The Bills had the best rushing attack in the NFL last year and after Week 5 are third in the league in rushing yards. While they do use some more “New School” methods of running the ball by utilizing Tyrod Taylor’s running talent with the zone option, their running attack harkens back to the ground and pound days of old. The Rams are not a bad run defense and came into the game allowing a respectable 3.7 Y/A on the ground but were torn apart by the Bills for the tune of 7.1 Y/A. The Rams defense is built to handle the more wide-open offenses in the NFL and the Bills exploited this by attacking Mark Barron in the running game and attack the Rams with a diverse running attack with. It also takes a good RB to exploit this though and LeSean McCoy looked like Shady all over again as he was dynamic running the ball.

Play 1

Situation: 1st and 10 at BUF 24

Description: Q1 – (9:24) L. McCoy Left Guard to BUF 39 for 15 Yards (T. McDonald)

Play: Weak 23 Cutback Iso Left

This article is mostly going to focus on what the Bills do right but sometimes the defense helps them out. This is one of those situations. C Eric Wood (#70) has a very difficult block hook block against DT Cam Thomas (#92) but Thomas makes this block much easier as he stunts from his weakside 1-Technique to the strong side. All Wood has to do now is pin him to the strongside and that is a much easier block. When a DT stunts like Thomas did, I would expect MLB Alec Ogletree (#52) to blitz into the gap Thomas left behind. Instead, he plays like his run fill is on the strongside and is easily sealed to the strongside by LG Richie Incognito (#64). This leaves a gaping line in the defensive line for the Bills to exploit. OLB/S Mark Barron (#26) is not a bad LB by any stretch of the imagination but he is very undersized at 213lbs. This is exploited on this play as FB Jerome Felton (#42) leads RB LeSean McCoy (#25) through the hole. Felton has over 30 lbs on Barron and he effectively shoves Barron out of the way, allowing McCoy to get a big gain.

Play 2

Situation: 2nd and 28 at BUF 21

Description: Q1 – (8:02) (Shotgun) L. McCoy Left Guard to BUF 30 for 9 Yards (A. Ogletree)

Play: 23 Weak Counter Left w/ Pulling Guard

The Bills exploit Barron (#26) playing LB again. But first, we have to give credit to Incognito (#64) for making two effective blocks on one play. His initial jolt on Thomas (#92) on the down block is so powerful that it pushes him to Wood’s (#70) right. This allows Wood to down block Thomas (opening the hole) and allows Incognito to get up to the second level and pick off Ogletree (#52) scraping over the top. While this play is out a different look, it’s functionally the first run discussed all over again with RT Jordan Mills (#79) replacing Felton on the pull block. Mills has over 100 lbs on Barron and Barron tries to dodge around Miller instead of taking him on due to his lack of size. This gives McCoy another large hole to exploit and he picks up a big gain

Play 3

Situation: 3rd and 1 at LA 39

Description: Q1 – (4:49) J. Felton Right Tackle to LA 33 for 6 Yards (T. McDonald)

Play: Strong 38 Stretch Right w/ Down Blocking Scheme

When you see a team do a down blocking scheme, you want to see what looks like a wave of humanity moving in one direction. The Bills offensive line looks exactly like this on the right side of the line as RG John Miller (#76), Mills (#79) and TE Charles Clay (#85) pin Thomas (#92), DE Morgan Fox (#70), and MLB Josh Forrest (#59) to the inside. This gives Felton (#42) a lane to run through inside of SS T.J. McDonald (#25) (who should have closed down better) and gets a good gain for the first down. The only thing that could have been improved is TE Nick O’Leary (#84) peeling back to the outside to block CB E.J. Gaines (#33) on the play but this is kind of nitpicky.

Play 4

Situation: 1st and 5 at BUF 42

Description: Q2 – (14:52) (Shotgun) L. McCoy Up the Middle to LA 5 for 53 Yards (E. Gaines)

Play: 25 Strong Lead Counter Left w/ Pulling Guard

In the broadcast, the lead announcer said Felton (#42) was a sledgehammer who opened the door for this big gain. The offensive line is so dominating on this play that Felton could have been a wet noodle and gotten the job done on the play. On one side of the hole, Incognito (#64) and Mills (#79) do a great job combo blocking DT Arron Donald (#99) and Mills does the right thing in pushing Donald onto Incognito. This allows Mills to pick up Ogletree (#52) trying to fill the hole and keep him to the inside. On the other side of the hole, LT Cordy Glenn (#77) does a good job moving his feet once he gets to the second level and doesn’t allow Barron (#26) from beating him to the outside until McCoy (#25) is already through the hole. Combine that with the excellent pull block by Miller (#76) on DE Matt Longacre (#96) (He keeps his feet moving after contact and turns Longacre’s shoulders with his hands) and McCoy and Felton have a giant alley to run through.

