BALTIMORE, Md. — “They had a good play.”
Typically defensive players aren’t willing to give the offense an inch, even after the game. But there was a consensus around a somber Buffalo Bills locker room following a 35-10 mashing dealt to them by the Baltimore Ravens.
Defenses often say there was some miscommunication or misstep that caused a big play, but this time they simply tipped their cap to the Ravens, who dialed up a play that caught the Bills off guard, one that gave 247-pound running back Derrick Henry a hole big enough to gallop through for an 87-yard touchdown on Baltimore’s first offensive play. It was the longest play allowed by the Bills since Sean McDermott became the team’s head coach in 2017 and it set the tone for the remainder of the game.
The Ravens ran for 271 yards on 8 yards per carry. It was the third-most yards the Bills have given up under McDermott, but never have they surrendered more yards per attempt.
There isn’t much to knock when it comes to McDermott’s defensive scheme, but it’s proven susceptible against the run and it has bitten them enough times for pause. Buffalo allows 144.7 yards rushing per game in losses under McDermott, compared to 94.6 in wins and they are 2-9 when allowing at least 200 yards and 10-19 when giving up at least 150.
“They executed and we really didn’t even touch the running back,” McDermott said. “They ran what we call wham exactly our three-technique (defensive tackle) there. We’ve got to be in better position. I know we’ve done that before, so that’s one of the things.”
Backup running back Justice Hill was lobbying for the Ravens to call the play all week. Quarterback Lamar Jackson watched film on the Bills defense and knew it would be successful if called and the 6-foot-3 Henry saw it for himself when he peered over his offensive line.
Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver penetrated aggressively, something he does frequently, but this time it was too aggressive and it was just what the Ravens anticipated. Fullback Patrick Ricard, lined up on the right end of the formation, came down the line of scrimmage and hit Oliver on a trap block.
What McDermott called a wham block also included left guard Daniel Faalele blocking the first defender to his left (DaQuan Jones) and right guard Patrick Mekari doing the same (A.J. Epenesa). This allowed left tackle Ronnie Stanley to take out linebacker Baylon Spector and center Tyler Linderbaum to get Dorian Williams, while tight end Mark Andrews made it all the way to safety Taylor Rapp.
“I kind of saw it,” said Henry, who ran for 199 yards, the most by a player against McDermott’s Bills and the second-most against a McDermott defense ever. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to see it and burst over the open — hit it — and get North and South.'”
Henry’s run was the sixth of 60-plus yards allowed by McDermott’s Bills, astonishingly the same number of passes of at least 60 years his teams have allowed. When big runs have been allowed by the Bills is also problematic
It was also the 31st run of 30 yards or more, 24 of which have come on first down. Seven of the nine 50-yard runs allowed have also come on first down, including Henry’s.
Opponents have run the ball 71 times on first down this season and 55 have gone for 7 yards or longer, with an overall average of 5.2 yards per carry. Baltimore picked up 175 yards on the ground on first down plays, racking up 9.2 yards per attempt and putting Buffalo on its heels and keeping the playbook wide open.
“We have to somehow be ready to play earlier,” Bills linebacker Baylon Spector said. “They had our number tonight. They came out and out-physicaled us and dominated the line of scrimmage. That’s one of our goals each and every week. … They came out early and got on us.”
One area that likely isn’t going to change — and is partly a reason for some of the struggles — is the Bills playing predominantly five defensive backs. The Bills did bring in Nicholas Morrow as a third linebacker when the Ravens had Ricard and two tight ends on the field at the same time, but never as a regular solution to stop the Ravens.
But McDermott and his staff usually do a strong job in setting up the Bills to rebound after getting gashed by the run. McDermott’s defenses average 104.2 yards rushing the week after giving up 150 or more and have given up 150 in back-to-back games three times, with the last coming against the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets midway through the 2022 season.
“You’ve got to flush it,” Bills linebacker Dorian Williams said. “You’ve got to watch the film, take it for what it is, everybody’s got to learn lessons themselves and come out ready to play next week.”