Mile High Report
Given that the Denver Broncos were so good this regular season that they earned a second week off, there is no offensive line film to review. At least not until next week. So I figured we could scout the enemy a bit instead.
We’ll be taking a look at the film from the Wild Card matchup between the Jaguars and the Bills and see what the Jags were able to do well in the run game. While this won’t be a comprehensive examination of where the Bills are susceptible on the ground based off of a season’s sample size, this should still be able to give us a good insight into where the struggle exists for the Bills.
This Buffalo defense was the seventh-best in the league in total defense, but they ranked 28th in rushing defense. That’s good news for the Denver offense. And it was this sort of defense that prevailed in Buffalo’s playoff game on Sunday. The defense that gives up an average of 136 yards per game let the Jags put up 154 yards (123 yards when not including Trevor Lawrence’s scrambles).
The Jags had five rushes that went for at least 10 yards as well. And interestingly enough, what they ran well on Sunday is also the same plays and formations that Denver runs well. This is why I was really encouraged by the film. There’s a lot of hope for this Denver offense on the ground, which would serve as an incredible boost for this team. Historically, if you want to make a deep playoff run then you have to have two things: a great defense and a reliable rushing attack.
Without JK Dobbins, this Denver run game has been lacking. There’s been a few big plays made by RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin, but there hasn’t been that consistent attack that they could rely on. Maybe things can change this week.
Out of the five rushes that went for 10+ yards, Jacksonville ran Crack Toss out of Singleback twice, Inside Zone twice (one was out of gun and the other was out of Singleback with a Swipe tag), and Outside Zone out of Singleback once. And these were all out of similar personnel groups and motions that Sean Payton likes to run. The Jacksonville offense looked very similar to Denver’s in this sense.
Gun – 11 Personnel – Inside Zone – Gain of 12
The Bills are showing a 1-high look with the safety and only have five defenders in the box, including just one linebacker and four down linemen. The defense here suggests that they’re mostly concerned with the Jags passing, and it’s an even more curious defensive box considering it’s a 3rd and 2 for Jacksonville.
The Jags have an ideal play call for this defense. Inside Zone should be able to slice through a five-man box all day long. It’s even easier that, due to the defensive line’s alignment, that the center is able...
