The Buffalo Bills kept their playoff hopes alive for one more week large in part to a dominant defensive effort. The defense only allowed 110 net yards in the second half, keeping the team in the game. It was a gritty effort and it was led by one of the longest-tenured players on the team, defensive tackle Kyle Williams.

Flashback to mid-August, when it was announced that $100 million defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was going to be suspended for four games, fans and the organization were extremely agitated.

“We are very disappointed Marcell chose to put himself first, before his teammates, coaches, the rest of the organization, and fans through his recent actions,” said general manager Doug Whaley.

Selfish is an to antonym for Dareus’ fellow linemen, Williams. Although the defense has struggled at times on Sunday, it’s hard to imagine just how much worse they would have performed without the leadership and blue collar effort put in by Williams.

Williams finished the game with four combined tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit while his relentless effort and selflessness create plays for others.

Inside linebacker Zach Brown has been kept clean because of Williams and it has allowed him to lead the league in tackles (101). How about 33-year-old Lorenzo Alexander and league-leading 10 sacks and 33 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

Alexander has seen a lot of one-on-one matchups simply due to Williams’ presence. There is no doubt that Williams has single-handedly helped those two players have career years thus far.

That is what Williams does – he makes his teammates better – and he did that repeatedly throughout Buffalo’s 16-12 win on Sunday.

Kyle Williams’ disruption

On this first-down play, the Bills have four down lineman. Due to the pre-snap motion by Cincinnati, Marcell Dareus and Williams adjust their alignment. Dareus settles in at the three-technique (outside shoulder of the guard) and Williams at the ‘2i’ technique (inside shoulder of the guard).

Hughes is in a wide-nine alignment outside the shoulder of the tight end while Alexander in a six-technique, head up on the tight end because of the motion.

On the snap, Williams reads the play and attacks the center which forces the Bengals to double-team him, giving Alexander a one-on-one matchup due to the interior pressure.

Dareus easily beats his one on one matchup with left guard Clint Boling.

The four-man pressure worked and prevented Dalton from connecting with tight end Tyler Eifert down the sideline.:

Buffalo held the Bengals to 93 rushing yards on 27 attempts, a 3.4-yards-per-carry average.. Having Williams and Dareus paired up alongside each other played a huge role in limiting Cincinnati’s run game and forced them to be one-dimensional.

Burst

On this second-and-goal, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman put Williams at the five-technique with defensive lineman Jerel Worthy at a tilted shaded one-technique between the Bengals’ center and guard. Dareus aligned in 2i technique, just inside the right guard.

Cincinnati’s attempt to run power to the right of their offensive formation was blown up by Williams, who exploded off of the snap.

This image in slow motion shows just how quickly Williams got off the ball compared to his fellow defensive linemen.

As William’s is firing out of his stance, he is also reading the opposing offensive linemen. He sees Boling pulling and Williams instinctively knifes his way through the vacated gap.

His speed, technique, strength and low pad level proved too much for left tackle Andrew Whitworth, an NFL All-Pro and former Pro Bowler to handle.

But, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill manages to avoid Williams, but Dareus, who is 6-foot-3, 331-pounds has the middle clogged. Williams doesn’t give up on the play, somehow managing to wrap up Hill’s legs while on the ground just as Dareus swallows the running back for a huge stop.

Williams is a player that is highly respected around the league on and off the field. The 33-year old is the team’s nominee for the NFL’sArt Rooney Award, which is presented to the player ‘who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.’

The veteran is playing under his fourth head coach and sixth defensive coordinator since being selected in the fifth-round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Every coach has differing defensive schemes and Williams’ experience and versatility gives Thurman lots of flexibility in how he can utilize the 6-foot-1, 305-pound defensive tackle.

On the Bengals first play of the second half, Williams disrupts yet another play, this time coming against a zone run. Buffalo is in an odd front, with Williams at defensive end.

At the snap, he fires upfield and puts Whitworth in a precarious position, so the tackle uses a ‘turn out’. This technique is often used by a lineman who is past the point of attack, which is the case on this inside zone.

Using a ‘turn out’ technique especially effective when an offensive lineman is matched up with a penetrating defender like Williams. If he shoots upfield, they are then easily ‘turned out’.

Williams does just that, but he uses his low center of gravity and lower body strength so well, that he is able to recover.

As Hill cuts inside, Williams works through the hold by Whitworth and manages to bring down Hill, here is the play in full.

Williams is an ageless wonder and possesses all of the traits you look for in a defensive tackle.

Traits of an All-Pro defensive tackle

His quickness and burst off the snap is simply ridiculous. Williams got his hands into the pads of Cincinnati’s offensive lineman before the ball is even halfway to the quarterback.

Williams’ technique is flawless. He initiates contact, gets his hand inside so he can control the lineman while simultaneously keeping his eyes on the running back.

Boling, then works to get his left hand inside of Williams, but the wily veteran immediately counters. bringing his right hand over the top, and swipes it away as he closes in on the back.

Hill spins out of traffic but runs right into Alexander and safety Corey Graham. Williams didn’t receive credit on the stat sheet for the play, but it’s clear that he was the reason this play was shut down.

Quickness, power, leverage, hand placement, and hand fighting.Just watch his hands. This guy is ridiculous. #Bills pic.twitter.com/3cz2OZEA63 — Cover 1 (@Cover1Bills) November 22, 2016

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams was the Bills highest graded defender against the run on Sunday and when watching the following play, it’s clear to see why. He is nothing short of incredible.

Once again, the Bengals try to run inside zone to Williams’ side.

Knowing that Williams has been smoking linemen off the snap, Boling fires out of his stance quicker in an attempt to reach block Williams.

While Boling does a great job of getting in a position to execute the reach, Williams quickly reads it and executes a gap exchange. Williams then flawlessly executes a swim move en route to Hill, leaving Boling grasping at thin air.

As Williams shoots the ‘A’ gap, inside linebacker Zach Brown becomes responsible for the ‘B’ gap.

It’s easy to see why Williams is one of the most productive and dominant defensive linemen in the NFL. Through the Bills’ first 10 games, he’s notched four sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 14 hurries.

According to PFF, his 25 total pressures are the 10th-most among 3-4 defensive ends. Here he converts the speed rush to a bull rush and mauls Boling once again, walking him right into the lap of Andy Dalton.

Against the run, Williams is PFF’s second-best run defender, recording a ‘stop’ on 10.2-perent of his snaps. Of his 37 total tackles, 27 came against the run with 20 resulting in a stop – both of which are the second-most in the NFL while adding eight tackles for loss.

Selfless broke

He is the epitome of a team player. Here he lines up as a 1 tech or ‘shade’ defensive tackle, he takes on the double team allowing Dareus to be one on one with the guard. Dareus disengages and makes the tackle.

Williams may not always show up in the box score, but you can bet that once you turn on the film, you will see him executing at a high level.

For more Bills-related X’s and O’s analysis, follow Erik Turner on Twitter @Cover1Bills,