WEBVTT - Drive Time: Bills Perspective with Joe Marino 0:00:01.680 --> 0:00:04.760 You are listening to the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network. 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:08.280 This is Drive Time with Travis Wingfield. Back to throw 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:10.760 to a looking whips about. 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:17.400 The wide Dolphin touchdown time recul unpelievable, just bluevire for. 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:20.360 A second time. Don't know where he was going right away. 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:22.759 I want to hit that the man. I want to 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:24.560 help you, soone, keep on your bandwagon. 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:28.400 Wattle, Wattle to a shot gut back to throw looking 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:28.840 at them. 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:34.120 Up fires touchdown. It's Waddle his sixth touchdown. 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:34.920 Paradom of this day. 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:40.600 Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. Now let me check 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:41.559 your pulse if enough for. 0:00:43.800 --> 0:00:47.840 What is up? Dolphins And welcome to the Draft Time podcast, 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:51.280 part of the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network, covering your team, 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:55.720 your Miami Dolphins. How's it going everybody? I am your host, 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:59.240 Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, the great Joe Marino 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:02.360 from Don Bills joins me to break down this Dolphins 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:06.279 and Bills pivotal Week four matchup coming up on Sunday. Plus, 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:08.480 we'll pick the games across the NFL in week number 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.560 four and hear from the assistant coaches as they spoke 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:14.080 to the media on Thursday. From the Baptist Hell Studios 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:17.880 inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This is the Draft 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.440 Time Podcast, Maggie Jeffy. First, let's get right to my 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:26.080 guest today, Joe Marino. You guys know what time it is. 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:28.119 He has the right name. He roots for the wrong team. 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.319 I make that joke every time. It never gets old. 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.640 Trust me, I can confirm that he's a friend of 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.520 the show anyway, and a friend of mine. Joe Marino, Joe, 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:37.720 here we go again, man, Dolphins and Bills, and this 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:39.640 one seems as big as it's been for a while. 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:42.680 Yeah, they've been getting bigger and bigger throughout the years. 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.839 I mean three matchups last year and they were all critical, obviously, 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:48.560 And here we are surprised this game winds up being 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:51.320 one o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. I think maybe in 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:54.200 the future the NFL will be spotlighting these games, as 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:56.800 both these teams look like they have some staying power 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:58.120 here in the AFC for a while. 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:00.560 I'm okay not going up there on a short week 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:02.840 in the middle of a blizzard or a potential coming 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:04.880 a blizzerd down the coming to the pike as it 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:07.960 was last time around that fourth quarter, But either way. Yeah, 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:10.079 I mean, you guys kind of get the benefit in 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.720 terms of, you know, January down here in South Beach 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:15.560 a nice little a little vacation after Christmas and New 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:17.040 Year's and we get the benefit of going up there 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:19.120 when the leads are still changing colors and it's not 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:22.120 miserably cold. So looking forward to this one, Joe, looking 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:23.760 forward to this chat. And I want to start with 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.240 you with a Dolphins question, which I don't think I've 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:28.040 ever done that, but I respect the hell out of 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:30.519 your opinions. I want to know, why do you think 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:33.600 it is that this Dolphins team is different so far 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:36.080 this year? How is this year's three to zero Dolphins 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:38.679 different or is it from last year's. 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.200 Yeah, there's some things that I really like about this 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:43.480 Dolphins team compared to last year's. 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.480 And I think it starts with proof of concept, right. 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:48.720 I think there's a lot of questions about Mike McDaniel, 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:51.600 first year coach with TUA, and how this was all 0:02:51.639 --> 0:02:53.280 going to come together. And I think you saw the 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.640 foundation laid last year for what this offense has shown 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:58.480 us it is this year, Right, there were some lulls 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.639 at times last year, with some certainly some very explosive moments. 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:04.360 And one of my biggest questions this year coming in 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:06.880 this year was what is Mike McDaniel's CounterPunch to some 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:09.560 of the some of the roadblocks that were put up 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:11.480 for them later in the season last year. And it 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:13.760 looks like he's got all the right counter punches and 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.280 all the right levers that he's pulling and has really 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.360 evolved a scheme. And you can just tell that Tua's 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:22.720 comfort in the scheme is at at a crazy level, right, 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:25.080 I mean, just extremely, really comfortable with what's going on. 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.040 And they've really added to and built upon the foundation 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:31.360 that they laid last year with even more speed in 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:34.240 the backfield, with some improvements to the offensive line. But 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:37.600 the comfort that Tua has running this offense, the speed 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:40.080 in which he's processing what he's picking up pre snap, 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:43.640 that's turning into post snap decisions. It's taking something that 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.400 appeared like he could be dynamic into something that nobody 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:48.120 wants to deal with. Nobody wants to play the Miami 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.160 Dolphins right now with the way that this offense is hunting. 