The Buffalo Bills defense has been searching for something all season long.
It was searching for its identity at the beginning of the season after allowing 28 points a game through the first six. Then, over the past few weeks, after finding its identity of creating turnovers and stopping the run, the Bills have been looking for consistency.
After limiting the Los Angeles Chargers to just 76 rushing yards, sacking rookie quarterback Justin Herbert three times in key situations, and forcing a crucial interception late in the game, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier seems to think the Bills may have found it.
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“We’re getting close, we have a few things to iron out, but we’re getting close,” Frazier said during a video conference call. “Yesterday was more of what we are looking for though. The consistency is beginning to show up a little bit and like we’ve talked about before, the month of December is when you really want to be improving.”
Against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills defense allowed the fifth-lowest total yards (367) of offense all season and the Chargers gained the third-lowest amount of rushing yards (76) this season. Two of those games came in the past three weeks and the first came in Week 1 against the New York Jets.
The Bills created just one turnover but also forced Herbert to fumble the ball twice. Creating turnovers and stopping the run has been the Bills’ mantra on defense all season long and Micah Hyde was sure to remind the media of that after the game on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, it’s not always like that, but the mindset never changes,” Hyde said in his post-game press conference. “Once we’re out there it’s all about taking the ball away and trying to give it back to the offense with good field position…the defense was making plays in the second half and that’s what we needed, as you could tell.”
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Stopping the Run and Creating Turnovers
When the Bills defense has stepped up this season, they’ve done so in the same exact way.
“The mindset coming in is always forcing takeaways and stopping the run,” Hyde said after Buffalo’s win on Sunday.
In four of Buffalo’s five wins this season, where their opponent has scored 25 points or less, the Bills have given up 100-yards or less on the ground and forced at least one turnover.
The only game where they didn’t do so was in Week 8 against the New England Patriots.
The longtime AFC East division champ ran for 188 yards and passed for 161 but the Bills did create their one turnover at the perfect time. Justin Zimmer forced Cam Newton to fumble the ball as the Patriots were driving to score in the final moments of the game and the Bills took over to seal the three-point victory.
Justin Zimmer forces the fumble with less than a minute left in the game!
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The Bills also forced four turnovers against the Seattle Seahawks and have forced at least two in five other games. They are also tied for fifth in the NFL with 17 total takeaways.
Bills Need To Improve Their Second Half Defense
In 2020, the Bills have been known to give up a lead or let teams back into games in the second half.
It happened against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. It almost happened against the Patriots in Week 8, and the Arizona Cardinals completed a ‘Hail Mary’ pass as time expired in Week 10 to beat the Bills 32-30 after they had built up a 23-9 lead early in the third quarter.
Defensively, the Bills haven’t been a great second-half team. They’ve allowed 12 more touchdowns in the second half compared to the first and have allowed two more yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks.
Although they’ve come up in big situations down the stretch, like Tre’Davious White’s interception or A.J. Klein’s third down sack, the Bills defense needs to find a way to shut teams down in the second half after the offense has built a lead.
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The Bills Defense Is Looking to Do These Two Things Every Game