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How Buffalo's Mike Pettine stayed a step ahead of Geno Smith and the Jets

It's because of days like this that the Buffalo Bills currently lead the NFL in sacks and interceptions.

By Brian Galliford
  • (Play 1, 1 of 2) Working out of a nickel package, the Bills send five rushers, including Jairus Byrd (31) off of right tackle. You'll want to focus next on Marcell Dareus, lined up directly over center.
  • (Play 1, 2 of 2) Dareus loops around Jets left guard Brian Winters with ease, forcing Geno Smith up into the pocket. His hurried throw is batted down at the line of scrimmage for a harmless three-and-out.
  • (Play 2, 1 of 2) Now in a dime formation, the Bills overload their rush off the right side of the line, sending Nickell Robey on a rush in the gap between Mario Williams and Kyle Williams. Kiko Alonso and Jerry Hughes, circled in yellow, drop into coverage.
  • (Play 2, 2 of 2) Note that Robey is currently unblocked, and that center Nick Mangold (circled in blue) is trying to make his way over to cut off his angle of pursuit. Smith is again forced to step up into the pocket, where he lands in the waiting arms of Kyle Williams for a sack.
  • (Play 3, 1 of 2) The Jets send a receiver in motion to the right, leaving Jairus Byrd free to blitz off the left side of the line. Buffalo effectively has four players for three Jets blockers to defend, so one will be free. Alonso and Hughes, again circled in yellow, drop into coverage once more.
  • (Play 3, 2 of 2) Byrd is the defender untouched off of left tackle - that's standard blitz pickup behavior, to leave the outside guy so as to maximize pocket time for the quarterback - and the right guard is left to spectate as Byrd picks up a sack.
  • (Play 4, 1 of 2) When the Bills weren't overloading, they were typically rushing five out of their base defense. Here, Mike Pettine dials up a simple stunt inside between Dareus and Alan Branch, but it's Kyle Williams (in red) that you'll want to pay attention to.
  • (Play 4, 2 of 2) Williams roasts Winters off of left guard again, sneaking around to strip the ball out of Smith's throwing hand. Manny Lawson (here working off of right tackle) pounced on the ball to ultimately set up the Bills' 17-3 lead.
  • (Play 5) This isn't necessarily rush-related, but it's worth pointing out nonetheless: when the Bills are worried about the screen (here, they're reacting to Josh Cribbs lining up in the backfield), they'll line up in a base alignment with nickel personnel, using Robey (in red) as the second proverbial inside linebacker. Robey is the defense's screen eraser.
  • (Play 6, 1 of 2) On a third and long, the Bills do what we've seen them do before: overload a rush off one side of the formation (here where the Jets have bunched receivers), drop Hughes and Alonso into coverage, and leave Mario Williams isolated on the other side.
  • (Play 6, 2 of 2) The Jets do a nice enough job with the rush to keep Smith alive, but Smith can't get his head back around due to late blocking breakdowns. He forces a pass in the direction of Leodis McKelvin (in red); more time might have gotten the ball to David Nelson (in yellow).
  • (Play 7, 1 of 2) Remember on the previous play, when the Bills overloaded off the right side of the line and a hot receiver was open up the left hash? This time, Pettine rolls coverage to that route, guessing that Smith will look for it first. Alonso and Aaron Williams (in blue) double up the red route, with the rush highlighted in yellow.
  • (Play 7, 2 of 2) Smith is locked onto Santonio Holmes - with good reason, because Robey is unblocked and ready to make a hit - but you can see how Alonso and Williams have both jumped the route already. Alonso wasn't in position to make a play, but Williams arrived with the ball to register a pass break-up; if he reacts a hair sooner, he might have had a pick.

Through Week 12 of the NFL regular season schedule, the Buffalo Bills are tied for first in the NFL in two key statistical categories: sacks (37) and interceptions (16). They added to their totals in each category considerably in their last game played, a 37-14 win over the New York Jets in which they tallied four quarterback takedowns, picked off three passes and added in a fumble recovery for good measure.

In our weekly forays into All-22 looks at the Bills, I've been trying to focus our attention on the upcoming opponent. This particular session does not apply specifically to the Atlanta Falcons, necessarily, but more to Buffalo's defensive philosophy under new coordinator Mike Pettine: seek and destroy.

Anyone who watched that game two Sundays ago know that quarterback Geno Smith was rattled from early in the first quarter on, and it had everything to do with the pressure he was facing from Buffalo's pass rush and the coverages Pettine was using behind it. The seven plays in the gallery above were of particular interest to me, because it showed two things: the Bills were getting pressure on Smith without sending exotic blitzes or more than five rushers, and that Pettine was consistently one step ahead of the other sideline.

Enjoy, Bills fans. This is the type of defense that the Bills will need to play if they're going to run the table and make a push for the post-season.

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