Note: There were other plays in the game that gave hope to the Jets ability to stop the running game, and I will address those on Thursday, but today we’re going to look at some where the Bills were successful.

The last time the Jets played the Bills, the world was just starting to take notice of what appeared to be a fearsome front seven when it comes to stopping the run.

Now, just a month and a half later, what has happened to that vaunted Jets’ run defense? This past week, Eric Mangini stressed a ‘back to basics’ approach, in terms of tackling, hand placement and shedding blocks. But how did the Jets really do against Buffalo? Today I bring you the bad news, tomorrow I’ll bring the good.

Buffalo’s First Possession 9:40 left 1st Quarter 7-0 Jets

On the very next play after the Jets special teams allowed a fake punt conversion. The Bills lined up in a single back set with two Tight Ends Right and their receivers on the left while the Jets were in their base 3-4. Instead of their base personnel, DE Mike DeVito was in for Shaun Ellis and OLB David Bowens was in for Bryan Thomas.

On the snap, the Bills pick up their assignments and run a pitch play to the right side of the offensive formation (at Bowens and DeVito) and the Jets are unable to force Lynch to cutback to the center of the formation with Bowens unable to establish an edge on his blocker and insufficient interior pressure from DeVito on his blocking TE.

Lynch finds a gap outside and once man to man against Abram Elam, jukes him and blows by Elam. Had Elam tackled Lynch at first contact, the play would have only gained seven yards. Once past Elam, who had overcommited and was out of position, a calvalcade of errors occurs, with Barton, Harris and Rhodes all trying to make arm tackles unsuccessfully. Darrelle Revis (who was getting blocked by a Guard earlier in the play) eventually yanks Lynch out of bounds, but not before he gains 35 yards.

Analysis: The first cause of the play’s failure was that no one shed their blockers, or could push back the line of scrimmage to divert the play if they couldn’t. The second was the extremely poor angles and once they were out of position trying to arm tackle, thus the tackling as well.

Buffalo’s Second Possession 11:56 left 2nd Quarter 14-3 Jets

From a first and ten after Buffalo grabbed an odd interception off of Coles’ shoe. The Bills set up in another double TE (both ends) set with just one running back. The offensive line pushes back the Jets defenders to the left, while Marshawn Lynch moves to the right of the formation and finds a huge gap between the Tight End (who blocks Bryan Thomas) and the Right Tackle (who blocks Mike DeVito).

The Jets interior linebackers have crept up to take on leaking blockers on the left side of the O-Line, and no one can free themselves in time (especially DeVito, who is getting thrashed by Langston Walker) to make the tackle before Rhodes and Elam arrive past the first down marker.

Analysis: DeVito did get soundly beaten on this play while the Jets interior linebackers misread the offensive line and moved towards the places where there were no true gaps to fill, while Lynch went for the then created gaping hole on the opposite side of the formation. Just a simple misreading of the play.

Buffalo’s Tenth Possession 5:39 left in 4th Quarter 24-20 Jets

The Bills line up in a three receiver set with one back on the Jets 11 yard line, while the Jets are in a 2-5 front. The play is set up to look like a pass with the formation, but the Bills run the ball and with the light Jets front which also has some subs playing at that moment (Pouha & Mosley).

At the snap, two Bills O-Linemen and a receiver from the left slice into linebacking corps and neutralize anyone from effectively shedding their blocks. Runner Fred Jackson slides into the open spaces between the tackles and follows his blockers forward, who move quickly by the two man front and he’s easily heading towards the goal line. Jackson is stopped short of the goal line in a rugby-like scrum but continues churning his legs and pushes forward for a touchdown.

Analysis: With the two man front, the Jets were easy pickings on a red zone run play for at least five yards. It was no surprise that the play was going to gain at least five yards, but the poor tackling and the inability to stop Jackson from his forward progress led to the play being a good gain to a touchdown.

Filed under: Main Page, Opinion/Bassett