What % of the plays will we play 3 LBs on Sunday?

[GunnerBill]

31 minutes ago, H2o said:

I went with 20-40 right now, but I think it hinges on whether Flowers plays or not. If Flowers plays, I think we see more Nickel. They have two really good TE's in Andrews and Likely so it could be less regardless. It just depends on how they choose to play things. The way we played the first time did not work so this may be the adjustment. 

 

Whatever scheme wrinkles we choose to deploy we have to play better than we did the first time around. We were outcoached, for sure, but we were comprehensively out executed too. That Henry run to start the game was the perfect example. Every Raven won their rep on that play. If that happens you are in trouble whether you have 2 linebackers, 3 linebackers or 11 linebackers. I think the scheme failings mainly came after that point. But both have to be a lot better Sunday.

[peterpan]

I think it’s more likely you see Bishop as a box safety.  He seemed decent in that role from what I saw. 

[harmonkillebrew]

We employ an extra offensive lineman, why not do it on D? Have Von play an 3-4 OLB type roll on occasion to go with 4 DLs

16 hours ago, SectionC3 said:

They destroyed Morrow when he was in.  He couldn’t handle the back.  (Hill, I think??)

Neither could Dorian. Got roasted regularly.

However, Dorian is good at the LOS. If we go 3LBs he should regularly run blitz to attack Henry's legs

[JP51]

18 hours ago, Process said:

I'll take my chances with Andrews. Stopping Henry has to be the priority. 

I agree here... and moreover, you have got to spy Lamar all game... not sure I want Hamlin on that duty, maybe Taron, maybe Bernard... 

[Allen2Moulds]

13 hours ago, djp14150 said:

3 actual LBs?  Not von or arouseau backing off covering the flat.

 

I don’t know which LB is the fastes where they use thrn as a spy.

Dorian Williams is far and away the most explosive LB we have.  If he had Milano's instincts, he'd be an all-pro already. 

[nosejob]

20 hours ago, henry jones said:

I'd take a that chance with Lamar's arm over his legs and Henry's legs.  

Hopefully they've been game planning for this throughout the year because their approach in the regular season meeting was NOT good, obviously.  If they stick to the same 4DL, 2LB, 5DB scheme, the outcome will likely be the same. 

Agreed. It's been shown time and again T.J. has a hard time with bigger backs. Nickel, soft zone and being stubborn with 3 and 4 man rushes will never beat Balt.

I would like to see a 4-3 and rotate run blitzing LBs. I'd even line Solomon at OLB at times. Rasoul and Hamlin on Andrews, Benford on Flowers and Rapp playing as needed, be it FS or in run support.

 

Take away the 2 top targets while having extra pressure constantly.

[PaattMaann]

8 minutes ago, nosejob said:

Agreed. It's been shown time and again T.J. has a hard time with bigger backs. Nickel, soft zone and being stubborn with 3 and 4 man rushes will never beat Balt.

I would like to see a 4-3 and rotate run blitzing LBs. I'd even line Solomon at OLB at times. Rasoul and Hamlin on Andrews, Benford on Flowers and Rapp playing as needed, be it FS or in run support.

 

Take away the 2 top targets while having extra pressure constantly.

 

it has?

[Beast]

I think you dance with lady you brought. I could see confusion amongst the linebackers in a 4-3 that could be more harmful than running the base defense the team is used to.

 

Of course, I don’t know. I’m not in coaches and player meetings. 

Edited 12 hours ago by Beast

[Paul Costa]

21 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

I'm so confused.

 

You want us to play 3 LB - where normally we would take the nickel CB, Taron Johnson, off the field

But instead, you want to take Damar Hamlin off the field at safety and replace him with who?  Taron Johnson, who would be playing out of position?

 

Why is this a good thing?

Play 4 Dline, 3LB’s, Taron as a box safety, Rapp as a free safety with Douglas & Benford at corner. Works for me . Especially with Flowers out. Milano, Bernard & Johnson can cover backs & TE’s as good as Hamlin. I like it. Run blitz a backer on first down some too. 

[BuffaloBill]

Game script will likely dictate this as an outcome. If the game is close obviously the run game will be much more of a threat.

[hondo in seattle]

12 hours ago, Jimmy Harris 69 said:

McDermott has rebuilt this team to be a big run first offense. That will be one of the huge keys to the game for the Bills. Eating up yards and clock on offense keeps those goons off the field and out of the end zone. The Steelers loaded the box in the second half when they stopped the Ravens on the ground. The Bills must stop the king and thereby force Lamar to beat them. If they can do that and get a lead, Baltimore takes Henry out of the game themselves. 

 

I get what you're saying but this isn't exactly true.

