Henry McKenna
NFL reporter
Eric Williams
NFL reporter
The Buffalo Bills (5-2) have all of the expertise on the earth on offense and the Seattle Seahawks (4-3) have simply as a lot expertise on protection. But each groups are nonetheless searching for consistency. Their Week 8 matchup is the proper check for Josh Allen’s offense and Mike Macdonald’s protection.
There’s an outdoor probability we’re seeing a Super Bowl preview.
The Bills are coming off a win over the Titans that began as poorly as anybody may have imagined, with Buffalo falling right into a 10-0 gap. But with the assistance of latest commerce acquisition Amari Cooper, the Bills scored 34 unanswered factors in a rout.
The Seahawks additionally put collectively a sweep in Week 7, beating the Falcons 34–14. Quarterback Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker bought happening offense whereas the protection picked off Kirk Cousins twice.
Let’s dive into 5 questions forward of this Week 8 foremost matchup.
1. For Eric, what makes Mike Macdonald’s protection so particular? And for Henry, what makes Josh Allen particular sufficient to beat him?
Eric D. Williams: Macdonald’s protection has been praised across the league for its adaptability, with the flexibility to create the phantasm of strain earlier than the snap. Then he modifies the image after the snap, bringing strain from stunning angles and taking part in stable core protection within the secondary behind it.
But up to now it has been a blended bag. The protection carried out effectively final week in a highway win in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons, however struggled at house two weeks in the past in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers. One of the explanations the group ditched Pete Carroll and employed Macdonald was to usher in a brand new defensive method to match wits with NFC West offensive minds Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.
But the defensive numbers have not actually improved. The Seahawks aren’t any. 28 in run protection, permitting 146 speeding yards per recreation. And Seattle’s seven takeaways rank seventeenth within the league. Against Allen & Co., Macdonald’s protection has one other alternative to show its value.
Henry McKenna: Allen’s coaches proceed to say he has improved his command of the offense. That can imply a variety of issues, however my sense is that they’re impressed with the way in which he operates pre-snap to get the group into the most effective play and post-snap to place the ball within the fingers of the most effective matchup.
Since Allen misplaced Stefon Diggs (and a handful of different starters) this offseason, the QB wanted to select up the slack. And he did it with 15 complete touchdowns (12 passing, 3 speeding). As you identified, Eric, the Bills can be sensible to run the ball in opposition to Seattle’s protection. But this might set Allen as much as work the ball effectively within the passing recreation.
Allen has a remarkably clear season when it comes to turnovers. This yr he has zero interceptions and 4 fumbles. But the superior stats present he is been as fortunate because it will get – and that he is nonetheless placing the ball in peril. This is nice information for the Seahawks.
(McKenna: Bills’ Josh Allen has but to throw a decide. Is the gunslinger now a recreation supervisor?)
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2. Which participant encounter is most attention-grabbing for this recreation?
Williams: For me, it is whoever Seattle strains up at proper deal with in opposition to gifted Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau. The Seahawks are on their fourth possibility at proper deal with this season. Projected starter Abe Lucas by no means made it to the beginning of the season following offseason knee surgical procedure.
Lucas’ replacements – George Fant (knee) and Stone Forsythe (hand) – additionally missed time, leaving the Seahawks so determined that they introduced again 42-year-old ahead Jason Peters. Good factor Lucas and Fant returned to coaching this week.
Last week in opposition to the Falcons, Seattle deployed Division II product Mike Jerrell – and he held up. But if Jerrell begins for the second straight time, he’ll face a troublesome check with Rousseau, who leads the Bills with 29 quarterback pressures and is second with 3.5 sacks on the yr.
McKenna: It must be Amari Cooper and Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon will not shadow Cooper for your entire recreation, however every time they see one another on the ground, it is going to be value watching.
Cooper, in fact, was an instantaneous success in Buffalo’s offense after the Bills traded picks to the Browns in change for the five-time Pro Bowler. There was an unstated connection between Allen and Cooper that may take years to develop. Cooper beat the protection to man for a landing, even when he may not have seen the audible name on the line of scrimmage. Cooper additionally appeared in sync with Allen’s strike zone, with a 27-yard piece after Allen discovered his receiver sitting in a niche in protection. Cooper performed simply 19 snaps (35%) however managed 4 receptions on 5 targets for 66 yards and a landing.
Witherspoon shall be as much as the problem. He could not have fairly lived as much as expectations because the fifth general decide in 2023, however he is nonetheless as stable as cornerbacks get. He allowed simply 217 yards and nil touchdowns in protection, in accordance with PFF. He has no interceptions and one move breakup, however that is largely as a result of dearth of targets headed his manner: 35 in complete. It’s onerous to think about Cooper making a lot of a revenue if Witherspoon is within the space.
