Ed Oliver seemed genuinely perplexed by the question.
How has the Buffalo Bills’ run defense made such a big jump from last year in the league rankings?
Don't miss The News' predictions for how the Buffalo Bills will fare Monday against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
“To be honest, I don't even know,” Oliver said. “It just seems like we go out there and they be running the ball, and then next thing you know, ain't no more runs. It's hard to just put it into words.”
Let’s try anyway.
The truth is, several factors have gone into the Bills giving up just 78.4 yards per game on the ground, a total that ranked third in the NFL going into Week 6. On a per-play basis, the Bills are allowing 3.66 yards per carry, which ranks fourth. Both of those are a drastic improvement from last year, when the Bills ranked 17th in rushing yards per game allowed (119.6) and 26th in yards per run play allowed (4.62). That improvement has keyed an overall defensive improvement that has resulted in the Bills leading the NFL in both yards (251.8) and points (12.8) per game allowed heading into Monday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans.
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“Everything starts up front with our defensive line," coach Sean McDermott said. “That's where a good defense starts. Run or pass."
Safety Micah Hyde pointed to the the knowledge gained by having largely the same players in the same defensive scheme for multiple years – and an understanding of what can happen when the defense gets the ball back to its explosive offense.
“I think all the hard work we've put in throughout the years, understanding our defense, understanding where guys are going to be, playing together,” he said. “Then, we understand with the offense that we have, if we can shut them down quick, the offense is going to score points and force them into being a one-dimensional team. They've got to throw the football. I think that's also how we've been effective.”
Defensive line coach Eric Washington, whose opinion might carry the most weight, has yet another take.
“Outstanding personnel first of all, and a commitment to the highest example of position fundamentals that we have to have,” he said. “The guys are committed. They understand how important it is to make teams one-dimensional. Sean talks about that every week. And so they're just committed. They're playing hard, they're doing a good job. They have to be sharp, because the information presents itself as it does, and we have to respond to that with the right technique, making sure we're in our gap, and allowing the defense to work.
"He is the most confident kicker that I've ever seen or been around," long snapper Reid Ferguson said.
It's an 11-man operation, but obviously we have to set the tone up front."
As for Oliver, even if he couldn’t articulate it, his fingerprints are all over the run defense, Washington said.
“There is a lot more discipline in his play,” Washington said. “Ed understands right now that in this system, he doesn't have to make every tackle as much as he has to do his job at the highest level possible, and then sometimes the defense will filter the play his way, sometimes he will filter the play to someone else, but don't try and make every play as much as you need to do your piece of the puzzle.”
That's been an adjustment for a player who was hyped as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate – as a defensive tackle, no less – heading into the 2018 season at the University of Houston.
“Especially this year, we're so good at every position, it's really just a scramble to make what you can make,” Oliver said. “If you're making a tackle on this defense, that's literally because that play was designed for you. We're so good and we're so aggressive and everybody is just in their gaps. If you're hitting somebody, it's because, ‘Hey, that play must have been directly for you.’ You blow somebody off the ball 4 or 5 yards, you make a little bit more plays, you know what I'm saying?
All players were full participants in practice Saturday, with the exceptions of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Jerry Hughes, who had veteran’s rest days.
“But as long as you're setting the edge or staying in your gap, something good is bound to happen. I've just been appreciative of where I can impact and make plays and set other guys up to make the plays. It takes everybody to stop the run, especially.”
Oliver has 11 total tackles in Buffalo’s 4-1 start, all against the run. His 10 solo tackles against the run is tied with cornerback Taron Johnson for second on the team, one behind both Tremaine Edmunds and Greg Rousseau.
“There are going to be opportunities for him in every game to win your one-on-one and to make the 'splash plays,' if you will, but you won't get that if you're looking for that every snap,” Washington said. “You may miss an opportunity to help our defense and help our team. He's a lot more disciplined. He's a lot more focused. He's showing up, he's coming out here early. He's really taking advantage of our meetings and the presentations that we have. His best is in front of him.”
High expectations
As the ninth overall draft pick in 2019, Oliver entered the NFL with sky-high expectations. Those were shared not just by fans and media members, but by his own teammates.
Buffalo is 5-1 against the spread on the road on Mondays. Tennessee is 7-2 straight up and against the spread Mondays, including 4-0 straight up and against the spread at home.
