Charlotte, N.C -- Since Michael Hoecht showed up in Orchard Park, N.Y. to play for the Buffalo Bills this season, he was visualizing the first game he'd put on his new uniform.
Unlike every other free agent signing around the NFL, Hoecht had to wait almost two months from the start of the season to play his first snap with his new team. He had to serve a six-game suspension for failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs first.
The Bills knew about the suspension while pursuing Hoecht, a versatile chess piece Sean McDermott could use to rush the quarterback.
On Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, Hoecht showcased exactly why the Bills made him a priority despite the failed drug test. He lined up all over the defensive line, rushing on the edge with speed and bull rushing through guards on the interior on passing downs. He finished with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss while leading the Bills with five quarterback pressures.
Hoecht remembered back to his early days with the Bills during Organized Team Activities in May, just dreaming of the day he'd finally get to play.
"I was Googling pictures of Carolina's stadium so I knew what it was gonna look like when I was out there," Hoecht said.
The addition of Hoecht changed the energy and complexion of the defensive line. The Bills' mantra on offense is "everybody eats," but it was the defensive line that embodied that philosophy. Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa, Jordan Phillips, Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, and Greg Rousseau all had a part in at least one sack in the game.
Rousseau may have benefited from Hoecht's return the most of any rusher on the defensive line. He finished with three QB pressures and forced the first fumble by quarterback Andy Dalton.
Epenesa said that Hoecht's versatility allows the Bills to be in multiple fronts that make it hard on offenses to block. Rousseau said Hoecht helps direct things on the money down.
"He's like a quarterback out there for us, helping out with the games on third down and also, playing physical in the run game on first and second down," he said.
McDermott revealed after the game that he called the defensive plays with defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. That's a significant change for the defense, but McDermott's background as a coordinator led to his head-coaching opportunity in Buffalo.
McDermott started implementing the game plan early this week, when the Bills practiced in full pads on Monday. An extra day of work provided a nice jumping-off point to try and rebound from a two-game losing streak before Buffalo's bye week. After the practice, McDermott caught up with Hoecht.
"I grabbed him off the field and just said, 'Hey, here's some things I'm thinking about.' And he was like, 'Yeah, hey, I'm with you. Whatever you want,'" McDermott said.
Hoecht said he relied on having fresh legs in the game. Dalton went back to pass 24 times and the Bills relied on Hoecht's ability to move around to put stress on the Panthers' front.
"The best way to pass rush is for the offense to score 40, because that makes our job really easy," Hoecht said. "And it's like you don't really have to play 50-50 run pass. It's like they're throwing the ball, so you can spin your ears back and go."
The game plan for each with Hoecht will depend on the opponent. He was good inside standing and rushing from the tackle spot, but in the future, the Bills could even have him drop into coverage from one of the linebacker spots.
"It's gonna be week-to-week, and we're gonna figure out the best way to attack protections," he said. "(It's about) The best situations to put guys in and that's the nice part here, we're gonna figure out what each player is good at and put us in good spots. If that's me inside, outside, off the ball, offense, whatever. I'll literally do whatever is asked of me and so far so good."
Hoecht's energy was impossible to miss. After his second sack, he rolled away from the quarterback and flipped a pair of two signs to signal his sack total for the game. He said it was fun to get out there and tee off.
"It's a complementary game. Every time the offense gets in the end zone, to get so many guys on the board this week, that feels good as a group," he said. "It's gonna be a fun watch (on film) tomorrow."