Bills’ change on defense played key role in beating Ravens and it gives them a good chance at beating the Chiefs
Buffalo is known predominately as running a zone defense that loves utilizing a nickel package that gets Taron Johnson on the field. Going into a meeting with a Ravens offense that liked going with jumbo packages and getting their 250 lbs running back Derrick Henry moving downhill like a freight train, Buffalo knew they would […]
Buffalo is known predominately as running a zone defense that loves utilizing a nickel package that gets Taron Johnson on the field. Going into a meeting with a Ravens offense that liked going with jumbo packages and getting their 250 lbs running back Derrick Henry moving downhill like a freight train, Buffalo knew they would have to do something different.
The changes that they made were significant, and greatly contributed to them slowing down a Ravens team that has been a juggernaut in the second half of the season. Those changes, and their ability to tailor their plans to whoever they're facing, has the Bills looking like a team that's more than capable of finally getting over the Chiefs hurdle that they have yet to clear.
Those changes? A heavy dose of man coverage, 4-3 personnel groupings, and five man fronts. In doing so, they generated a ton of pressure while effectively slowing down the ground game.
Coaching can't be stubborn. It has to be flexible, willing to adapt to your opponent. What head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich did, willing to buck their own trends and design a defense that would give their opponent the most trouble, is incredible coaching.
Buffalo isn't the biggest defense. We've heard it plenty. But their ability to play fast and physical and win the day against an elite offense should give them all the confidence in the world heading into their matchup with the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Kansas City plays very different to the Ravens. They don't have the lethal ground attack. They rely on their own defense, and their offense runs a similar system to the Bills — plenty of bunches, picks, and rubs to get easy open players. It will take a new concept this weekend to finally get to the Super Bowl, but their ability to adapt is what makes this team capable of making a run.
Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
