Defense Proves It’s Capable of Stepping Up
While keeping in mind that the Seahawks did put 34 points, this might have been the most impressive performance for the Buffalo defense in 2020. Considering that the Bills were facing perhaps the league’s best passing offense, featuring MVP candidate Russell Wilson and his league-leading 26 touchdown passes (entering Sunday), this was a good day for the defense as they held Seattle to just 10 points in the first half and forced four turnovers while also piling up five sacks.
Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier dialed up a successful defensive game plan that disrupted the high-flying Seahawks. They sent more blitzes at Wilson than we are used to seeing from them and caused some chaos for the Seattle offense. The Bills actually generated some pressure in this game, coming away with five sacks and being credited with 11 QB hits.
While Seattle did have six scoring drives in this game, the Buffalo defense came up with the big plays. The defense started the game by forcing a three-and-out, then ended Seattle’s second drive with an interception by Jordan Poyer in the end zone on 4th and 1 from the 5.
With the score 24-10 coming out of halftime, the Bills turned the Seahawks over as Jerry Hughes sacked Wilson from behind on 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 25 and forced a fumble that was recovered by Tre’Davious White.
With the game still in doubt in the fourth quarter, the Buffalo defense slammed the door on Wilson and the Seahawks. The most impressive defensive stand for Buffalo occurred after Zack Moss’ touchdown gave the Bills a 34-20 lead with 11:33 to play. The Seahawks started the next drive at their own 25 and were sacked on back to back plays as Mario Addison and A.J. Klein brought down Wilson. On 3rd and 25 from the Seattle 10, Wilson made a crucial mistake as he forced a throw up the right seam that White read and jumped in front of for Buffalo’s second interception of the game. White returned the pick to the Seattle 3 and Allen ran in for a touchdown on the next play to give Buffalo its largest lead of the game (21 points).
After a blown coverage got Seattle those seven points back on the next drive, the Bills made one more big play on defense to end the game. Seattle faced a 3rd and 2 from its own 28 with 6:35 to play. At the snap, Klein blitzed from the right side and came in unblocked on Wilson, who never saw him. Klein crushed Wilson and forced the ball out. He then recovered the fumble at the Seattle 19. It was the fourth turnover of the game for the Buffalo defense.
On third down, the Bills have struggled getting off the field this season, but that was not the case. Seattle converted just three of 12 third down attempts in this game.
The Bills did well to mostly contain Seattle’s downfield passing, which may be the most dangerous in the league. With Wilson and star receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks are a threat to score at almost any moment. Metcalf did get open down the left sideline for a 41-yard catch for Wilson in the second quarter, but that was the only big pass play the Bills surrendered to either Metcalf or Lockett. David Moore did get wide open on a busted coverage for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but otherwise, the Bills contained Seattle’s deep passing game. Metcalf did catch seven passes for 108 yards, but was held to six catches for 67 yards aside from the 41-yard catch in the second quarter. Lockett caught just four passes for 40 yards.
Buffalo’s best defenders stood out in this game. White had the fourth quarter interception, the third quarter fumble recovery, and added a tackle for a loss. He shadowed Metcalf for most of the game and held his own. Jordan Poyer continued his strong play with an interception and 10 tackles. Hughes and Addison combined for two sacks, five tackles, three quarterback hits, and a forced fumble.
The Bills also had perhaps the best performance of the season from their linebackers. Tremaine Edmunds led the team with 11 tackles and added a sack and a pass breakup. Meanwhile, A.J. Klein looked like Takeo Spikes in his prime as he filled up the stat sheet with two sacks, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup. It was a monster performance that came out of nowhere from a guy who was much maligned throughout this season for his struggles on the field.
With the major strides the Buffalo offense has made in 2020, the Bills no longer need to lean on their defense to win games. They simply need the defense to do just enough to hold opponents at bay. Too often this season, the defense has been unable to do that. But Sunday’s performance was different. The defense got big stops and turnovers when called upon in this game. It was by no means perfect, but it was encouraging from a unit that has struggled at times in 2020. It was especially impressive considering the opponent on the other side of the field. If the Bills defense can start stringing together impressive performances down the stretch, it will help fans field better about the team’s chances of going far in the postseason.