HoofHearted
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There has been a noticeable shift in the Bills philosophy when it comes to their run game over the past several weeks and it has been paying off in big ways. Daboll has increasingly leaned on more gap scheme concepts (think pulling offensive linemen), relying on heavy doses of Counter, Power, and C Lead at various times. What has really helped the improvement though is the incorporation of the Quarterback threat (whether that be run or pass).
---Q Counter Read---
This past week against the Falcons the Bills ran Q Counter Read a number of times - each time going for big gains. In this concept Josh is responsible for reading the backside ILB (or scrape player). If that read player doesn't scrape with the pulling offensive linemen in front of him Josh will keep it and run Counter behind his blockers. If the read player does scrape then he will give it to the back and we'll run outside zone off of it. Reading a defensive player forces that player to be "wrong" no matter what they do and allows our offense to essentially play 11 on 10 football. What Q Counter Read allows for is to not only read the backside inside linebacker, but also leaves the backside defensive end unblocked forcing him to make a decision whether to squeeze hard or play the outside zone path by the back. The concept behind this is that whoever ends up keeping the ball is a far superior athlete to this defensive end and will make him wrong regardless of what he does - the Bills are now playing 11 on 9 football and getting numbers to either side of the play based on the read.
---Counter RPO---
Another variation of Counter the Bills ran this week for much success was Counter with a backside RPO tagged to it. For Josh it's the same read as the Q Counter Read play we previously discussed. Josh will read the backside ILB and make a decision based on what he does. If the read player scrapes Josh will pull it and throw the slant to the slot receiver right in the area that the backer vacated. If the read player sits then Josh will give the ball to the back and we'll run Counter. Again, reading this player allowed the Bills to guarantee a numbers advantage to where they ran the football and we saw big runs from both Singletary and Moss running this concept.
These concepts aren't anything new for the Bills - they've been running them since Daboll and Josh got here - but the increased volume of these concepts has certainly lead to a resurgence of our run game. Go Bills!
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Yes please! More Q Counter Read, Daboll!
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Why does Stevenson run so high? Just setting himself up for the kill shot.
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Jesus, we aren't commanding double teams up front - and backers aren't getting downhill quick enough in the run game or getting off blocks.
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Gap Scheme!!! Keep calling it!
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Milano getting worked in the run game early on.
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Boy that was telegraphed with Moss out there in the bunch set. Love the play call though!
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On 12/29/2021 at 1:09 AM, Da webster guy said:
Its so weird how he sent Hightower flying like he was a little cornerback or something but he's a 260lb thumper.
Unbelievable strength by Singletary.
Low man always wins!
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Beasley - with all the zone we'll see he should eat.
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1 hour ago, Rochesterfan said:
Can I ask this - what is his coverage assignment when he blitzes like that?
I saw him blitz several times in the NE game (and others before) and head right into the RB, but slow down before contact and contain the RB.
I am not sure they are always blitzing him for pressure - especially against a guy like Jones. Jones likes to hit the little dump offs to the backs and by blitzing him up the middle - it keeps the back in. Then Edmunds on multiple occasions wrapped up the RB to prevent him from block/release routes or screening off routes. I think the idea is to limit the throws Jones was comfortable making and force him to throw to WRs - where we make plays.
He does not play with strength/power at all - he plays with leverage- when he takes on tackles, guards, RBs, TEs, - anything - he typically plays a square up and stays an arm length away - even to the point of backing up. It is not a normal technique, but for this defense it seems to work.
The play everyone is talking about was a designed blitz. However, you're not wrong. When we get into our man coverage stuff and he's responsible for the back out - if the back stays in to block then he's an add on to the rush by design, but has to rush through the outside shoulder of the back and push him back into the QB as he's still responsible for that back in man coverage. So all the chip and release stuff or screen game he'd look like a delayed blitzer but is ultimately responsible for going where the back goes.
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1 minute ago, ßookie_tech said:
Yeah I saw that post. He lost his first move? But what was his first move? It should have been a bull rush and plow right through Bolden to the QB. But he didn't really do anything. There was a big play there to be made and he didn't deliver imo.
He did try to bull rush - lost the leverage battle - that's gonna happen quite a bit when you're 6'5" unfortunately. That's why they hardly blitz him - he's not good at it. Dude frequently loses the leverage battle and gets stood up. Hope reading that post clears up the back half of that play from him though.
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26 minutes ago, ßookie_tech said:
On the third play from scrimmage last Sunday vs. New England (3rd and 10), TE fires through the A gap untouched. Brandon Bolden steps up in the pocket to pick him up. Edmunds has a full head of steam. Bolden is 5-11 220, about 6 inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter than TE. I thought Edmunds was going to steamroll him and either sack Jones or totally disrupt the play. Instead, he kind of lets up, gets stonewalled and even gets pushed back a few yards. That was a great spot for him to make a splash play and set the tone. But he came up so flat on that play. I'm not saying he had a bad game, I think he had a nice game. But I don't see him bull rushing or running around any NFL offensive tackles.
If you're referring to the play where Oliver got the sack please read here for more understanding of what actually happens when you blitz/rush an interior gap.
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6 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:
I wish they used him to blitz more. I think he’s fine where he is, it is just difficult to quantify his value. I think he does what the team asks him to do. I think he’d make a million plays in a Baltimore type attacking 3-4.
That said, that tipped pass play that AJ Klein made was all instinct and I am not sure Tremaine will ever make that type of play. I hope he does.
Can you explain why you think it was “all instinct”? Genuinely interested in your response.
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Coach McDermott is building it the right way. A team composed of unselfish disciplined players.
