THREE KEYS TO STOPPING THE BILLS’ OFFENSE
1) Play keep-away
Reducing the number of possessions Buffalo receives is the best way to neutralize one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Josh Allen and Co. cannot score if they don’t have the ball, so a ball-control strategy designed to shrink the game is the No. 1 objective for a team facing this juggernaut. This season, the Bills are averaging just 28:44 in time of possession (24th in the NFL) while running 60.5 offensive plays per game (15th), but they lead the league in scoring (38.5 ppg) and rank second in total offense (427.5 ypg). Given the Bills’ explosive potential and efficient production, opposing coaches should build game plans around a complementary football strategy that emphasizes a slower offensive pace.
From taking the play clock down to five seconds or fewer before snapping the ball to staying in bounds on perimeter runs, every offensive player must understand the turtle approach being employed to keep Buffalo’s high-powered offense on the sidelines. By reducing total possessions and plays, opponents can ramp up pressure on the Bills’ offense to do more with less. Although the ultra-efficient unit has set off fireworks with limited possessions thus far, the slowdown strategy gives opponents a better chance to win with stops and turnovers, which are at a higher premium in a low-possession game.
2) Make Josh Allen win from the pocket
The 2024 NFL MVP is one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers, having eclipsed 35 total touchdowns for six straight seasons. In each of the past three campaigns, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder has logged at least 25 passing TDs and 12 rushing scores — a feat no other quarterback has ever accomplished.
Although he is an explosive pocket passer with exceptional range, Allen is an unstoppable force when he uses his athleticism and running skills to create big plays on the perimeter. Whether picking up first downs on designed quarterback runs or impromptu scrambles/run-around tosses, the four-time Pro Bowler terrorizes defenses when he flees the pocket. To counter his big-play potential, defensive coordinators must implement a pass-rush plan that has everyone rush to the depth of his drop in order to restrict escape lanes in the pocket. Additionally, pass rushers must work together to create a coordinated mush rush, as opposed to operating as independent contractors attacking No. 17 with random 1-on-1 pass-rush maneuvers.
Defensive coordinators also need to account for Allen’s impact on designed quarterback runs, particularly in goal-line and short-yardage situations. The supersized playmaker has a knack for moving the chains and/or finding the paint on quarterback powers following direct snaps or flash fakes in the backfield. Defensive play-callers must assign a defender to the quarterback to prevent the Bills from capitalizing on the plus-one advantage created by a running QB.
Finally, the Bills’ signal-caller must be kept in check in the “gotta have it” moments when he is prone to leave the pocket while operating in playmaker mode. Allen has routinely relied on his improvisational skills on third down, in the red zone and in two-minute situations, so defenders must be aware of his tendencies in those moments to minimize his impact.
While containing Allen is easier said than done, the most successful defenses against Buffalo have made the superstar a one-dimensional threat.
3) Take away the middle of the field
The Bills made a blockbuster trade in March to acquire a WR1 in DJ Moore, but the team’s dynamic tight end duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox is the linchpin of the passing game. Kincaid, in particular, has emerged as Buffalo’s top pass catcher, with his speed, quickness and ball skills posing problems for linebackers and safeties matching up with him. The 2023 first-rounder leads the team in targets (14), receptions (12) and receiving yards (225), doing most of his damage on short and intermediate routes between the numbers.
In addition, Kincaid is a sneaky vertical threat who routinely cruises past defenders on seam routes. Since 2024, Allen has totaled 11 completions for 253 yards and three touchdowns when targeting Kincaid on open, downfield throws (3-plus yards of target separation and 10-plus air yards, per Next Gen Stats).
Given the playmaking tight end’s impact, opponents must shut down the middle of the field and force Allen to find completions elsewhere. By jamming the middle with a robber safety or utilizing bracket coverage with a linebacker and safety assigned to Kincaid, the defense can put the onus on Moore and others to win their 1-on-1 matchups on the perimeter.
Despite the fanfare around Moore’s arrival and his eye-popping yards-per-catch average thus far (20.0), the Bills’ inside-out passing game is nearly impossible to stop when their No. 1 tight end is getting loose over the middle. By limiting Kincaid’s impact and forcing Buffalo to rely on a complementary pass catcher to carry the aerial attack, opponents can hope the tactics disrupt a well-oiled machine that is already in midseason form.