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:52.320 So you have proof of concept on offense and building 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:54.800 on that. But also I think there's some legitimacy that 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:58.040 Vic Fangio brings to this defense is certainly injuries hurt 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:00.640 the defense last year, but I think just I think 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:05.440 VIC is better position to maximize a very very talented defense. 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:07.720 It doesn't even have Jalen Ramsey at this point. That still, 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:11.200 you know, early in this scheme, right, only three games 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:12.760 under their belt. I think it's only gonna get better 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:14.520 and better. I think the talent is legit and on 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:17.120 all three levels, and so proof of concept. On offense, 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:20.919 it's building one of the elite defensive minds in Vic Fangio, 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:23.280 with a lot of talent, and it's getting healthy. So yeah, 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:26.680 there's plenty to look at this three and old Dolphins 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:28.400 team and say, you know what, I think they can 0:04:28.440 --> 0:04:29.359 stick around for a while. 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:31.680 I think both offenses are enjoying the fact that they 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:34.320 have that continuity. And you're number two from a new 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.479 play caller and offensive coordinator for going from you know, 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:39.240 Brian Dable to Ken Dorsey and Buffalo and obviously Mike 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:41.440 McDaniel here, and you're seeing both these offenses pick it 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:43.680 right up. Number one for the Dolphins, number two for Buffalo. 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:46.000 Now Miami's forty three points per game a little bit 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:49.520 skewed by a seventy point out outburst last Sunday, which 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:51.479 is still absurd to me to think about. And look 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.279 at my schedule here with a seventy next to the 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.640 Broncos name on that schedule. So you know, I was 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:58.520 talking to Tracy Wolfs, new to be on the podcast 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.239 tomorrow and saying, like, I hope it's Dolphins and Bills 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.119 for a long time, with you know, the Marino Kelly 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:06.120 comparison to Alan and two potentially if they can continue 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.040 to be those guys for a long time here. To me, 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:10.200 the division is the best when it's Miami and Buffalo 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.000 and then the Jets and Patriots can kind of play 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:12.520 for third place. 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:16.080 We can agree on that. That's for sure at Travis, 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:16.400 that the. 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:20.640 Patriots and Jets can can stay down there at three 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.000 and four for as long as they want. 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:24.400 Hopefully that's how it goes here going forward with Miami 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:25.720 on top of course, Joe, I know you prefer it 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:26.560 differently there, and you know. 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:28.960 That's where we're going to disagree. That's a pushback there. 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:31.240 Let's go ahead and go back to your sideline here though, 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:33.159 and start where we always do on these podcasts with 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:36.400 the quarterback, and this guy at Joe has always fascinated 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:38.520 me since the days at Wyoming when I loved his 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:41.359 college taper where he just carried a bad college team 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:43.720 to six five wins, trying to find the way into 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.360 bowl season every single year. And he started this year 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:48.480 as poorly as you possibly could have drawn it up 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:51.159 for Buffalo in that offense, but then he gets right 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:53.280 back to doing his usual stuff the last two weeks. 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.000 I guess what I want to ask you, Joe, is 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:57.320 how do you think Josh took last season which kind 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.279 of you know, at times got away, especially that payoff 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.040 game against Miami, got away from the patient take. What's 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.719 their approach that I thought really rounded out his game well? 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:07.200 And then the first game of the year with the 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:09.839 kind of you know, turnover issues. What's been the difference 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:12.400 these last two games compared to those maybe more aggressive 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:14.960 approaches he took Week one and last year. 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:19.120 Well, I think the what's been happening around him has 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:21.800 been a lot more secure this year. And I would 0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:24.000 say in Week one against the Jets, I think Josh 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.520 Allen was the problem in that game. I thought Ken Dorsey, 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:30.440 the offensive coordinator, had a good game plan, I thought defensively, 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:32.200 they played well enough to win. I think Josh Allen 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:33.800 was just looking to put on a show on Monday 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:36.279 Night Football in Week one against the defense that it 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:37.800 wasn't time to put a show up against it. 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:38.680 Certainly the Jets. 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:41.359 Jets have Josh Allen's number, there's no question about that 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.400 right now, and it doesn't feel like it's changing right 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:46.560 It feels like perhaps it's even getting worse when it 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:50.200 comes to the Jets having his numbers. So it's you know, 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:51.760 that's a real test for him to be able to 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:53.280 be patient. We know Josh wants to make all the 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:56.000 big plays, big time competitor, all that stuff, but against 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.560 the Jets team with that defense, you got to be patient, 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.440 and I think they the perfect storm of Week one. 