As a White Sox fan, I’m breaking out the motto of the beloved ’83 team (shout out to #83nation) and applying it to Sunday’s Bears game against the Buffalo Bills: Winning Ugly. Given the raucous environment they’ll be playing in against a high-quality defense, the Bears should use a run-heavy game plan focused on ball protection and winning at the line of scrimmage.
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The Bills defense is nasty. They’re stout on the defensive line, have young, fast-flowing linebackers and a secondary that is emerging as one of the league’s most difficult to throw against. Tom Brady has been held without a passing touchdown just three times in the past two seasons. Two have come against the Bills, including this past Monday night.
However, the Bills can be run on. They’ve given up over 100 rushing yards five times this season. Two weeks ago, the Colts piled up 220 rushing yards against them, and there are elements from their game plan the Bears should utilize.
The Bills used free agency to bolster their defensive line. Head coach Sean McDermott’s scheme is predicated on immediate gap disruption from his front four. Bringing back defensive tackle Kyle Williams and bringing in former Panthers first-round pick Star Lotulelei in free agency gives the Bills a formidable pair of interior tackles who are stout, quick off the snap and well suited for their penetrating one-gap scheme.
On the outside, the Bills brought in Trent Murphy, who’s been a productive pass rusher but is more effective as a stout run defender on the edge. Pairing him with a pass rusher like Jerry Hughes was a smart move and rounded out the Bills’ front.
Behind this group are two young, fast prospects in weak-side linebacker Matt Milano and first-round draft pick and middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who is in the concussion protocol. These two quickly attack downhill and make plays, but they can be manipulated and caught up in the wash.
The Colts schemed for the Bills’ (over-)aggressiveness up front and gashed them with both power schemes – primarily gap and wham – as well as reverses to punish them for their fast-flow pursuit to the ball. The Bears use all these running schemes, so it will come down to a commitment to running the ball and execution.
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Below is an example of a gap scheme the Colts ran using jumbo personnel in “13” personnel with an extra offensive lineman in as the third tight end. This personnel grouping and formation creates extra gaps for the defense to account for. It also brings defensive backs up to the line of scrimmage. Thus, if the blocks are executed, the running back is now to the third level of the defense once he makes it past the initial wave of defenders.
Gap schemes involve a puller and “down” blocks by the play-side linemen. Right guard Mark Glowinski pulls to the right as the lead blocker who will take the first free defender on the edge and kick him out to create an alley. The center flows to the second level to seal Milano, while the back-side tackle cuts Edmunds.
Running back Marlon Mack’s aiming point is the “E” gap created on the end of the line of scrimmage. He’s reading the inside hip of Glowinski. Once he sees that kick out block is secured, he darts up the field for an explosive gain.
With Kyle Long out, the Bears should use James Daniels’ mobility and agility to get to the edge and second level. He thrived when pulling and getting to the edge and second level at Iowa and should be asked to do the same Sunday.
The Colts use a “wham” scheme here to trap Williams. They invite him into the backfield with a free run through his gap. He shoots it immediately, only to get trapped by the tight end’s “wham” block from the wing. Mack sets Williams up with a forward step, only to bounce it outside for a touchdown.
It’s possible the Bears could add a wrinkle from their power-read shovel package with Trey Burton, getting linebackers to flow with Burton across the formation – as the Jets did last week – only to use him as blocker instead of a runner, while springing Jordan Howard or Tarik Cohen to the perimeter.
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The Bears have used jet sweep runs often this year, given the speed they have with Cohen, as well as wide receivers Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel. Those plays will likely be on the call sheet this week. But they could look to the reverse the Colts ran as well.
Below, the Colts show a one-back power – a common scheme the Bears use with Howard – run to the right with Mack, who pitches to running back Nyheim Hines (think Cohen in the slot for the Bears) on a reverse. By the time Hines gets the ball, seven Bills defenders are stuck at the line of scrimmage. Strong blocking on the perimeter by center Ryan Kelly and the receivers down the field turns this into another explosive gain.
In the Bills’ two victories, they’ve won the turnover battle. This is a perfect week for the Bears to win a game in the trenches with execution and understanding what their opponent does and using it against them.
(Top photo: Daniel Bartel / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)