On Saturday night, the Bills host the Ravens. And Bills quarterback Josh Allen has one word to describe the Baltimore defense.
“Disruptive,” Allen recently told Chris Simms. “They’ll bring in five big guys, drop the two guys on the left side, and bring two little guys. And it’s just, they try to trick you, and they try to get you, and it’s gotten a lot of people. They’ll go a lot of blitz zero.”
What will happen when the Ravens send the linebackers and safeties and have the corners cover the Buffalo receivers one on one?
“Our plan is obviously try to protect it when we can’t get out of a play and get into something where you can manage,” Allen said. “Our guys know to look quick this week. . . . They’re going to blitz it. They know that. We know that. It’s if we can stop it or not, and I really think that’s going to be the key to the game.”
Allen is fine with that, because of the openings it can create.
“As long as we can get it protected, we understand that there’s zones in the defense that you just can’t cover, especially with our guys outside. It leaves match ups one-on-one, no help inside, no help outside, most of the time. So it’s something that we welcome, something that we work extremely hard at. You know, our protection plan is key. But basically, sticking to our rules and just understanding what their coverage is behind each blitz and where to attack them. We’ve been good at that all year, really. That’s credit to the coaching staff for finding ways to get the ball out. And again, it’s me knowing the protections. Our guys execute the protection plan. And understanding when I’m not protected . . . guys looking quick for me and giving me good body language and that’s as simple as it can get.”
It may sound simple, but it’s not. The blitz, if Allen sees it, forces him to make a quick decision and to execute it flawlessly -- if they can get it properly protected.
Allen believes it will be the key to the game. It’s definitely something to watch tonight, once the game gets going on NBC.