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.000 Monday Night Football was not the right scene for Josh Allen. 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:05.680 He didn't have the right mindset going into that game, 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.039 but like you mentioned, really bounced back over the next 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:10.600 couple of weeks and did a good job of taking 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:12.400 what Ken Dorsey built in for him. I think the 0:07:12.440 --> 0:07:15.280 protection schemes have been really good for the Bills and 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:17.840 that's allowed Josh Allen to be more comfortable. And it's 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.320 still a new offense, right. I know that it's year 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:23.400 two with Ken Dorsey and a lot of carryover from 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:26.760 Brian Dables offense, but they're running twelve personnel, Travis, I mean, 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:28.800 this is a really different look and feel. You're seeing 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:32.080 a gap run scheme and over fifty percent twelve personnel 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:33.720 two tight ends on the field. So there's definitely a 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:35.840 different look and feel to this offense. 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:36.840 And I think it. 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:39.360 Does come back to Josh and being able to thread 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:42.720 the needle between taking what's there and playing the right way, 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:45.320 playing the smart right way, and then also you know, 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:47.360 picking your spots on when to try to land those 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:49.880 haymakers and he'll probably have to land a few of 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:52.080 those against Miami and all the points they are capable 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:53.040 of scoring on offense. 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:55.000 Yeah, last year we saw it on in the playoff game, right, 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:56.880 a couple of big plays to the Dolphins defense, but 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:58.520 a bunch of big plays for the Bills offense that 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:00.880 got them back into the game and eventually into the 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:01.520 winner circle. 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:01.760 There. 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:04.360 You mentioned the surrounding talent and that the twelve personnel 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:06.120 ship is so crazy to me because you know, I 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:08.280 remember going back when I first started working for the 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:10.920 team and doing these previews, it was like Buffalo ran 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:13.200 a ton of ten personnel and they were like leading 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.800 the league, lapping the league by several laps in that category. 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:19.480 Now they've gone completely the opposite direction with Keen Kid 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.120 and Dawson Knox there. But the trenches is where I 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.120 want to really get to because it seemed like last year, 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:26.320 you know, and he still does this as well as 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:28.560 anybody in football, but Josh just kind of creating on 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.120 his own and trying to find ways to mitigate, you know, 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.720 breakdowns and protection and just making plays with his legs, 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:35.800 with his arm. But it seems like this year they're 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:38.280 just better in the trenches. How have they accomplished that? 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.040 And how do you think Miami can get them back 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:42.080 to you know, I guess back on their heels again. 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.160 Well, I think they've made two upgrades to their offensive 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:47.439 line with two new starters. Connor McGovern coming over from 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:49.680 the Dallas Cowboys. That was the most significant free agent 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.920 contract the Bills handed out. He stabilized the left guard position, 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:56.080 and then they drafted Osyrus Torrance out of Florida in 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:58.080 the second round that he's become a Day one starter 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:00.880 at right guard. And I think those additions have been 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:02.480 important for the Bills where there's been a lot of 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:04.960 instability at guard for the Bills, they haven't had the 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.560 same primary starters at guard year over year since twenty 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.679 sixteen into twenty seventeen. It's been a while. It's been 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:15.160 a really a revolving door with a lot of miscalculations, 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:19.600 whether it's been extensions handed out, draft picks, free agent dollars, 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.120 they haven't been able to get the guard position secured. 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:24.920 And I certainly hope that between Torrance and McGovern second 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:27.320 round pick and a pretty decent free agent deal, you 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:30.000 have that figured out. But what I think the Bills 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:31.840 have done a better job of, like I think you 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:34.800 have better personnel, but also their protection schemes have been 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.559 a lot better where I think you make a point there. 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:39.160 They ran a lot of ten personnel, a lout of 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.720 eleven personnel, a lot of spread, and it was you know, 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:45.360 five maybe six man protections at times. And well, Josh 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:47.520 Allen can make everybody miss in the pocket, so we'll 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.000 put all of our eligibles out in routes and trust 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:54.040 that the you know, the prized quarterback can make everyone 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:56.080 miss and make throws. I think this year, they're actually 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:59.120 helping their offensive line there. They're understanding that, you know, 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.920 you need to count for a really good defensive lineman 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:04.680 so that your quarterback doesn't have to make everybody miss 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:06.679 and he can feel a little bit more comfortable back 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.760 there just reading it and ripping it. And I think 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:11.480 that's what's really manifested itself this year is a couple 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:15.480 of better players at guard, but more willingness to help 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.120 the protection schemes with even six seven man protection schemes 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:20.600 at times, and just trusting Josh that he does have 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:22.440 the arm talent to slot throws. 