“I think Ed is one of those guys, I tell him all the time, he doesn't realize how dominant he is and can be,” Hyde said. “We all hold him to high expectations. The older guys on this team just continue to stay on him, tell him to continue to work. We think the sky is the limit for Ed. He's really picking up his game, and we feel like he can keep going.”
Oliver is 15th of 128 interior defensive linemen who have played at least 64 snaps in Pro Football Focus’ run-defense rankings, with a grade of 74.2. That’s a massive improvement from where he finished last season, when his 30.1 grade ranked 135th out of 138 graded players.
“I think Ed Oliver has shown up when I watch the defensive tape much more than he has in previous years,” Greg Cosell, a senior producer for NFL Films, said this week during an appearance on One Bills Live. “I think he's playing stronger. … I don't know if his weight is any more than (when he came out of college), but he's played stronger to me. There are examples when he gets inside of and moves centers and guards. He was not that kind of player coming out of Houston. He's clearly a better player to me this year than he has been.”
Oliver is listed at 287 pounds, which he says isn’t all that different from his playing weight in college.
One big change this year is his health. Oliver had core muscle surgery after his rookie year, and the lack of an offseason program heading into 2020 was a challenge.
Bills center Mitch Morse has his routines for each game. Some of those are individual, and keep him mellow during the pregame lead up. Other times, he and his fellow linemen are encouraging each other.
“I started slow, just getting the feel back,” he said. “They cut your body open, put all that (expletive) back together. So now, I'm just stronger, healthier, and it's paying off for me.”
Oliver has also benefitted from having his running mate back. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei’s return after opting out of last season because of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a big impact on Oliver.
“He's just somebody that I look up to,” Oliver said. “Somebody that I hate to let down. He's like an older brother to me. When we go out there, I know that he’s going to do his job, I know he’s counting on me to do my job. I think that's pretty much the whole team – we've got a brotherhood, and you don't want to let each other down, but Star is kind of a bigger emphasis.”
Like Oliver, Lotulelei is a former first-round draft pick. Washington said Lotulelei’s impact on Oliver has meant a great deal.
“He's a great example for the younger players,” Washington said of Lotulelei. “He's a stabilizing force for Ed. Ed is still working to really establish the kind of identity he wants. Star is a great role model for him in that respect. … Just having his presence, when he speaks, everyone listens, because he doesn't say a lot, so his words are heavily weighted and he shows up here every day ready to work. That's the best example you can have for the group, in terms of trying to influence everybody the right way.”
Tens of thousands of Bills fans headed to Nashville this weekend to cheer on their team for another prime-time performance.
Lotulelei has made seven tackles and two sacks this season, but his impact goes way beyond statistics.
“One thing about him, Star got a reputation,” Oliver said. “Star protects his reputation, every week, every day, every play. You know who Star is. You ain't fitting to come in and treat Star any type of way. He just protects his reputation, the best I've seen anybody do. They don't play with Star. Even me, I don't play with Star. Some people you can play with. Nah, you ain't playing with Star.”
Consistent with his private demeanor, Lotulelei declined interview requests.
Oliver knows that as a first-round pick, splash plays are expected. His three tackles for loss this season qualify as such, but Oliver is still working on building that reputation.
So what does he want it to be?
“Just cause he's little, don't count him out,” he said. “He's going to get after you. Simple as that. He might be smaller, but he's going to get after you. He's going to set the edge, you ain't going to move him on double teams. He's going to rush the passer. You're just going to have to come to work. Bring your lunch pail and everything when you come play with me.”
New additions
The Bills added to their defensive line early in the draft by selecting Rousseau in the first round. His team-leading three sacks have drawn plenty of praise, but his work against the run has been arguably just as important.
“I feel like I've done pretty good so far with stopping the run, but I feel I have a long way to go,” Rousseau said. “A lot of things to learn and a lot of things to get better at in the running game, in the passing game and just in general. When it comes to stopping the run, it's really never just one person. It’s the five-tech, the three-tech, the one-tech, the linebackers filling the gaps. It’s down the line, because if there is one crease, the running backs will hit it. So, it's really all about being sound in every single gap.”
Rousseau's interception was a big play for the first-round pick, but also just the latest example of what this Bills' defense is capable of doing.
