As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, ahead of the Steelers’ AFC Wild Card Round game, we’re scouting the Buffalo Bills’ defense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
Bills’ RUN DEFENSE
Statistically, the Bills allow a fair chunk of rushing yards. They gave up 4.6 YPC during the regular season, 28th in football. Part of that is due to the front they play, the rare defense that rarely plays a base defense. They are a 4-2-5 (nickel) or 4-1-6 (dime) outfit that usually won’t match heavy personnel. That’s the trust they have in nickel corner Taron Johnson, their Mike Hilton, and he does support the run well. But it takes a linebacker off the field where they’ve had injury issues, losing Matt Milano early in the year and Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, and now Tyrel Dodson is injured with status uncertain as of this writing Thursday night. Overall, they’ve allowed 53 runs of 10 or more yards, 23rd in the league.
Their leading tackler on the year is Terrel Bernard with 143 stops on the season. Veteran safety Jordan Poyer is second with 100 tackles while Johnson is third with 98, highlighting how active he is around the football. He’s logged 89 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps this season. Breaking that down even further, he’s played every single defensive snap in seven games and at least 90 percent in 10 games. Just to hammer home the point how much of a nickel team the Bills are.
Despite that perceived handicap, they’re a sound run-fitting group who rally and play hard. Their backside pursuit is excellent, which will make zone and potential tosses more difficult to execute. Cut-up of defenders chasing runs down from the backside.
Their defensive backs are active in filling and supporting the run. An example of solid team run defense.
They struggled a bit more on tosses against Miami, but the Steelers don’t have the speed at running back that the Dolphins do, making their success tough to replicate. But the goal should be to come out in heavy packages, 12 and 13 personnel where Pittsburgh’s had success (averaging 7.3 YPC the last two weeks in 13 personnel, an awesome figure) and see if the Bills can stop it.
Some other defensive stats. A really stout group and overlooked part of their success. They allowed just 18.3 PPG on the year, fourth-best in the NFL. Only three games where they gave up 25 or more points, holding their opponent under 20 points in eight games. Situationally, they were slightly below average with their third down and red zone defense, 19th in each category.
But they do create splash plays, generating 30 turnovers on the year. That ranked third in the NFL behind the New York Giants and New England Patriots.
Bills’ Pass Defense
Good numbers overall from this unit despite playing for most of the year without CB Tre White. They allowed only 6.7 YPA, eighth-best, just 18 passing scores, tied second-best, with 18 interceptions, tied third-best. Buffalo’s just one of two teams this season to have the same or more interceptions than touchdown, joining the San Francisco 49ers. They allowed just 44 completions of 20-plus yards, seventh-best, so they keep a lid on things.
Buffalo also had 54 sacks, fourth-most in the league. And they’re an aggressive team that looks to rip the football out, 14 forced fumbles as a defense on the year. Basically one a game. Seven of them came from their defensive backs, three from Johnson in the slot.
More specifically, LB Leonard Floyd led the team with 10.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver was second with 9.5 of them. A total of five players had at least five sacks and they get it from different sources. Their secondary was responsible for three sacks. From a pressure standpoint, they don’t blitz a ton, 18th league-wide, but their pressure rate was inside the top 10, signifying they’re an efficient bunch.
CB Rasul Douglas, acquired in a trade with Green Bay, has played in just nine games but has four picks already. Bernard, the linebacker, has three while their front seven makes up eight of their picks. Their d-line can even make plays and get hands in throwing lanes.
Overall, it’s just an aggressive bunch, something Mike Tomlin spoke to during his Tuesday press conference. The New England Patriots won’t be remembered as the NFL’s most elite offense but that game alone, the Bills repeatedly took the ball away. Aggressive underneath at the catch point, grabbing tipped passes, ripping the ball out when the ball carrier is stood up. A cut-up:
Primarily a zone defense that plays a fair amount of two-high. The Bills can and will man-up on third down. Like lots of defenses this year, they use pressure looks and creepers to create chaos up front, mugging each gap before dropping or rushing on third and long. Examples: They present a lot of different rushes and looks, sometimes blitzing the field side safety, sometimes dropping out with the “P-Dropper” and the nose falling back into coverage.
