Bills at Rams All-22 review: Buffalo’s 3rd-down defense a problem in Week 14

On By Littum

The Buffalo Bills lost another thriller Los Angeles Rams in Week 14. A truly remarkable performance by quarterback Josh Allen was matched by stellar play from Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.

Buffalo’s defense was on their heels all day and had one of its worst performances of the Sean McDermott era. A major issue that the Bills’ defense struggled with was their lack of efficiency in getting out of bounds on third down.

The Rams converted on 11 of their 15 third downs; Buffalo also gave up an additional third-down conversion due to a defensive penalty. Reviewing the All-22 film angle might give us some insights into what the problem was for the Bills on third down.

Game 1


I don’t mind how the Bills played this 3rd and 1. Defenders were aggressive at the point of attack, but the running back found enough space to pick up the first down. Defensive end Greg Rousseau broke a block but took himself out of the game in the process. That ultimately ended up being the reason the Rams were able to convert.

Game 2


Buffalo’s defense initially took away all options for the Rams, forcing Stafford to break the pocket. However, the images collapsed at two different moments during the play. First, edge rusher Von Miller took an inside move as he hit the back of the pocket, allowing Stafford to roll out untouched and extend the play. Then linebacker Terrel Bernard lost sight of the wide receiver running through his zone behind him, allowing him to work back to his QB and rise to convert the third down.

Game 3


The Rams got the Bills’ defense on this play a few times before Buffalo finally figured it out. Defensive end AJ Epenesa crashed hard to chase down the stretch the other way down, but the jet sweep that came over his face was already past him. Kudos to LA as this was a good game and proved effective.

Two points to note: Cornerback Rasul Douglas must not duck inside that tackle, keep outside leverage and let the inside pursue the tackle, and then linebacker Matt Milano has a chance to blow up the play if he trusts his eyes. It would be a tough stop for Milano to make, but it looks like he initially wanted to attack, yet hesitated and was caught by the block.

Game 4


The Rams could have scored on two different routes on this play, but Buffalo’s six-man blitz results in a free rusher that forced Stafford to get rid of the ball before he wanted to. Well executed play call by the Bills.

Game 5


Buffalo beat a linebacker and played Cover 1 man-to-man behind it. Good coverage on this play was defeated with a better throw and catch by LA. Quite simply, the Rams won the rematch.

Game 6


Does this play look familiar? It should because it’s the same as “Play 1” above. The Rams ran the “duo” double-teaming Buffalo’s defensive tackles, work up to the second level. Once again, Rousseau took himself out of the game by crashing hard. Safety Damar Hamlin played this great though, aggressively fighting off the block and making the tackle – it just wasn’t enough to stop the first down.

Game 7


Great coverage and decent pressure on this play doesn’t hold up to the throws and catches of Stafford and Nacua.

Game 8


The Bills did everything they could to stop the Rams in this 3rd & 7 game. They played Cover 1 man-to-man with free play in the middle (Bernard). Plus, they only rushed three with Von Miller dropping into coverage to defend the pass rush. However, the Beetles took away the inside slot and the Rams connected on the outside with a slant. Rasul Douglas took a beating even when he was called for a pass-interference penalty. Once again, the Rams were just better on this play.

Game 9


Rousseau was blown by the wide receiver on this play, which is the first problem. I feel like I’ve roasted him a bit too much in this article, which is a shame. Rousseau has played well this season. Safety Taylor Rapp missing a tackle and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson getting swallowed up by a block don’t help matters either. Give the Rams credit: they had numbers on the right edge and they executed to perfection.

Game 10


The Rams used the “sail” route numerous times throughout the game and found success, including in this game. This route concept is hard to cover in the defense the Bills played, but they could have gotten some help from the pass rush.

The Bills ran an inside line stunt where the DTs run a twist, but they got tangled up and managed no inside pressure. As Von Miller hustled around the edge and pushed Stafford up in the pocket, the interior pass rush would ideally be in his face, resulting in a sack or a difficult throw. Instead, Stafford slipped out of the pocket and hit the open receiver.

Game 11


The bills looked for coverage that would be effective, but it wasn’t. They played a Cover 3 zone where Damar Hamlin dropped to defend the first down marker. However, the Rams had the perfect play call with two seam routes to jam Buffalo’s coverage. The Bills actually had decent coverage at the catch with Douglas and Rapp, but Cooper Kupp made an incredible catch.

Game 12


A simple Cover 2 zone proved effective for the Bills on this 3rd & 10 play. Get the Rams to drop cards from the sticks and gather for the tackle. Well done.

Game 13


The Bills technically “succeed” in stopping this 3rd and long play, but the 11-yard gain set up a 4th & 5 for the Rams, which they converted.

Game 14


This play has some controversy. In my opinion, the refs could have called offensive pass interference or holding, but they didn’t – so it doesn’t matter. The Rams caught the Bills off guard and with everyone at the line of scrimmage, this was the perfect play call because there was no inside pursuit from the second level.

Game 15


Everyone in the world knew this was going to be a run. The Rams tried to run the clock to end the game on third down. The Bills got the stop they needed, but it was ruined by a wasted timeout when the Bills were on offense a few plays earlier.

In summary

Ultimately, the Buffalo Bills’ inability to stop Los Angeles Rams on third down was a key reason for this tough loss. Give credit to head coach Sean McVay and Los Angeles’ offense as they consistently exploited Buffalo’s defense in vulnerable areas and also let their talented wide receivers shine.

This game will serve as a painful wake-up call for the Bills’ defense. As Buffalo prepares for the final stretch of the season, I expect them to right the ship. But they have a massive test in stopping Detroit Lions‘ left offense in week 15.