First, you’ve been winning a lot of close games this season against good teams – what’s been that big difference for you guys this year?
I just think it’s all about Josh Allen. He was the most scrutinized and criticized Buffalo player going into this year. Was he good enough was the question. A lot of the time he carried the day last year but then he’d make a bonehead play – like that reckless backward pass in the playoffs. But then he’d come back and make a great pass to John Brown. He was just too up and down.
So what’s changed?
This year his mechanics have changed – he worked hard in the offseason with quarterback guru Jordan Palmer. Palmer filmed him in 15 different camera angles to look at his mechanics and learned that Josh Allen wasn’t using his hips properly when he threw the ball – his shoulders and arms beat his hips when he released the ball which accounted for many of the poor and under-thrown passes.
Now, he’s become one of the most accurate deep ball passers in the NFL and is on pace to breaking many of Buffalo’s passing records. Before he’d try to run with the ball when things broke down, now he’s able to find guys like Beasley or Diggs instead too – he can better recognize where to go with the ball and finds guys like Beasley in the seam.
What else has changed with the offense?
I’ve been a Bills fan my whole life and have had season tickets for 14 years. I never though I’d see such a prolific offense. They use more three and four receiver sets than any team in the NFL – I think Pittsburgh is right behind them. With Brown, Beasley and Diggs guys could run wild.
They have so many weapons – Isaiah McKenzie had a big play on a wheel route last week for a touchdown where Allen lofted the ball perfectly to him. Allen knows where to go with the ball. And when they lost John Brown, many thought the offense would suffer. But undrafted rookie Gabriel Davis has come in and filled the void and has really negated the loss of Brown – on those deep routes especially.
Looking at this Steelers defense – especially with so many guys out – what do you see the Bills doing to attack this defense?
I always want to see the best versus the best – I really wish Buffalo was facing Bush, Dupree and those guys. Buffalo is coming in healthy.
I think one guy you may see make an impact is tight end Dallas Knox. He missed a lot of time last year but he’s come on this year and had some big plays the past two games. Tyler Kroft was the big free agent acquisition last year at tight end but he’s been inactive – Knox has come on after some drops early in his career. With some of the Steelers linebackers out, I can see Knox getting a larger role Sunday.
On the other side – Buffalo’s defense seems to be playing “decent” but not great football. What’s the issue with the defense?
Early in the season, when the Bills got up big early – like they had a 20-plus point lead versus the Rams – they gave the lead up and Allen had to come in and rescue the game with a last minute touchdown. The defense wasn’t great at the start of the year especially. The pass rush has struggled to get pressure.
But they’ve played better lately. They had a big goal line stand versus San Francisco. They aren’t a top five defense like many fans expected them to be – some of it is that I think they miss Star Lotulelei, but Ed Oliver has been more disruptive lately and the defense has been holding teams to field goals. They’ve been letting up drives but less touchdowns.
Against Pittsburgh I think they’ll need to get more pressure on Ben. They trust their defensive backs and with those Steelers receivers, they can’t give a guy like Ben time to throw – he’ll find the open guys. They just have to stop dropping passes of course.
What do you think the Bills have to do to find success agains the Steelers defense?
I think they need to try and get the ground game going. I know a lot of focus is on the passing game, but they can’t forget about Singletary – he’s played well. And they benched Moss after a big fumble versus San Francisco but I think he’ll be back. They can’t abandon the run – if they do that gives Pittsburgh the edge.
What are the biggest concerns you have on both sides of the ball?
The biggest thing I’m worried about on offense is the pass rush of the Steelers. The Steelers always have good edge rushers – of course Watt is such a freak. The play of our tackle Daryl Williams can be the big x-factor. He has to play great and he’s had a rough couple of weeks.
On defense, cornerback Levi Wallace has to play well. He’s been up and down. He can get pushed around by bigger receivers. He and Dane Jackson – one of those guys has to step up in the cornerback role.
Who do you look at on the Steelers side that needs to step up – besides Ben – to make a big difference on Sunday?
On offense I think it’s Diontae Johnson. I know he’s falling out of favor due to the drops, and they are looking at Washington who may be more reliable. But Johnson is the more electric guy that the other guys they have – they need him to have a good game I think.
On defense – it’s whoever is stepping up at linebacker. I know they have three of their starting four linebackers out – that’s a huge opportunity for Buffalo. Someone is going to need to step up there.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
