5 things to watch for in Bills at Eagles | Week 12
In the first game under new offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, the Bills relied on pre-snap motion to scheme players open and to give Josh Allen valuable information about the intentions of the Jets defense. The result was an attack that not only had answers but dictated play to the league's third-ranked pass defense.
Against an Eagles defense this week, Buffalo's new offensive play caller may decide to make exploiting matchups the priority.
"I think week to week something that we evaluate and look at are how the defenses are kind of playing us," said Brady. "I don't think it's anything where, hey, this week or for the rest of the season, we're going to be a team that just attacks the middle of the field for example. It's how can we put our players in position to have success based on what we're going against, and not just doing it because somebody else had success running against that defense. Does it fit us? Does it fit our guys? What are the matchups?"
ESPN NFL analyst, Dan Orlovsky, who made his weekly appearance on †̃One Bills Liveâ€TM Tuesday, believes there are matchups for the Bills offense to exploit in the passing game.
"Defensively they're not nearly what they were last year, and they've struggled to cover," said Orlovsky of Philadelphia's 28th ranked pass defense. "James Bradbury has not played to the level that he did last year. They lost CJ Gardner-Johnson in free agency then went down to Avonte Maddox who's a pretty darn good nickel and he got hurt. They have struggled to replace that nickel. And they were living in this world of, 'Do we want to play zone like we did last year? No, we'll play more man.' And then the only guy who has played man well is Darius Slay. So, the Bills can create some matchups, and if they get the right people in the right places and you get them on that nickel, they can have success in their pass game, 100 percent. There are holes in that secondary. That's the truth."
Philadelphia's defense has surrendered 21 passing touchdowns in 10 games played, which stands as the third most in the league so far this season. They've also managed just five interceptions giving the Eagles the worst touchdown to interception ratio (4:1) allowed than any other team in football.
Orlovsky felt the Chiefs had opportunities to take the Monday Night game at Arrowhead, but they simply failed to execute in their 21-17 loss to the Eagles.
"Kansas City had plenty of plays available there," he said. "They just didn't make them. In simplest form it's just catch the ball obviously. But this wasn't like they struggled. So, it's matchup-centric of how many different ways can they get their pass catcher, whether it's Stefon Diggs or Gabe Davis or Khalil Shakir, but this is going to be a matchup centric game rather than ball distribution centric."
The Eagles are allowing more than 193 yards per game to receivers, the third most in the NFL this season.
