Jim Kubiak has been analyzing the play of Buffalo Bills quarterbacks for BNBlitz.com. Kubiak is the all-time leading passer at Navy, has played in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Arena Football League, and has been a coach and executive in the AFL. He spent eight years as the radio analyst for the University at Buffalo and runs the Western New York Quarterback Academy to help develop the next generation of quarterbacks. He recently was named head coach at Hilbert College.
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Quarterbacks are evaluated each quarter using a “Doing Your Job” grading system for every play that takes into account the quarterback’s responsibilities and outcome. The accountability system rewards a quarterback with a plus for a play in which he does what he is supposed to do, a minus for not doing what he is supposed to do. A quarterback can earn a plus-plus for an extraordinary play and a minus-minus for a play that hurts the team.
Overview
The Buffalo Bills took care of business against the struggling New York Jets at MetLife Stadium with a 45-17 victory. Josh Allen completed 21 of 28 attempts for 366 yards and had two touchdown passes with one interception, notching his 12th career 300-yard passing game while feeding Stefon Diggs for eight catches for 162 yards. His overall performance grade was 96.5%.
The Bills’ offense rushed 24 times for 139 yards and four touchdowns, with each touchdown being accounted for by a different player in the lopsided victory.
Statistically, it appeared as if offensive coordinator Brian Daboll committed to running the football early in the game, but the numbers tell another story. The Bills ran the football only eight times in the first half on 31 total plays. He saved the run game for the second half, when the Bills punched in three rushing touchdowns following three consecutive interceptions by Jets quarterback Mike White in the third quarter.
The Bills won the turnover battle, taking the ball away five times on four interceptions and one fumble while turning the football over twice; on a fumble and an Allen interception. Clearly, Buffalo was the superior team in every way and in most statistical categories, outrushing the Jets 139 yards to 70, outpassing the Jets 366 yards to 298, and most importantly, scoring six touchdowns on 11 offensive possessions. The Bills outplayed, out-hit, and outperformed the Jets in a well-balanced, team performance.
FIRST QUARTER
Play selection: 15 plays – 12 passes, three runs.
Allen: 9 for 12 passing, 82 yards, one touchdown, one sack. No carries.
Performance grade: 100%.
Score: Bills, 10-0.
Allen and the Bills’ offense had the football on their first possession with just 50 seconds having elapsed after a three-and-out by the Jets. Allen took over on the Bills’ 42-yard line and marched the Bills to their first touchdown on five plays.
Daboll utilized play-action pass fakes to perfection in this game, presumably because everyone anticipated the Bills to try to run the football better than they did the previous week in Jacksonville. Daboll wisely used this expectation to fool the Jets. On this first-and-10 play, Allen sold the play fake to the right, and dragged tight end Dawson Knox back to the left side of the field.
Here, the combination of Knox motioning to the right and excellent ball handling created flow to the right side, which drew the defense up into run support positions. This allowed Knox to sneak back across underneath the defense, virtually undetected, for a 17-yard completion.
Two plays later, Allen found Matt Breida on a swing route for a touchdown versus man-to-man coverage.
Here, Breida released from his backfield position and turned up the field with Jets linebacker Jarrad Davis in pursuit. Diggs pretended as if he were running a quick-out and then he swirled back to the inside. This forced Davis to choose whether to go under or over the top of Diggs to cover Breida. Davis actually ran into Diggs, which allowed Breida to continue, uncovered, to the end zone. Allen read the situation and bought time in the pocket, which allowed Breida to get into the end zone.
Daboll must have expected man-to-man coverage in this situation as Allen recognized the defense and Diggs’ rub. This put the Bills on the scoreboard first with a 7-0 lead.
The Bills took over on their next possession following the first of four interceptions from Jets QB White, and the Bills settled for a 28-yard Tyler Bass field goal for a 10-0 lead.
Allen was accurate and poised in the first quarter, playing mistake-free football worthy of a 100% performance grade.
SECOND QUARTER
Play selection: 14 plays – nine passes, four runs.
Allen: 6 for 9 passing, 105 yards, one sack, one touchdown. Two carries for 3 yards.
Performance grade: 93.3%.
Score: Bills, 17-3.
The second quarter was uneventful until Allen started his final drive of the half with this play-action, stutter-go to Diggs.
Here, Allen faked inside again with play-action to running back Devin Singletary, while Diggs came off the ball as if he were running a hitch route, and then burst by cornerback Brandin Echols. This was an interesting blend of offensive strategy as generally pump-fakes or double-moves are built around a standard drop by the quarterback. In this case, a play-action fake occurred before the pump fake and stutter-go. Daboll anticipated a Cover 3 zone defense on first-and-10 as Echols telegraphed zone technique with his presnap outside alignment on Diggs. Allen saw Echols back-peddle with his eyes fixed on him.