One last note but it’s an important one. With a veteran safety pairing of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, they can hold and rotate late until right before the snap. They time it well. It reminds me of the New England Patriots and their veteran safety group, which gave Pittsburgh problems (granted, that was Mitch Trubisky at quarterback). But be aware of that because the Bills disguise things well.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to get into the playoffs, earning the seventh seed in the AFC. They will now be tasked with traveling up to Buffalo to play a Bills squad that has been riddled with injuries, having the likes of CB Tre’Davious White, LB Matt Milano, and DL Jordan Phillips placed on IR.
Still, Buffalo has rallied and reeled off five-straight wins, having a defense that ranked fourth in the league in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed. The Bills had the league’s seventh-best pass defense on the year, snagging 18 interceptions which is ranks third in the NFL. Buffalo’s run defense isn’t as strong, but still ranked near the middle of the pack at 15th overall in football.
Defensive Line
Buffalo has a plethora of talent on the defensive side of the football, especially in its front seven. One player to watch on the interior is DL No. 91 Ed Oliver. The former first-round pick enjoyed his best season to date, posting 51 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, a forced fumble, three pass deflections, and an interception. The 6-1, 287-pounder is undersized but possesses a combination of strength and explosiveness that makes him difficult to block. He can defeat guards with quickness or power as a pass rusher and is a stout run defender, playing almost an Aaron Donald-lite role for Buffalo’s defense.
Alongside Oliver on the interior of the defensive line is No. 92 DaQuan Jones, a big, strong presence who best excels as a run plugger. The long-time Tennessee Titan signed with Buffalo before the 2022 season to beef up the team’s defensive front and is a steady player who is more of a run stuffer than pass rusher, having 2.5 sacks in seven games played this season. No. 99 Tim Settle also provides depth as a young but talented rotational player in his second season with the team. Starting two games this season, he recorded 14 total tackles and a sack as a stout run defender who possesses quickness to rush the passer.
Providing depth for Buffalo on the defensive line is No. 98 Poona Ford, who was a full-time starter in Seattle before signing with Buffalo last offseason and playing 32% of the snaps. No. 93 Linval Joseph also provides depth for the Bills as a seasoned veteran, having played in seven games this season. He serves more of a run stopper than pass rusher at this stage of his career.
EDGE
On the edges for Buffalo, No. 40 Von Miller had a tumultuous 2023 season. After posting eight sacks in 11 games last season before tearing his ACL, Miller has been quiet in his return from injury. Missing the first four games of the season, he was a healthy scratch last week against the Patriots. He posted just three total tackles and no sacks on the season, playing 258 defensive snaps. He doesn’t look like the player he was before the injury, but still is a name to account for if he does suit up for what he has shown he can do as a pass rusher in the past.
On the opposite side of Miller is budding star No. 50 Gregory Rousseau. The 6-6, 266-pounder fell to the end of the first round of the draft last year after opting out of the 2021 season back at Miami. Rousseau posted eight sacks last season and racked up five sacks along with 42 total stops, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and four pass deflections in 2023. He utilizes his phenomenal length and impressive athleticism for his size to keep blockers off his frame and win around the corner or across the blocker’s face to get after the quarterback. He is also a strong run defender setting the edge.
Buffalo has No. 56 Leonard Floyd starting opposite Rousseau, the former signing with the Bills this offseason. He tied his career-high in sacks with 10.5 this season. Floyd is a long, lanky pass rusher who wins with bend and explosiveness around the edge while also having sneaky strength to convert speed to power. Buffalo runs deep along the defensive line at EDGE, having both former second-round pick No. 57 A.J. Epenesa as a big-bodied defensive end who can set the edge against the run and provide a viable pass rush thanks to strength and power at the point of attack. No. 90 Shaq Lawson also provides depth on the defensive line. A 2016 first-round pick, he may be limited as a pass rusher but is stout as a heavy-handed run defender.