3. Which recreation was an exception on the Bills and Seahawks schedules? Is there a recreation that also does not make sense?
Williams: I’m unsure how Seattle misplaced at house to the New York Giants in Week 5, particularly with quarterback Daniel Jones being benched in favor of former Seahawk Drew Lock final week.
In that recreation in opposition to Seattle, Jones had his greatest outing of the season, passing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He additionally ran for 38 yards. These numbers are regarding for a Seattle protection going through a a lot better quarterback with an identical physique sort to Jones in Allen. Additionally, Seattle solely ran the ball 11 instances in that recreation and has probably the most move makes an attempt of any group this season (280). New Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb remains to be working to constantly create stability on offense.
McKenna: For the Bills, the matchup in opposition to the Texans was in all probability the largest disappointment, particularly with Allen beginning the sport 3-of-9 and ending with simply 131 passing yards. Houston’s protection is spectacular, however as we noticed with the Packers this week, the Texans are beatable, particularly if CJ Stroud takes off the fuel. But that is not essentially an outlier, as a result of the Bills have at the moment misplaced each recreation in opposition to a group above .500 (Texans, Ravens) and have gained each recreation in opposition to groups at .500 or worse (Cardinals, Dolphins, Jaguars, Jets, Titans). .
If the Bills beat the Seahawks, that may technically characterize an anomalous consequence.
4. Which participant or coach will bear probably the most accountability in profitable this recreation for his group?
Williams: Another large recreation for Seattle, which suggests one other alternative for Geno Smith to show he is the long-term reply at quarterback for the Seahawks. Smith, 34, has been a constant participant for Seattle this season, main the NFL in passing yards (1,985).
Smith performed effectively in a powerful highway win over the Falcons final week. But he additionally struggled earlier this season in a house loss to San Francisco and is now 0-5 in opposition to the defending NFC West champions. The Seahawks want a clear, environment friendly efficiency from Smith to have an opportunity to defeat the Bills.
McKenna: For the Bills, Josh Allen is the straightforward and straightforward reply. But in case you dig deeper, I believe Sean McDermott is perhaps the true reply. McDermott has a fame for bungling late-game conditions. He struggles in high-pressure conditions, whether or not it is a common season recreation in opposition to a playoff opponent or an precise playoff recreation. So there’s already a historical past of struggling in shut video games, and I believe that is what we are able to anticipate on this one.
On prime of that, the Bills have needed to take care of a rash of accidents to their protection that has considerably depleted the unit. So not solely will McDermott should handle the sport to perfection, however he can even have to assist develop one other stable recreation plan once they do not have the expertise they deliberate to have. The assembly between Allen and Macdonald is thrilling. But Geno leads the NFL in passing yards. It shall be a tall order for McDermott to decelerate Seattle’s offense, even when DK Metcalf cannot play because of his MCL damage.
5. The Bills made a commerce to fill a gap on the depth chart. Who is an effective commerce goal for the Seahawks?
Williams: Seattle has already made a pair of strikes, buying linebacker Ernest Jones from the Titans and defensive finish Roy Robertson-Harris from the Jaguars. Jones is conversant in the NFC West, having performed his first three NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. He brings playmaking and management abilities to the second stage of Seattle’s protection, whereas Robertson-Harris gives a power for the inside of the line of defense.
However, with Seattle’s wrestle alongside the offensive line, a participant just like the Rams’ Joe Noteboom may make sense. A former beginning left deal with in Los Angeles, Noteboom provides versatility as a participant who will get beginning reps at each guard and deal with within the league. At 29, Noteboom remains to be younger for an offensive lineman and shall be a free agent on the finish of the yr, so there’s an opportunity Seattle may maintain him round past this season.
McKenna: How about Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones? He’s nonetheless taking part in effectively at age 31, however he is not the kind of participant New England wants. The Patriots would profit from getting no matter commerce worth a starting-caliber veteran like Jones may earn on the open market.
Jones, in the meantime, has confirmed he can fill any supporting position. He established himself as an elite nickel nook earlier than shifting to the perimeter out of necessity. But he excelled there too. And but, out of necessity, the Patriots have often moved him to security. He’s the kind of participant who may turn out to be useful for Seattle, which may use Jones all through its protection. Tariq Woolen could return from damage, however the Seahawks are nonetheless weak on the again finish. You can by no means have too many defenders.
Before becoming a member of FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years overlaying the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, overlaying the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN e Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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