Buffalo Rumblings
The Colts need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive
The Buffalo Bills travel to the state of Indiana this weekend to face off against a former AFC East rival, the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills were run off the field the last time these two clubs met, as they allowed 264 rushing yards in an ugly 41-15 loss back in November 2021.
This time around, the Bills hope that their newly fortified defensive interior can withstand Indianapolis’ excellent ground attack. With this game sandwiched between a big contest against a desperate divisional rival and a big contest against their perennial playoff boogeyman, this is a classic “trap” game for the Bills.
How can the Bills avoid the letdown? They can start by limiting our five Colts to watch this week.
Taylor carried 32 times for 185 yards and four touchdowns the last time these teams met. While that might have helped my fantasy football team at the time, it certainly didn’t help my blood pressure as I watched the Colts continually gash the Bills on the ground. Buffalo has to avoid a similar fate this Sunday if they want a chance at maintaining their current three-game win streak.
The plan has to be to force the venerable Joe Flacco to beat them through the air, although it’s tough to commit to a stop-the-run defense out of a nickel formation. Slot corner Taron Johnson, as well as Buffalo’s linebackers and defensive tackles, will need to play their keys perfectly this week.
Last week, the speedy slot receiver saw the most targets from Flacco, catching six passes for 60 yards on nine balls thrown his way. This is why Taron Johnson’s job is going to be so hard this week. Not only will he have to keep with one of the Colts’ top wideouts, but he’ll also be responsible for playing the run aggressively.
If Downs is able to find space over the middle against either of Buffalo’s linebackers or safety Damar Hamlin, Flacco will definitely take those matchups. Limiting the run will lessen the impact of play-action passes, which will allow Buffalo’s coverage players to do their thing.
The defensive tackle who earns the most press is usually DeForest Buckner, but Stewart is a problem in his own right. The 6’4”, 316-pounder is a space-eating machine, and he’s also capable of penetrating the backfield and destroying plays himself.
Stewart has 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks this season. It’s a really strong interior portion of the Colts’ defense, and Stewart could easily give Buffalo’s interior linemen an issue. Right guard O’Cyrus Torrence, especially, has struggled in pass protection this season. Look for that to be an area that the Colts try to exploit.
The NFL’s leading tackler often has a clear path to ball carriers thanks to his big defensive tackles in front of him. With a...