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Pro Bowl is almost solely based on popular opinion. We’re not a big market team. Don’t expect out guys to make it. I would be extremely surprised if our guys don’t make 1st or 2nd team All-Pro as these are voted on by their peers and coaches though.
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29 minutes ago, Mynamemike said:
Great write up Virgil. Edmunds drives me crazy man, the dude consistently over purses and he can’t shed a block to save his life. Flys around in that 5-15 yard range and does a good job in pass defense but he has been a liability in the run game from day one. It seems like every single big run he’s out of position or getting blown up.
Overall though, this was a wonderful cap to great Christmas weekend. Happy holidays all! Go Bills!
Leverage is his cryptonite for sure. At 6’5” it’s hard for him to win leverage battles against OL without great technique. He has to understand pad level going forward in order to win these matchups.
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11 minutes ago, fergie's ire said:
I had been thinking the same thing. I am not one of those Edmunds haters and think he does bring something to our pass defense...and those that praise him must see something I don't. But I remember some middle linebacker talking about being like the running back but from the defense...that his job was to find the hole and run to it and meet the running back there. Edmunds seems to run right by the hole into a blockers arms....It's weird.
It’s just the scheme. In a base 4-2-5 defense he is a leverage player meaning he is going to take on a whatever blocker with outside leverage. If that player is a puller from the opposite side and Edmunds does his job then it will force a cutback. Our nickels need to be trained like outside backers (not saying they aren’t), because against heavy personnel(21, 22, 20 personnel) we will line up in a 4-3 “look” and they’ll be responsible for the cutback.
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1 hour ago, Virgil said:
2 - Blocking - I wanted to talk about Knox here, but Spencer Williams and Dawkins also played great games for me. There were multiple runs to the outside where our guys released their blocks at the perfect time as to not draw the holding penalty. This is something we haven't seen often and I really believe it made a difference. Knox was left on an island on quite a few plays and held his own, minus one holding penalty. Judon could only get a hit in by being an ####### with his tripping, because he was a non-factor in the game itself. Whatever scheme adjustments Daboll made, Josh had all day to throw with a back-up line and it seems they are figuring it out at the right time.
Protection and Run Blocking was the best we’ve seen all season long - against the top defense in the league. Very encouraging going into the final weeks of the regular season!
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55 minutes ago, Virgil said:
6 - Daboll - Welcome to the party! The pre-snap motions, Allen runs, McKenzie sweeps, delayed-release blocks were all on display in this game and it led to the first ever zero punt game against the Hoodie in Foxboro.
Don’t get too used to these - they played right into the man coverage looks they expected from the Patriots. You’ll see much different looks vs. this Tampa 2 defense we’ll see this week.
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47 minutes ago, Virgil said:
5 - Run Defense - In hindsight, I should have noticed this sooner, but the biggest Achilles heal for our run defense are counters and cut backs It seemed like every big run came from some form misdirection where our guys over-pursued and then couldn't cut back without running into a blocked. Worse than that, Edmunds continues to find ways to get blocked. If I didn't know any better, I would think he was instructed to run into the first blocker he sees in order to free up a defender behind him. I'm not only picking on Edmunds and Hyde and Poyer are also terrible at over-running plays. I will say though, for a big guy, Harrison is moving fast and catching people on the edge. I think he may have finally figured it out.
You’re not far off my friend. Any scheme that has any pull to the strong side will have Edmunds as a leverage player - meaning he will fit outside any puller to him and force the ball back inside. If you see this he’s doing his job and it’s okay!
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3 hours ago, maddenboy said:
Good eye.
So, what's the counter that we should be expecting as defenses watch film? Double-team rushes on Knox's side, then one of the rushers peels back to defend him? Or just putting him on the ground on the way to the qb?
(there was a play like this last nite Saints v Fish. Kamara looked like he did this but he stumbled coming off his possibly fake block, and when the ball arrived he was off balance and could not adjust).
A lot of the delayed release stuff we’ve been taking advantage of because we knew we were going to be getting man looks from New England. Don’t expect to see a lot of it against heavy zone teams.
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I’m with you. They’ve been utilizing the RPO a lot more down in the RedZone lately as well. There’s been a noticeable attempt to marry their run and pass game more off of each other as well. You saw that a lot this last game with all of the play action off the outside zone blocking up front (the rollouts with Knox blocking for him). Been seeing this for a couple weeks now. The cool thing is the concepts, for the most part, have stayed the same - the window dressing has just changed.
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27 minutes ago, CNYfan said:
If this is true, which I will assume it is, what is Dawkins responsibility on seeing the same set?
He’s blocking the called run concept. That’s why you see him block out on the end. Josh has to know he can get the edge on that guy.
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5 hours ago, Protocal69 said:
I was looking at this video and one of the guys brought up a good point that he thought the play call was to hand it off the running back but Josh decided to keep it himself that was why Dawkins basically let his man get to the outside and Diggs didnt even try to block the WR and that gt me to thinking he might be right
https://youtu.be/-GGrVads1-k?t=1452
So went looking for the play and Dan Orlowsky broke down the play to show it seems like that is exactly what he did.
https://youtu.be/8oTmykbPR1g?t=353
That took a lot of balls to make that call on your own without your own team knowing what you was about to do. I know he did that before a couple of times this year and that was a huge moment in the game. That is being self confident at its finest.
Definitely didn't go rogue. As others have said it's built in to the rules/design of the play. Count the numbers in the box - if the box is loaded and you can get the edge you keep it on the boot. You'd be surprised how many play calls are determined by box counts.
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How the Bills have used more Gap Scheme concepts to improve their run game.
in The Stadium Wall
Posted
If Josh is running on an RPO we're not doing something right.
Zone is what Daboll wants to be. We're not athletic enough across the board up front in order to do it efficiently though.