Bills’ deadly weakness and stopping Baker Mayfield highlight top storylines to watch on defense vs. Bucs
The Bills defense has to step up in some key areas if they want to beat the Bucs in Week 11.
The Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set for action in Week 11, with both teams entering Sunday at 6-3. Both are coming off a loss, as well, so they’ll be looking to bounce back as the playoff race is officially underway.
Buffalo’s offense looks a little broken, and the defense can’t stop a nosebleed, especially when it comes against the run. The Bills aren’t alone, however. The Bucs have their own set of issues they’re dealing with, and it’s cost them two of their last three games.
One of the biggest keys to the game is stopping quarterback Baker Mayfield, with a Bills defense that’s more than a little depleted across the board. So, A to Z Tampa Bay’s Evan Winter is here to help me break down some of the biggest storylines facing the Bills’ defense entering the matchup.
Bills need to find a way to stop the run
Adam: The Buccaneers’ run game isn’t elite, but that doesn’t matter when facing Buffalo. Any team can look elite when taking on the Bills. According to Fox Sports, Buffalo ranks 30th in the NFL for rushing yards per game allowed, with more than 147 yards.
It’s not just as easy as stopping the run for Buffalo; it’s about wrapping up. Dolphins running back De’Von Achane ran roughshod on the Bills, totaling 174 yards, which was the second-highest total of his career, while forcing 11 missed tackles on his 22 carries. With injuries depleting the roster, there aren’t many fixes for Buffalo’s run-stopping issues.
Evan: The Bucs’ running game has certainly been inconsistent this year, but it showed some signs of life against arguably the NFL’s best run defense in the New England Patriots last week. Luke Goedeke’s return played a part in that, but starting left guard Ben Bredeson suffered a hamstring six snaps into last week’s loss, and his status is up in the air. Although, it was reported Wednesday that Bredeson was on the practice field with a sleeve over his right hamstring, so he’s trending in the right direction.
And lo and behold, star running back Bucky Irving returned to practice for the first time since Week 4 on Wednesday. That doesn’t guarantee he’ll play Sunday, but it’s the exact start the Bucs want to see heading into this week’s game. If he plays, the Bucs’ run game get its explosive element back and even if he doesn’t, Rachaad White should be able to have some success.
Pass rush needs to get home for Buffalo
Adam: Per Pro Football Focus’ grading system, Mayfield struggles when he’s blitzed or under pressure, which makes it that much more important for the Bills’ front four to get home. That’s easier said than done though with injuries piling up on the defensive front. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver is ruled out indefinitely, defensive end Michael Hoecht suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9, and defensive end Landon Jackson tore his MCL and PCL against the Miami Dolphins, putting his availability into question moving forward.
The defensive front got so banged up that defensive tackle DaQuan Jones needed to take snaps at defensive end in the loss to the Dolphins. Regardless, Buffalo needs to find a way to generate some quick pressures up front and make life difficult for Mayfield.
For Mayfield, when he’s under pressure, he has a 55% completion percentage with five touchdowns and two interceptions. If Buffalo can consistently wreak havoc in the trenches, it’ll go a long way toward securing the victory. Fortunately, the team might get back defensive end A.J. Epenesa for the matchup, who was sidelined against Miami.
Evan: I mentioned Goedeke’s return, and he looked good last week, so I’m not necessarily worried about the edges, even if Joey Bosa is having a good year. Where I am worried, though, is the interior offensive line, even if Oliver and Hoecht aren’t on the field.
The Bucs’ interior O-line has struggled this year. Again, injuries have played a role, but that doesn’t matter at this point. This is the reality of the situation is that the trio of Mike Jordan, Graham Barton, and Dan Feeney have to step up and provide consistent, quality snaps against the Bills. All three players have had their share of issues throughout the season and a lot of it starts with Barton, which is ironic because he’s the only starter of the three. He should be the one playing well and anchoring the unit – not dragging it down.
I do think the Bills will make some plays on the inside. The hope is it doesn’t trickle down to the outside. Mayfield and the Bucs offense will certainly continue to struggle if that happens.
Young defensive players need to show up
Adam: Defensive tackle Deone Walker and cornerback Maxwell Hairston are up for the challenge and have played exceptionally well through their rookie seasons. Walker looks like one of the steals of the draft, disrupting the trenches. Hairston has interceptions in back-to-back games, and his speed has been on full display. Still, some growing pains are evident, but Buffalo is hoping for some big things out of these two guys, specifically against the Buccaneers.
In terms of total offense, the Bucs sit at 14th in the NFL in passing and 25th in rushing. While the numbers don’t jump off the screen, these could easily be increased with a monster game against the Bills. There are more than a few questions on the availability of a handful of players leading up to the game, so Buffalo will be expecting a lot out of the young guys.
Evan: The interesting parallel, is the Bucs are relying on several youngsters on offense, as well. Primarily at receiver, where rookies Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson have taken the reigns as the top targets for Mayfield.
It’s a huge win for the Bucs if Taron Johnson and Christian Benford can’t go, even with Hariston’s recent play. I’d expect Egbuka to have a big day if the aforementioned starters are out because the Bucs can move him all over the formation to where he’s facing the best matchup possible. That wouldn’t be good for a Bills defense missing its starters at both nickel and on the perimeter.
Mistakes will be made, but so will big plays. It’ll be intriguing to see which side does more of the latter and less of the former on Sunday.
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