MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 07: a Buffalo Bills helmet rests on the field before the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, January 7, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Bills’ linebackers had a horrible night. Dorian Williams and Baylon Spector couldn’t fill the right gaps against the run, had poor eye discipline and overreacted to Baltimore’s backfield motions, got owned in pass coverage (the biggest example was Williams’ poor coverage on Justice Hill’s touchdown) and tackling was an issue across the board.
Their poor day at the office was compounded by the fact that Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken was able to take advantage of the type of defense the Bills are. They’re a fast, aggressive unit and their strengths were used against them on draw plays, play-actions and screens - plays that allowed Baltimore to get Buffalo’s defensive line charging upfield and for their offensive line to get to the second level and block Williams, Spector and Cam Lewis (all backups). That’s what good teams do - find your weakness and exploit it, and that’s what the Ravens did on Sunday night.
Offensively, the Bills never got into a groove from the start of the game until the final gun. Nothing was consistent - the running game, some drops in the passing game, pass protection, Joe Brady’s play-calling was up and down (the reverse-pass out of the Wildcat formation was poorly timed), McDermott’s decisions when to punt and when to go for it on fourth down - you name it, it stunk.
Few running backs in recent memory have consistently owned the Buffalo Bills’ defense like Derrick Henry has (except in the Bills-Titans Monday Night Football matchup two years ago when Tennessee got behind the eight-ball early and couldn’t get him going). Maybe the last one to do so was Ricky Williams when he was in Miami more than 20 years ago, but Henry to Buffalo’s run defense is what Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have been to the Bills’ pass defense.
I think some people have overreacted to Buffalo’s strong start this year. Two of their three wins came against a pair of mediocre teams in Arizona and Jacksonville and Miami hasn’t matched up well against Buffalo in years. Once they ran into a legitimate squad like Baltimore, the wheels fell off. I still believe they’ll win like nine or 10 games, but thankfully most of the season still lies ahead. On to Houston and a matchup with Stefon Diggs!
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