Bills pressured Patriots into trio of costly interceptions

The Buffalo Bills ended the 2022 NFL regular season in awesome fashion beating the New England Patriots 35-23. A big factor in the Buffalo winning their divisional matchup was turnovers. The Bills’ defense was able to pick off Patriots quarterback Mac Jones three times. Let’s take a look at the tape to see how those turnover unfolded.

Tre’Davious White’s interception

Cornerback Tre White gets the glory on this play by securing the INT, but the most important aspect here was edge rusher A.J Epenesa getting pressure. Epenesa gets off the ball fantastic to start. He then bends around the left tackle to the point the tackle can’t even stay in front of him. This results in Epenesa creating pressure from the blind side. Jones is forced to make a massive overthrow to his receiver down the field, which results in a fairly easy pick for White.

Matt Milano’s interception

The Bills capitalize on a risky decision by Jones to throw the ball. At the snap, defensive tackle Ed Oliver hits a spin move on the guard then pushes him back right into Jones’ face. This forces Jones to make a bad decision and a tough throw under pressure. Jones attempts to throw it to tight end Hunter Henry down the field with two Bills defenders right next to him (this is a tough throw normally without considering pressure). The ball goes off of Henry’s hands and linebacker Matt Milano catches the tipped pass.

Tremaine Edmunds’ interception

At the snap, edge rusher Greg Rousseau blows by the right tackle. Rousseau ends up wrapping around Jones as he attempts to throw the football. Jones then throws an off-target wobbler to running back Damien Harris (who tries to catch the ball with one hand). The ball bounces off of Harris’ hand, which linebacker Tremaine Edmunds then secures off the bounce.

In summary

The biggest catalyst for the Buffalo Bills with each interception was pressure. Ed Oliver, Greg Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa all generated pressure on each pick by Mac Jones. The pressure forced errant throws, which created easy opportunities for the Bills to pick the ball off. Adding insult to injury, Jones’ second and third picks came on consecutive drives.