Bills vs. Chiefs film analysis: Buffalo exploits a KC O-Line weakness

A big reason the Buffalo Bills left Arrowead Stadium with a 24-20 Week 6 victory was due to their ability to win on the defensive line. This was a task easier said than done, given that the Kansas City Chiefs have some of the best linemen in the NFL—guys like center Creed Humphrey, guard Joe Thuney, and offensive tackle Orlando Brown. The Bills were able to dominate the weaker half of the offensive line, though—the right side—taking advantage of offensive tackle Andrew Wylie and guard Trey Smith.

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Play 1

Defensive end Greg Rousseau is standing up on the outside shoulder of the right tackle. At the snap, he twists with defensive tackle Jordan Philips and takes on right guard Smith. Rousseau engages and then rips through Smith’s outside shoulder—at which point he gets a free path to the QB with his hands up.

Play 2

Pre-snap, we have Phillips is lined up over the right guard. At the snap, Phillips goes left to engage the right tackle, Wylie. Phillips pushes Wylie back with a devastating bull rush that has the tackle falling backward and barely able to keep his balance. Phillips then rips through Wylie and runs after Mahomes. If this was any other quarterback but Mahomes, it’s safe to say Phillips gets the sack.

Play 3

Edge rusher Von Miller is standing up pre-snap here on the outside shoulder of the tackle. At the snap, he avoids the running back coming out to chip by subtly moving inside. Miller then goes back to the outside shoulder of the tackle. The Closer bends, then rips around Wylie to force the early throw by Mahomes. The Chiefs try to give Wylie help in a chip block and Miller avoids it—then wins the rep.

Play 4

The Bills use another twist here, this time with defensive tackle Ed Oliver and defensive end Shaq Lawson. Both players twist at the snap, and Oliver goes to the outside to engage Wylie. Oliver blows past Wylie (who can’t move his feet fast enough to stay with Oliver) around the edge and forces Mahomes to throw underneath.

Play 5

Pre-snap, Phillips is lined up over the right guard. At the snap, he bullrushes Smith all the way back (to the point he’s losing his balance), then Philips sheds the guard. With Phillips running up the middle, he forces Mahomes to turn his back and run right.

Play 6

Here, we have Lawson lined up against Wylie. At the snap, Lawson pushes the tackle back with a bull rush, then Smith comes over to help Wylie (who’s going straight back). Lawson continues to push back Wylie as Smith helps and swallows the entire right side of the pocket.

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In Summary

The Bills’ defense controlled the right side of the Chiefs’ offensive line, truly dominating in one-on-one situations. They used twists to keep the right guard and tackle off balance, while Miller, Phillips, Oliver, and Rousseau all took turns absolutely controlling the line of scrimmage from the left side of the defensive line. If Buffalo and Kansas City face each other down the road, do you believe something similar will take place?