Getty Josh Allen vs. New England Patriots.
Dean Pees knows stopping Buffalo Bills‘ quarterback Josh Allen won’t be easy. In fact, the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator thinks only unorthodox methods will work when the two teams meet at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium in Week 17.
Pees is tasked with slowing down a quarterback who has thrown three touchdowns in each of his last two games. Allen is also arguably the most dangerous running quarterback in the NFL.
The considerable dual threat posed by the face of the Bills’ franchise can give most defensive signal-callers nightmares. At least Pees was able to keep his sense of humor when he was asked how on earth he plans to stop No. 17, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Wishful thinking at its finest.
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Allen, Bills the Toughest Challenge Falcons Have Faced
Naturally, Pees knows hoping to keep Allen from taking the field is fanciful, at best. Yet, Pees’ dry wit does underline the scale of the challenge facing the Falcons.
Allen is the toughest quarterback Atlanta’s defense has encountered during the 2021 season. Yes, that even includes two games against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady’s the GOAT, but his greatness is defined by ruthless efficiency. Losing to Brady is the football equivalent of death by 1,000 cuts.
Allen is a different beast altogether. He’s a big-play machine able to gash defenses in an instant and in multiple ways.
His most preferred method this season is to push the ball downfield, according to PFF Fantasy Football:
Most passing TDs on throws 10+ yards downfield
🚀 Josh Allen – 24
5 more than anyone else 😳
Pees runs a scheme based on keeping big plays to a minimum. It’s a vanilla approach, but it usually works. Except during Week 16’s 31-13 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Falcons surrendered pass plays covering 30, 28 and 36 yards to Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, respectively, per Pro Football Reference. Those gaffes left Pees fuming.
He lamented unusual mistakes from his unit, according to Tori McElhaney of the Falcons’ official site:
Dean Pees very honest about his 49ers evaluation. Said the team did some very “uncharacteristic” things on Sunday, making checks that “we’ve never made.” Added he felt like guys were pressing a little bit early, trying to do too much.
Starving Allen of chunk plays will hinge on shutting down his favorite target, wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Pees will have to decide whether to double Diggs with safety help, or simply have outstanding second-year cornerback A.J. Terrell trail the wideout.
Stalling the Bills’ passing game will be just the beginning of Pees’ problems, though.
Allen’s Rushing Threat Must be Falcons’ Priority
Versatility is the key to Allen’s ability to dissect defenses. His 619 rushing yards and four touchdowns have contributed to an historic set of single-season statistics, per Stathead:
Josh Allen is the first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards, 30 pass TD and 600 yards rushing in a season.
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The Bills are one of the few teams who allow planned QB runs in their scheme. It’s a testament to Allen’s dynamism whenever he breaks the pocket.
Allen often trusts his legs in clutch situations. That’s what he did when the Bills beat the New England Patriots 33-21 in Week 16. His eight-yard run on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter allowed the Bills to ice the game with an Allen to Dawson Knox scoring pass.
Keeping Allen in check on the ground won’t be easy, but Pees has options. He could go all zone and have every defender keep their eyes on Allen in case he starts to run.
Alternatively, Pees might assign a spy to Allen. Somebody like linebacker Foye Oluokun, the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16, could handle this tricky assignment.
Falcons’ Offense Will be Best Defense vs. Allen
The simplest way to stop Allen will be to limit his possessions. Keeping him on the sideline and dominating the clock will be the order of the day.
Fortunately for Pees, the Falcons have enough talent in the running game to put this particular theory into practice. Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis should be able to churn up yards against one of the softer run defenses in the league.
The Bills are giving up 4.3 yards per carry this season, according to the league’s official site. Buffalo’s defense has also allowed 18 rushing touchdowns and 11 runs of 20-plus yards.
When the Bills have been beaten this season, it’s usually been because they couldn’t stop the run. The most notable setback occurred against the Patriots in Week 13 when New England ran the ball 41 times and threw only three passes en route to leaving Buffalo with a 14-10 win.
Following the same blueprint is the Falcons’ best chance of springing an upset and making it easier for Pees’ defense to contain Allen.