It is difficult to tell whether this was a planned stutter-go or if Diggs converted the hitch route because Echols was playing tight. In either event, it was sensational execution by Allen and Diggs, who were on the same page for a 57-yard gain.
Four plays later, Allen went to Diggs again, this time following an incompletion on a fade route to Allen’s left. Diggs was not able to get a second foot down for the touchdown on the first fade attempt. Allen went right back to him on another fade route, this time in a third-and-10 against a Jets’ all-out blitz, attacking replacement cornerback Javelin Guidry.
This touchdown started the Bills’ offensive engine as they took the lead 17-3 and never looked back. The score was also important because the Bills would get the first possession of the third quarter with the opportunity to score on consecutive drives and put the game out of reach.
THIRD QUARTER
Play selection: 13 plays – six passes, seven runs.
Allen: 5 for 6 passing, 136 yards, one interception. No carries.
Performance grade: 92.8%.
Score: Bills, 38-3.
The third quarter began with the Bills running the football on four of their first five plays. Allen completed his first pass of the quarter to Diggs on another fade route for a 22-yard gain. Then the Bills ran the football four times in a row with two stretch runs by Singletary, an end around to Emmanuel Sanders and finally a jet-sweep from under center to Isaiah McKenzie.
I included this video because of the great job Allen did snapping the football as late as he could, handing the football off to McKenzie as he crossed the formation, then faking to the running back. This was the best ball-handling that Allen has had this season on this jet sweep from under center.
Allen snapped the ball when McKenzie was inside of his left tackle and as Allen turned, he actually handed the football off on the right side of the center. This was sensational timing that allowed McKenzie to get outside leverage on the pursuit from linebacker C.J. Mosley faster. The other strategic implication here was that Daboll knew that Michael Carter II would not cross the formation with McKenzie’s motion. That responsibility would be passed on to Mosley as McKenzie became the third receiver to the right side of the field.
This touchdown gave the Bills a commanding 24-3 lead that would only grow.
Tre’Davious White intercepted Jets QB White for the third turnover of the game and the Buffalo offense went back to work. Allen orchestrated a quick two-play drive completing a long post route to Gabriel Davis and then pitched the ball to Breida, who scored on the toss to the right.
Next, Levi Wallace intercepted another pass and the Bills capitalized yet again, this time on a five-play drive that was highlighted by a Zack Moss rushing touchdown, giving the Bills a 38-3 lead.
The Jets turned it over once more, this time with an interception to Jordan Poyer.
This was when Allen and the Buffalo offense made their only mistake of the game:
Allen got greedy and tried to force something to happen when it appeared that Knox was clearly open underneath. Diggs ran across from his left slot position as Knox was dragging across under him from the other side. Following the play action, Allen fired the ball to Diggs before cornerback Isaiah Dunn could get there. This was a classic case of not taking what was given throwing to Knox would have been an easy completion to take underneath the coverage.
Despite the turnover, the Bills scored 21 points in the third quarter. When you combine that with their score right before the half, they poured 28 unanswered points on the Jets and took over the game, with three turnovers, three rushing touchdowns and an efficient passing game.
This third quarter may have been the best quarter of the year for the Bills as a team.
FOURTH QUARTER
Play selection: Six plays – one pass, five runs (with Allen in the game).
Allen: 1 for 1 passing, 43 yards. No carries.
Performance grade: 100%.
Score: Bills, 45-17.
The game was actually over before the fourth quarter began. Allen played in only six plays on two drives, completing a 43-yard pass to Diggs on his only throw of the quarter. Singletary capped off Allen’s final drive of the game with a rushing touchdown, completing the win with a total of six touchdowns and one field goal.
Conclusion
This rebound victory was exactly what the Bills needed. Defensively, the Bills again were outstanding, while offensively it is difficult to find any fault in this nearly perfect offensive outing. The Buffalo offense hummed to the tune of 45 points, with more balance and without sacrificing their identity.
This was the first dominating performance by Diggs and the most rushing touchdowns in a game by the Bills since Oct. 16, 2016, against the San Francisco 49ers. Allen was prepared and executed his duties and responsibilities to near perfection in what was an important performance to regain some of their lost momentum.
Daboll’s strategic use of play-action passes along with a concerted effort to run the football paid off, both in the public opinion domain and on the field. It was a relief to see four rushing touchdowns, regardless of who the opponent is. That kind of rushing production will grow confidence within the team that it can be done.
The bottom line for the Bills in this game was this: good teams take care of business on the road against inferior opponents. Allen and the Bills did just that against the Jets with an outstanding and well-balanced team performance.
