in Groy beating out free agent Russell Bodine for the honor of filling Eric Wood’s very large and very missed shoes.

This isn’t like Todd Collins taking over for Kelly, but the passing of the torch is significant. Wood was a first-round pick, nine-year starter and revered locker room leader who sadly was forced into early retirement by a neck injury.

His departure, the trading of Cordy Glenn to Cincinnati and release of Richie Incognito was a triple header of unexpected blows to an offensive line that for the better part of three seasons was among the best in the NFL.

Cobbled together by ex-coach Rex Ryan who espoused “ground and pound’’ while dreaming of the Ground Round, that unit paved the way for rushing attacks that twice finished No. 1 in the league and was No. 6 last year for rookie coach Sean McDermott.

Now running back LeSean McCoy is putting more ice packs in the freezer, and McDermott is bracing for a lot of questions about the five starters and four backups who were selected to keep his young quarterbacks upright and his old running backs happy.

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Dion Dawkins and Vlad Ducasse will man the left side, John Miller and Jordan Mills the right with Groy in the middle.

Second-year pro Dawkins, who started 11 games for the often-injured Glenn, has Pro Bowl potential as a left tackle. Ducasse, who started 12 games at right guard last season when Miller’s game went sour, is now at left guard. Miller, a two-year starter, is back at his old right guard spot and on the comeback trail. Mills returns for his third year at right tackle.

In the wings are Marshall Newhouse, Wyatt Teller, Conor McDermott (with that name, no way was he getting cut) and Bodine.

Got it? Good.

Household names? No.

These guys aren’t household names in their own houses. But they do have each other.

“We didn’t expect to have a huge following, I guess,’’ Groy said of outside forces singing their praises. “We don’t have a lot of household names, and that’s fine, we embrace that. We’re going to come in with an underdog mentality and do what we can. Protect Nate and do everything scheme wise to be successful.’’

Craft breweries do less mixing and matching than Buffalo's staff did this summer with line combinations.

The current Top 5 is subject to change, but at least there’s a semblance of continuity established heading into a game against a rugged Ravens defense led by linebackers Terrell Suggs and Matt Judon, who combined for 19 sacks last year.

What can’t be seen with the naked eye that gives Sean McDermott confidence that his offensive line won't prove offensive? Out of fear that his nose might grow, he played the "work ethic'' card.

Listen, nobody's kidding anyone. In losing Wood, the Bills lost swagger and brains. In losing Incognito, they lost unhinged nastiness. Two veterans who helped end a 17-year playoff famine. In Glenn, they lost sheer left tackle talent, albeit overpriced.

“In order to play good football, it starts up front along both lines, philosophically,’’ McDermott said. “That’s what (GM) Brandon [Beane] and I both believe. We’ve spent some time addressing some things there. We’ll continue to look at it, as I know Brandon always does.

"The fact remains that I’m extremely confident in those men. The No. 1 reason [that I’m confident] is because of their work ethic. I know good things happen when you work hard, and you do things the right way.’’

Groy certainly has never cut corners.

He grew up 20 minutes from Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium and wound up playing in a school-record 54 consecutive games for the Badgers.

He came to Buffalo as a free agent in 2015 and learned that playing two positions — center and guard — makes for a more valuable employee. He appeared in every game over the past two seasons as a backup. In Wood, he had a natural mentor.

“Eric is a tremendous player, a tremendous person,’’ Groy said. “Those are tough shoes to fill. I learned a lot from him over the years. I would sit in his hip pocket and learn everything I could. I think I picked up a few things and I’m very thankful he was such a good teacher and kind of took me under his wing and helped me out.’’

In competing against Bodine, Groy, like everyone, had control over just two things: His effort and his attitude.

“I feel thankful and it’s a good feeling but now a lot of pressure to play,’’ he said. “Not a pressure that you are scared, but that it’s ‘go time.’ It’s your huddle now, you’re getting everyone going, it’s your line and everyone is working off your call.’’

To succeed, Groy and his mates must block defenders as well as outside noise. With any luck, their Groying pains will be few.