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It’s official. The Buffalo Bills are welcoming back Jordan Phillips who returns for his third contract with the team. Let’s take a look at some of his 2022 film just because we can. I won’t dive into stats for Phillips, as there aren’t that many to talk about. I will, however, do a little pre- and post-injury analysis.
Play 1 — Versatility and push
I’ve been using the “V” word for years now when it comes to the preferences of the defense run by head coach Sean McDermott and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. With Frazier stepping aside for now, it’ll be interesting to see if McDermott decides to toss Jordan Phillips in at defensive end, but it’s something Frazier did on a pretty routine basis. Phillips showed a good push as well on this exact play, and he did well to walk over the downed opponent.
Play 2 — Dip
As he always has, Phillips shows off a good array of moves. The shoulder dip allowed him to get inside. Phillips didn’t get far himself, but the move meant David Andrews (#60) needed to come help. Andrews was then later getting to the stunt by Ed Oliver. The dip had a nice ripple effect on the play.
Play 3 — Double trouble
Pretty straightforward here. The game mandates 11-on-11. Whenever one of your guys can occupy two of theirs, it helps the numbers game. Phillips wasn’t dominating the double team, but he commanded enough respect to where they both had to keep on him.
Play 4 — Timing
This is post-injury, for the record. One thing Jordan Phillips has always done very well is anticipate the snap. This play and the timing was absurdly good by him. When I had this frame-by-frame, Phillips started moving in the exact same frame as the ball started to move.
Play 5 — Spin move
This combines a couple earlier thoughts. Phillips showed off that array of moves I mentioned and drew a double team.
In summary
Jordan Phillips is a familiar face so this can be short and sweet. Phillips provides a steady, veteran presence on the line and can be disruptive when he’s clicking. Great energy and timing are huge assets. You might have noticed that there are no clips of him trying to muscle past anyone post-injury.
Being candid, there weren’t enough good reps for me to call it definitive, hence the lack of clips. I do believe the rotator cuff injury hampered his ability, I just didn’t have examples I loved. Further, Phillips doesn’t need to rely on a power game and a good deal of his finesse should remain intact. Overall, Phillips loves being here and the team should love having him back.
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