Linebackers
With Tremaine Edmunds leaving this offseason for the Chicago Bears and Matt Milano on IR, Buffalo has turned to second-year LB No. 43 Terrel Bernard to step up as a full-time starter. He has done just that in 2023, becoming a 17-game starter who is a tackling machine, being able to come downhill against the run as well as run sideline to sideline in pursuit. Bernard racked up 143 total tackles (84 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and two interceptions on the year, making plays as a run stopper, pass rusher, and coverage defender. Bernard plays 100 mph and relentlessly pursues the football, showing good instincts in his reads as well as his coverage drops.
No. 25 Tyrel Dotson has started 10 games since Milano went on IR, representing himself well as a former UDFA. Dodson had 74 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two pass deflections on the season. He is a far better player against the run than in pass coverage where he can be a bit of a liability. Rookie No. 42 Dorian Williams has also seen a fair amount of run with Milano’s injury, starting two games with 40 total stops on the year as more of an athletic run-and-chase linebacker. No. 54 Braylon Spector and No. 44 Tyler Matakevich provide depth and viable special teams play at linebacker for Buffalo.
Cornerbacks
With Tre’Davious White out for the season, the Bills acquired No. 31 Rasul Douglas from the Green Bay Packers, a trade that has paid huge dividends for both Douglas and the Bills. Douglas played nine games with Buffalo during the regular season, starting eight of them, and had 29 total stops a tackle for loss, eight pass deflections, and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. A certified ball hawk, Douglas uses his size, length, and physicality to match up with receivers on the outside and fight for the football. He’ll likely see plenty of WR George Pickens in what should be a must-watch matchup.
Former sixth-round pick No. 47 Christian Benford has been a constant in the starting lineup for Buffalo this season, starting 14 games with 54 total stops, three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, 10 pass deflections, and two interceptions. Benford is a capable coverage defender but can allow separation at the top of routes. He struggles to get his head around at times as the ball arrives and is the cornerback Pittsburgh should target. No. 24 Kaiir Elam has been relegated to the bench despite being a former first-round pick starting two of three games played this season. No. 30 Dane Jackson has also been more of a depth piece this season, starting six games, mostly in sub-packages for Buffalo.
Another player in the cornerback room to watch out for is No. 7 Taron Johnson. You may remember him from the pick-six he had against Pittsburgh two years ago on Ben Roethlisberger, jumping the route and taking it to the house. Johnson is Buffalo’s nickel defender, and he is extremely feisty, excelling on blitzes coming off the edge as well as near the line of scrimmage in run support. He had 98 total stops, three tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, and eight pass deflections on the year while allowing a 66.7% completion rate in coverage with three touchdowns allowed.
No. 39 Cam Lewis has seen some time in the slot this season as well for Buffalo, factoring into its sub-packages. No. 33 Siran Neal is primarily a special teamer, having seen just 45 defensive snaps this season.
Safeties
No. 23 Micah Hyde returned from injury last season, stepping back into his playmaking role for the Bills’ secondary in 2023. Hyde started 14 games this season and racked up 54 total tackles, a tackle for loss, seven pass deflections, and two interceptions. Hyde operates as the free safety who guards the back end of the defense, contesting passes down the field as well as making plays on the football. His instincts take him to the ball often both as a pass-coverage defender as well as a capable run defender.
Hyde’s running mate, No. 21 Jordan Poyer, has played by his side in Buffalo for seven seasons now, the two forming one of the best safety tandems in football. The veteran hasn’t created the same splash this season as in years past, posting 100 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and four pass deflections, but he has been a steady presence the defense can rely on. He can roll up in the box and make sound plays against the run while also being capable of matching up with tight ends and backs in coverage.
No 20 Taylor Rapp has played a fair amount as Buffalo’s third safety this season, starting four games as more of a downhill thumper in run support than a coverage savant. Rapp has played well, posting 50 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one interception. No. 3 Damar Hamlin has seen the field sparingly this season as he works back from the health scare he had last season, playing just 17 defensive snaps with two total tackles.
