The eight remaining teams all have elements of brilliance. But they also have weaknesses that could send them crashing out of the postseason
Defending the run has long been a sore spot for the Bills – they finished the season 25th in defensive rush success rate. Inside, they lack mass, and are too easily pushed around by teams committed to a smashmouth approach. Outside, they struggle with discipline and technique. Against Jacksonville last weekend, both fell apart. The Jaguars rushed for 154 yards, with 119 of those yards coming on outside runs. It was the Jags’ highest total on outside runs this season. This weekend, against a Broncos offense that is happy to punch anyone in the mouth, that could put the Bills in a lot of trouble.
But Sean McDermott is a defensive mastermind. And his answer to the run game woes has been, effectively, to give up. McDermott has stopped trying to load the box or reinforce the front. He is happy, it seems, to concede steady yards on the ground if the Bills do not cough up an explosive run (10-plus yards). And by not adding extra bodies to the box, he’s been able to maintain schematic flexibility in the secondary. McDermott has now centered his defense around disguises on the back-end secondary, betting that, eventually, opposing offenses will want to throw the ball even on run-obvious downs. Blurring the coverage, without superstar talent, is the best way for a coach to induce mistakes.