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:23.960 Even if you're going to play coverage against that. 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.240 So I think that's been the big difference in why 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:28.960 the Bills have had a lot more success seemingly this 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:29.959 year to this point. 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:32.800 Blocking it up and giving Josh time. 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.960 Joe Marino locked on Bills, lock on NFL Scouting, my 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:38.600 guest today breaking down this big Dolphins and Bills matchup 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:42.559 Sunday up in Buffalo, one o'clock on CBS, Nance Romo Tracy, 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.480 the whole crew is there. That's how you know it's 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.320 a big game. And Joe, I have so many different 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:49.600 ways I want to ask you questions about this Bill's defense. 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:52.640 But I think I'll start here because I asked Tua 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.280 in the press conference he had on Wednesday about the 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.040 value of this defense having high employer back, and you 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:00.880 kind of pivoted on me and talked more about Taron Johnson. 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:03.280 And that takes me right into my question about the 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:05.640 way this defense functions, because I had DMG you and 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.280 asked you, like, how do they get the production they 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:10.959 get out of this? Look right, it feels like you 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:14.559 would be able to just line up heavy personnel and 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:17.040 force the Bills to shift what they want to do, 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.680 which is a perpetual Nickel scheme, Like ninety eight percent 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:21.400 of the time they're in that Nickel package. How does 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.160 it function? Like, can you explain it for our fans 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:24.200 here so we understand better. 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:29.160 Yeah, it's basically a four to five defense base Nickel. 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:32.640 They live in Nickel. That's it. It's pretty much. Those 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:34.920 back seven players are those back seven players. 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:35.640 They don't change. 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:38.439 And it really does come back to Taron Johnson, and 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:40.520 I think Tua was wise to point that out. I 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:44.640 think him being this multifaceted player that of course does 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.840 all the traditional slot corner things in terms of covering 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:51.760 slot players. But he's got real responsibilities as a run defender, right. 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.520 I mean he's literally, I mean a Sam linebacker, right, 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.400 the Sam linebacker and a nickel corner all at the 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.120 same time. And you look at that and probably think, well, 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.480 run the ball on them. And there are times when 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:04.280 other teams can run the ball on the Bills. But 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:06.840 you know, Taron Johnson's no slouch at that position. He's 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:09.160 paid well for what he does. He plays almost one 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:11.680 hundred percent of the snaps and he's a key player 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:13.520 for what they want to be And and you know 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:16.640 they've the Bills have had. You look at Taron Johnson, 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.120 Micah High, Jordan poy Er, Trey White. Those guys have 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.600 been together running this defense since like twenty seventeen, and 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:24.240 that's a lot of time on tasks together. 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:24.400 Right. 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:26.880 They've seen all the coverages, they've seen all the run schemes. 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:28.880 They can play well off of each other. Now the 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:30.880 other cornerback spot's been a little bit in and out, 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:34.680 and of course, uh swapping out Tremain Edmonds this pass 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:37.040 offseason for Terrell Bernard. But you know, I think those 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:39.280 guys have so much time on tasks together. They've seen 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:42.040 a lot. They play fast, and you know they're certainly 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:43.920 giving you light personnel. You're not going to find a 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:46.160 lighter second level of a defense in the NFL than 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:49.880 what the Bills have. Milano is two twenty five, Bernard's 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.520 maybe two twenty five, might be two twenty and then 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:55.320 Aron Johnson's a slot corner probably around one ninety five. 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:55.520 Right. 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:58.959 So it's just it's a small group and they are 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:02.480 an attack oriented defense that plays up the field and 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:04.720 you might get a few runs on them, but they're 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:06.000 playing for negative plays. 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:08.800 So just to kind of follow up on that, like 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:12.120 you mentioned the size difference, and you know Bill Parcels 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.040 always said it's a game of big, strong men, right, 0:13:14.120 --> 0:13:16.800 Like what's to stop a team from just loading up 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:19.520 and trying to out physical and outsize them? Like, has 0:13:19.559 --> 0:13:21.360 that been something teams have tried in the past and 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:22.360 has it been successful? 