Bills' former weakness is now their most overlooked strength
The Buffalo Bills struggled to run the football early in the season, especially in key situations including inside the red zone. But while Josh Allen's heroics remain the driving force behind the team's offensive success, the reality is the Bills can run the ball better than given credit for. They're above average at it, ranking […]
The Buffalo Bills struggled to run the football early in the season, especially in key situations including inside the red zone.
But while Josh Allen's heroics remain the driving force behind the team's offensive success, the reality is the Bills can run the ball better than given credit for. They're above average at it, ranking 11th in rush offense DVOA, for example.
But out of the shotgun, they've become quite a good unit pounding the rock.
In fact, in a recent video breaking down the biggest matchup advantages for the Bills, Next Gen Stats surprisingly pointed out the Bills' rushing offense as one of the biggest reasons why they can beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round.
Per Next Gen Stats, the Bills have "seen a lot of success rushing from the shotgun formation. (They) will see a favorable matchup against a 22nd-ranked Bengals defense defending such runs."
The video also reveals the Bills have 292 rushing yards over expected out of the shotgun, fourth-most in the NFL.
Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey certainly deserves credit for the success found in such spots. He's managed to implement a variety of concepts to mix things up.
And of course, Allen's own abilities as a runner are a huge reason why the Bills have been able to move the ball on the ground. Not only is he an expert scrambler when improvising and extending plays but Dorsey will drop a designed QB run every once in a while.
Those have usually been huge gainers for the Bills.
So on Sunday, expect the rushing game to play a huge role in the AFC showdown. While everyone (myself included) is more than ready to see Allen and Joe Burrow battling it out, this game will have to be won with complementary football.
Featured image via Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
