Bills pulled off impressive feat vs. Bears that could lead to a tough goodbye
Quarterback Justin Fields has been electric since the moment the Chicago Bears decided to unleash him in the running game in Week 7. Ironically, the Bears have lost every single game since. But make no mistake about it, Fields has done his thing both as a passer and as a runner. That is until last […]
Quarterback Justin Fields has been electric since the moment the Chicago Bears decided to unleash him in the running game in Week 7. Ironically, the Bears have lost every single game since. But make no mistake about it, Fields has done his thing both as a passer and as a runner.
That is until last weekend when the Buffalo Bills put an end to a fantastic streak. Between Week 7 and Week 15, Fields averaged 8 yards per rush attempt in 89 carries. Over that same span, he racked up over 100 yards per game, per Pro Football Reference.
But Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier had a plan in place, reminding NFL front offices around the league why his name comes up as a head coach candidate every single offseason.
Fields totaled 11 rushing yards against Buffalo. Not because he didn't try to run in the first place but because he wasn't successful. He averaged 1.57 yards per rush attempt on Saturday's game in the cold. That was the lowest number of the young QB's career.
Of course, you don't stop a playmaker like Fields from drawing up fancy schemes on a whiteboard. You need the players to execute. The Bills' defenders did. Perhaps there was no better example of this than Matt Milano's tackle in the open field.
On third and 13 in the fourth quarter, the Bears quarterback was flushed out of the pocket and started taking off to make a play but the Bills linebacker did a fantastic job closing in and making the tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
Following the win, Bills head coach Sean McDermott credited fundamentals being the secret to the team's success in slowing down Fields. Tackling -like Milano's in the tweet above- was a particular aspect that stuck out on tape.
Sixteen weeks into the season (excluding MNF), the Bills rank 4th in defensive DVOA. Frazier's job this season has been absolutely outstanding, especially considering the injuries the unit has gone through at every level of the defense.
Consider the fact that the following players have missed time for the Bills this season: Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre'Davious White, Christian Benford. I could keep going!
With the Denver Broncos firing Nathaniel Hackett on Monday, Bills Mafia is reminded that their defensive coordinator might be up for a big opportunity this offseason.
Any NFL team thinking about making a change at head coach should have Frazier's name near the top of the list.
Featured image via Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