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.480 I seen in the McDermott area. I've seen it happen twice, 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:28.920 the Eagles and the Colts. Like Colts like prime Jonathan 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:31.360 Taylor like when they were good, right, and then the 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:33.160 Eagles a few years ago where they just kind of 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:35.920 took the Bills will running the football, but There's been 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.080 so many other instances where the Bills have historically done 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.760 great against Derrick Henry, done great against Nick Chubb. They 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.240 just held Josh Jacobs to negative two rushing yards on 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:47.120 whatever the nine carries or something. You know, So there's 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:49.920 there's typically those instances where you feel like the other 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:51.960 teams are gonna come at them and they meet the 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:54.720 moment Now where I think the Bills run defense gets 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:56.839 a little bit leaky. It's not it's not a snap 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:58.839 to snap thing. It's that they have a propensity to 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.880 get gashed. Right, they will give up a long explosive play. 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:04.680 You saw that Monday night football against the Jets. Breese 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:08.720 Hall ripped out an eighty three yard run and on 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:11.079 the other twenty six carries they had a total of 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:13.440 eighty nine yards. Right, So it's like, how do they 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.360 mitigate that one or two explosive runs that they tend 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:19.600 to give up? You know, I wouldn't say every week, 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.520 but regular enough for you to question it. And in 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.280 that instance it was a misalignment. They played thirteen personnel. 0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:28.000 The Bills linebackers didn't shift. But you know, I think 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:31.119 you saw I think you saw in that second Dolphins 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:35.080 Bills game last year in Buffalo, Raheem Moster had a 0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:37.240 good game, right. They ran the ball very, very effectively, 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.520 and you know that can certainly happen at times. And 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.880 if you're Miami and you're coming off of with three 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.640 hundred rushing yards against Denver, I think you're gonna probably 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:47.520 want to test the Bills run defense on Sunday. 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:49.840 Yeah, Raheem had one hundred yards in the first quarter 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:51.640 of that game thanks to a sixty eight yard gash 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.240 you had up the sideline running behind alec Ingold, who 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.360 I put a lot of stock into his value on 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:58.840 this football team. So you mentioned it earlier about the 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.600 content see there on the back part of the defense. 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.120 I do my intro into the Bills, how they got here, 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:06.040 how they built their team every single time we play 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:08.200 you guys on the podcast, and I pretty much have 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:10.400 a copy and paste from like it all began back 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:12.720 in twenty seventeen, and they got these four defensive backs 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:14.560 and then they got Josh Allen the next year. That's 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:16.560 all you have to know. But they do have a 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:18.520 new pairing, or at least half of a new pairing 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:20.280 at the position you just talked about there at the 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:23.000 linebacker spot with a guy that we know very well. 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.800 For my money, probably maybe Fred Warner might be better, 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:27.600 but that's about it in terms of the best linebackers 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.320 in the NFL. But a newer guy, Interrell Bernard, who 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:32.440 was also a Defensive Player of the Week last year. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:34.960 How has that new pairing worked out, going from Milano 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:37.960 Edmonds to Milano Bernard. 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:39.800 Way better than I imagined I was nervous about. This is 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:41.840 my biggest question for the Bills going into the season 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:45.360 was replacing Tremain Evans, a five year starter, multi time 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:48.360 Pro Bowler captain every year. You know, you felt like 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:50.480 he was an important piece of the defense, especially with 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:54.080 a lot of too high shells on defense in Tremain's range, 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:56.400 right he six five to forty with thirty five inch arms, 0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:58.880 and he can run really fast right, and his ability 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:00.720 to get his hands up in the middle field just 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:02.560 it took a lot of throws off the menu, and 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:04.400 I felt like he was really important for them. 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:04.680 Now. 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:07.120 Where Tremaine I thought was always a bit inconsistent, was 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.360 playing downhill and like two hundred fifty pund linebacker, you 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:12.240 don't want that to be an issue. But he wasn't 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.400 that good playing downhill, and so I thought it was 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:17.680 gonna be a big deal. And through three games, Terrell 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:21.560 Bernard has just been tremendous. I did not expect this. 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:23.880 Like you mentioned the AFC Defensive Player of the Week 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.920 last week, and his previous two games were really good. 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:30.880 I think he's been a lot more decisive as a processor, 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:33.960 like he will he will fire his gun and trigger downhill, 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:35.720 and I've appreciated that he plays fast. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.160 His communication has been really good. 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:39.040 It's the coverage as well that I think has really 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:40.960 stood out to me where you'd expect that right a 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:44.400 two hundred and twenty something pound linebacker. That's where he 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:46.320 needs to be able to win. And I think what 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:48.560 he showed us so far this year in terms of 0:16:49.280 --> 0:16:51.680 being able to read the backfield in his own heavy defense, 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:53.920 but also just have an innate feel for what's happening 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:56.440