 

During the regular season, we passed 51.6% of the time and ran 48.4% of the time.  It's also important to remember we averaged 228 yards per game passing against 131 yards rushing  this season.  In other words, passing is still more important to the Bills than rushing which makes sense when it's a "passing league" and your most talented player is your QB. 

 

I think McD saw that teams were selling out to stop Josh so he hired Kromer, asked Beane for some help on the OL, and tasked Brady with building a better run game.  

[boyst]

1 hour ago, Paul Costa said:

Play 4 Dline, 3LB’s, Taron as a box safety, Rapp as a free safety with Douglas & Benford at corner. Works for me . Especially with Flowers out. Milano, Bernard & Johnson can cover backs & TE’s as good as Hamlin. I like it. Run blitz a backer on first down some too. 

Taron is too small and vulnerable in the box. Rapp can be in the box.

 

We need both of them against the chiefs. We can't put every egg in the basket and must prepare better than last year's divisional. 

 

That we took too long to pull Klein for Lewis was huge.  A dime defense shut KC down. 

 

Going in we go 4-3. We bring in. Lewis as the hybrid safety/dime even without Taron Johnson. Lewis can tackle and does extremely well coming into the LOS. 

 

If we lose Taron by playing a Lions style defense we end up like the Lions and hamstrung. 

 

Tl,Dr, in my opinion if we sell out to beat the ravens we don't beat the chiefs. We exhaust too much. If we can't beat the ravens being ourself we are not a champion. 

[GolfandBills]

Baltimore is going to move the ball and score.  We just gotta hope our defense can hold them to 3 sometimes  

[Mat68]

With Milano, Benard and Johnson healthy I expect a heavy nickel look.  Sprinkle of some 4-3 and possible 5-2 looks.  I put this game at the feet of Mcdermott.  Allen is playing lights out.  Can Mcdermott pull a Belichick type defensive game plan out of his hat?  

[machine gun kelly]

I went with 21-40% for simple reasons.  We start on the highest potential for run plays with a base defense, and use Milano as a spy for Lamar.  If we are fortunate which is very possible to go up by two TD’s, then we revert much more to Nickel with Taron, but still maybe on one of the first 3 downs we use base.  
 

On offense I can see this defense relying heavily on the RB’s and TE’s in the short passing game coupled with Cooper and Coleman on the outside.  Shakir will be busy.

 

If we get them one dimensional we’ll stay in our normal defense of Taron on the field.  That’s just a best guess.  We’ll find out Sunday night.  It’s a high of 8 degrees, so at nightfall it will be colder.  If we have a chance to take the field first, we should take it and hit them hard and fast.

 

I normally se the value in deferring when possible, but this is a unique team.  I definitely want to defer next week if we’re so fortunate and face the Chiefs, in what’s becoming the AFCCG invitational.  Their offense is suspect, so stopping them next week on the first drive makes sense, and then putting a nail in the coffin to start the 3rd quarter.

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by machine gun kelly

[Mat68]

Curious how the defense attacks Baltimore.  Read and react vs that run game is useless.  The feet in quicksand waiting on the mesh get eaten up by blocks.  Blitz the run and blitz the pass.  Live with 10 yards runs on occasion.  Cant give up the 30 plus.   

[somnus00]

I think we'll also see a bit of 3-3-5. 3 DL, 3 LB, and 5 in the secondary. With Dorian or Milano spying Lamar.

[Billsfanatic8989]

Going to need the D to play at an elite level. No turnovers on offense.

 

They have more ways to beat us than we have to beat them.

[nosejob]

2 hours ago, Mat68 said:

Curious how the defense attacks Baltimore.  Read and react vs that run game is useless.  The feet in quicksand waiting on the mesh get eaten up by blocks.  Blitz the run and blitz the pass.  Live with 10 yards runs on occasion.  Cant give up the 30 plus.   

Yep. I wanna hear after, what a brilliant game plan McD and Bobby had....a change from the normal ineffective D against Henry and Riccard. Stupid to think you gotta save for KC.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Hunter, Anderson and Stingley hold the Chiefs noses in it.  Wouldn't that be known when the Bills and the 12th man take the field?

What would that be like?

[Jimmy Harris 69]

7 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I get what you're saying but this isn't exactly true.

 

During the regular season, we passed 51.6% of the time and ran 48.4% of the time.  It's also important to remember we averaged 228 yards per game passing against 131 yards rushing  this season.  In other words, passing is still more important to the Bills than rushing which makes sense when it's a "passing league" and your most talented player is your QB. 

 

I think McD saw that teams were selling out to stop Josh so he hired Kromer, asked Beane for some help on the OL, and tasked Brady with building a better run game.  

The 2024-2025 Bills run more than the 23 Bills as they were 53.1/ 46.9 pass. Even more startling is the change from the 2020 Bills who passed 61.7% of the time. Control the line of scrimmage, run the ball, get the lead, frustrate Lamar.