Rousseau and second-round draft pick Boogie Basham have only added to the depth along the defensive line, giving Washington plenty of choices every week.
“It's a good position to be in,” Washington said. “It's an excellent circumstance – credit to how we built the roster. It's a good deal to have, because we have a great blend of veteran leadership and youth. I feel comfortable with any combination of people in that group on the field at any time. That's a tremendous luxury to have on Sunday, because there's no 'situational guy.'
"I feel great with Star being in the game on third down, two-minute. I feel great about Ed being in the game on a short-yardage situation with heavy personnel, so that allows that rotation to be very, very deep and very potent.”
It also makes for tough decisions each week on who will be in and out of the game-day lineup.
“When you come out here on a Wednesday and you're trying to get the car started, so to speak, you have to really establish very quickly where you are and what you can do for us this week against the opponent,” Washington said. “There is competition, and competition tends to breed champions. It breeds some of the things that you really need to have. We collaborate and we look at it and we try to make the decision that we believe is best, but it's a great thing to have. The guys understand there are no incumbents, and you have to come out here every week and kind of demonstrate your worth. I think that's a positive circumstance for us to have.
“We just try and think about the type of game we're going to play and how we can best maximize the guys within that group. There is some incentive there, obviously, to have a great week of preparation with certain guys and go out do their best and show us they're ready to go and make a difference on Sunday or Monday.”
Oliver leads the Bills in snap counts among defensive linemen, but he’s at just 57.7% of the defensive snaps. The rotation is 11 players deep, and each has contributed.
“That's pretty cool, for sure,” Rousseau said. “We have a whole bunch of dudes on the line that could play, that are solid guys. … Being able to roll in fresh bodies because obviously, being out there especially in the late quarters or two-minute situations, you can get really tired.”
A supreme challenge
The Bills know what awaits them Monday night. Tennessee has run the ball 172 times this season, just three attempts behind Cleveland for the league lead.
That makes sense, given that the Titans employ All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.
“Tennessee is going to run the ball,” Oliver said. “They could be down, they're going to run the ball. They could be up, they're going to run the ball. They're going to start the game running the ball. Derrick Henry could be having a slow game, they still going to feed him the ball until he gets going. You've got to roll with it and be ready for the run at all times. You think it's fitting to be a pass, and they'll hand it off to him and he'll go for 70.
“You know you've got to play the run on the way to the pass. Even when you know it's pass, play the run on the way to the pass. That's just how you got to look at it. They can do a draw and all kind of crazy stuff, just give him the ball and get him in space.”
Henry just keeps coming at defenses. He gets stronger as the game goes on, too, with 70% of his rushing yards this season – 446 of 640 – coming in the second halves.
“We've gotten 15 (running back) rush attempts per game through the first five games on an average,” Washington said. “We know right now that this offense will not be deterred when you're in position to create a negative play. They're going to turn around and hand the ball to this young man. The offense is going to go through him. Regardless of what happened (on the previous play), he's coming right back at you. That offensive line is coming right back at you, and we just have to continue to meet that challenge all the way through the last quarter. … Our guys understand that, and we're going to be up to the challenge.”
Tackling Henry, who is 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, looks like one of the least fun things you can do on an NFL field. The Bills, though, have been pretty good at it. In three career games against Buffalo, Henry has rushed for an average of 63.7 yards per game. The Bills would sign up for that Monday night.
Of course, Henry did score a pair of touchdowns in the teams’ meeting last year, and also stiff-armed cornerback Josh Norman to the moon – a play that has lived on in countless social-media memes.
“I think all defensive players, no matter what, have a screw loose,” Hyde said. “You've got to hit people each and every play. That's not what humans are supposed to do. Any run play that we see, you've just got to dial in and put yourself in that situation. If you see somebody on another team going to tackle 22, you've got to literally watch the film and put yourself in that situation and know how he's running and think about how you would react.”
So far, the run defense has been up to the challenge, but Henry will provide the biggest one yet.
“All of the (games) are exciting, but in particular, when we get to kind of match our technique, our will, our physicality and just what we have to get done from one man to the next,” Washington said. “We've got to win one on one and against the person assigned to us in that particular run concept. We have to meet that. We have to exceed that.
"The ties go to the offense, so we have to win in an emphatic way, because any tie goes to them. That's something you get excited about. We're prepared for that.”