Play 5

Situation: 1st and Goal at LA 5

Description: Q2 – (14:05) (Shotgun) M. Gillslee Right End for 5 Yards, Touchdown

Play: Speed Option Right

Miller (#76) has to thank his lucky stars on this play as he almost gets QB Tyrod Taylor (#5) killed on this play. Miller is responsible for pinning Donald (#99) to the inside but Donald makes one heck of a read and crashes inside once he sees Miller do a bucket step. Miller cannot react and Donald is locked on Taylor. So is DE Ethan Westbrooks (#93) and this bails Miller out. Westbrook is the read on the speed option and Taylor holds on to the ball long enough to draw Westbrooks towards him. Taylor then makes the right read pitching it to RB Mike Gillslee (#35) once he gets Westbrooks drawn to him. The outside blocking by the Bills is exceptional. Clay (#85) executes a good crack back block to pick off Barron (#26) and Incognito (#64) shows off some nimble feet to beat Ogletree (#52) to the inside. In the secondary, WR Robert Woods (#10) does a great job running off and stalk blocking CB Trumaine Johnson (#22) and Felton (#42) does just enough to get in the way of McDonald (#25) by diving in front of him. These blocks allow Gillslee to run into the end zone untouched.

Play 6

Situation: 1st and 10 at BUF 39

Description: Q2 – (1:09) (Shotgun) L. McCoy Right Tackle to BUF 48 for 9 Yards (L. Joyner)

Play: 24 Strong Draw Right

Miller (#76) and Mills (#79) both do a great job selling that this play is a pass with their technique. Both of them go into stereotypical pass sets and this fools Westbrooks (#93) and Donald (#99) into committing to the pass rush. This leaves a gaping hole for McCoy (#25) to run through as the defensive line gets caught upfield. Clay (#85) does a poor job at the second level as his feet are too wide as he is approaching Barron (#26) and he cannot adjust to Barron’s dip to the outside. McCoy makes up for this though with his cutting ability and his jump to the outside leaves Barron in his tracks due to leaning inside in his breakdown for the tackle.

Play 7

Situation: 2nd and 15 at LA 40

Description: Q2 – (0:24) (No Huddle, Shotgun) L. McCoy Up the Middle Ran OB at LA 23 for 17 Yards (T. McDonald)

Play: 24 Strong Draw Right

Credit has to be given to the offensive line again as they are very good at selling it is a pass play on the draw. The whole Rams defensive line is in pass rush mode and this opens up a big lane in the middle of the field for McCoy (#25) to run through. McCoy also does an excellent job reading and using his blocks effectively. Wood (#70) is getting up to the second level against Ogletree (#52) and McCoy gets right behind him. This forces Ogletree to commit to McCoy once McCoy jukes to his left and once Ogletree is moving to McCoy’s left, McCoy bounces to the right and uses Wood as a pick. He also does a good job reading that Clay (#85) has Barron (#26) pinned to the inside and cuts outside of him into the open field. McCoy then just uses a great stiff arm to put Johnson (#22) into the ground and get to the outside.

Play 8

Situation: 2nd and 3 at BUF 44

Description: Q3 – (1:24) (Shotgun) L. McCoy Right End to LA 43 for 13 Yards (M. Barron)

Play: Weak Zone Read Option Right

The blocking at the point of attack is on point. To start with, Miller (#76) is responsible for a down block on Easley (#91). While Miller doesn’t hold his block well, his initial surge pushes Easley inside enough to be taken out of the play. Clay (#85) is responsible for getting up to the second level and sealing Forrest (#59) to the inside. Forrest’s inside step give Clay a good angle and he easily seals Forrest to the inside. On the option element, Taylor (#5) is reading Westbrooks (#93) and sees that he is staying to the outside to take him away. Taylor makes the correct decision to give it to McCoy (#25) and McCoy shows off his elusiveness again as he breaks Westbrooks diving tackle attempt and his cut upfield leaves Ogletree (#52) and McDonald (#25) in the dust.

Play 9

Situation: 1st and 10 at LA 25

Description: Q4 – (3:41) L. McCoy Left Tackle to LA 1 for 24 Yards

Play: 22 Strong Cutback Dive Iso Right

This play breaking for a big gain is mostly on McCoy (#25). Incognito (#64) and Wood (#70) are responsible for combo blocking DT Dominique Easley (#91) up to Forrest (#59). Forrest (#59) shoots the gap so quickly though that Incognito has little chance to come off the combo block and take on Forrest. Forrest is unblocked but McCoy cuts to the outside and leaves Forrest grasping for air. With LT Cordy Glenn (#77) sealing Longacre (#96) to the outside, WR Walter Powell (#19) effectively stalk blocking CB Troy Hill (#32), and the defense flowing with the intended direction of the play, McCoy has acres of open space to the outside and McCoy hits it for a big gain once he leaves Forrest in the backfield.

Conclusions

The Bills have one of the most fun rushing attacks in the NFL to watch and it reminds me of the 49ers in the Kaepernick heyday (As it should since Bill Roman installed both offenses). The Rams throughout the first half did not know what was hitting them as the Bills kept gashing them with Iso, Power Running, Option, and Draw plays. They did get more stout in the second half but the Bills were still able to gash them once or twice. Mark Barron against most teams is an effective safety/linebacker hybrid but the Bills made him a liability as they kept running at him all day. The Bills are going to have to rely on this running game to carry them as they are beaten up across the board outside of the offensive line. The offensive line being healthy is a good thing as they play like a well-oiled machine in the running game. McCoy and Taylor may be excellent runners but without Glenn, Incognito, Wood, Mills, and Miller, they have nowhere to go. If defenses keep going in the direction the Rams have been going, the Bills are going to continue to feast on smaller defenses with their multi-faceted running game.