National Football League

Why unleashing Josh Allen is key to Buffalo Bills' being Super Bowl contenders

Updated Dec. 19, 2021 3:06 p.m. ET

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By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

If Sean McDermott is like most NFL coaches, he is an avid reader who is always looking for a few wise words that will help him lead his team.

Based on the Bills’ recent struggles, I would recommend Jim Collins’ New York Times bestseller "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t" to help him guide his squad down the stretch. 

While the Bills were preseason Super Bowl contenders following their steady climb up the charts in the AFC, they are now finding out how difficult it is to join the ranks of the NFL elite.

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McDermott must quickly assess his team, figure out what it does well and play to its strengths. "The Hedgehog Concept," focusing on the primary thing a company does well, was the overarching principle of Collins' book, and it could help the scrappy Bills get back on track as title contenders down the stretch.

The Bills should start their process by crafting a plan to unleash Josh Allen as an MVP-caliber playmaker with a unique set of skills as a dual-threat quarterback. With more than 4,000 total yards in the air and on the ground already, Allen has the potential to dominate the game with the ball in his hands. 

The Bills must feature him as a single-wing quarterback to maximize their offensive potential heading into the playoffs.

The Bills already operate in this manner, with No. 17 throwing the ball around the yard without constraint, but the team needs Allen to excel as the primary ball carrier. While I know Allen’s value as a franchise QB makes some observers cringe at the notion of him running the ball like a single-wing tailback, Cam Newton took the Panthers to a Super Bowl utilizing that strategy. McDermott was Carolina's defensive coordinator at the time.

It is not the ideal scenario, but unleashing Allen as a runner will give the Bills the best chance to win this season.

That said, Allen does not need to carry the ball 20-plus times per game. He simply needs to be a threat to give the running game some juice. Whether that means executing the zone-read or power-read game, with No. 17 occasionally keeping the ball based on the defense’s reaction, the mere threat of Allen running could open up the field for backs Devin Singletary, Zach Moss or Matt Breida.

With teams such as the Ravens and Eagles featuring their quarterbacks prominently as runners to juice up their respective ground games, the Bills can certainly steal the blueprint to help wake their dormant attack.

The Bills should also consider utilizing Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley in the short passing game to complement a revamped rushing attack. The clever incorporation of the receiver screen game (bubble screens and tunnel screens) and a quick-rhythm aerial attack will enable the Bills to move the ball through the air at an efficient rate. 

Although relying on dink-and-dunk passes removes the physicality and toughness that McDermott would prefer to see from his squad, the "catch-and-run" concept could enable the Bills to pick up yardage on low-risk plays. Most importantly, the high-efficiency rate on completions and quick passes would keep the offense on schedule and out of long-yardage situations.

Considering the lack of production from the Bills' running game and the struggles of the offensive line, the creative utilization of a quick-rhythm passing game could help the Bills efficiently move the ball without radical personnel changes.

The Bills’ top-ranked defense has been the strength of the team this season, but the unit has shown some cracks the past few weeks. Opponents have found success running the ball at the Bills, with the Titans (148 rushing yards), Colts (264), Patriots (222) and Buccaneers (137) utilizing a power-running game to wear down a Buffalo defense built on speed, quickness and athleticism.

While McDermott’s squads have been lauded for their physicality, toughness and blue-collar approach since his arrival, the defense’s struggles against the run have led to concerns about the unit’s ability to play "big boy football" in the playoffs. When the calendar flips to December and January, contenders tend to lean on the running game as part of a complementary football strategy that dictates the outcome of games.

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Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and McDermott should be able to fix the unit’s woes by placing greater emphasis on playing better "team" defense. The Bills simply need the 11 defenders to take care of their gap assignments while playing blocks with the proper leverage to limit the breakout runs that have popped up in recent weeks.

In addition, the Bills need to fly to the ball with reckless abandon to increase their gang-tackling opportunities, rather than relying on defenders to make tough one-on-one tackles in space. With more hats flying to the ball, the yards after contact should decrease while the turnover opportunities improve for the Bills.

If the Bills get back to basics and play with better assignment discipline, the defense will keep opposing running games in check and force teams to take to the air to move the ball. For a unit that is surrendering just 179.5 pass yards per game, the second-fewest in the NFL, the ability to make the game a glorified seven-on-seven or passing league competition plays to the strength of Buffalo's defensive personnel.

Despite the loss of All-Pro cornerback Tre'Davious White to a torn ACL, the Bills have a collection of ball-hawking defensive backs with the IQ and versatility to play multiple coverages in the back end. 

Although White’s absence might encourage Frazier to play more zone-based concepts to protect young corners Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson from one-on-one situations, the Bills’ ability to play with their eyes on the quarterback has helped them get their hands on a ton of balls (16 interceptions, third in the NFL) and emerge as one of the best takeaway units in football (26 takeaways, third in the NFL).

Given the impact that turnovers have on the outcome of NFL games, the Bills’ defense is certainly capable of leading the team’s playoff charge by stuffing the run and forcing opponents to throw into air-tight coverage.

McDermott has put together a championship-caliber team with enough of the requisite ingredients to get it done in January, but he has to find a way to help the Bills get over the hump in their quest for a title. 

If he can apply some of Jim Collins’ principles to a team with exceptional talent, the Bills can reemerge as title contenders utilizing a style that helps them move from good to great in spite of their flaws.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.

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