When the Buffalo Payments and Miami Dolphins met on Sunday, it was billed as two of the NFL’s finest offenses colliding in an early recreation of the yr contender. What we ended up getting was a relatively one sided assertion recreation, a 48-20 Buffalo Payments victory that solidified their identify on the high of the NFL.
It was a whole group victory, however the stars after all had been on offense, beginning with Payments QB Josh Allen. Allen was masterful on Sunday, not solely taking the singles and doubles {that a} Vic Fangio protection needs you to take, however then hit the house runs that we’re used to seeing the Buffalo Payments hit typically. When Allen and the Payments offense play like this, they turn out to be unstoppable, so let’s dig into the movie to see what made Allen and the Payments offense so profitable on Sunday.
Allen and the Payments struggled final yr to persistently hit the quick passes and fast recreation, however this yr it’s turn out to be increasingly more efficient. That is partially because of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey turning into extra versatile with formations and personnel, and the Payments turning into more practical in greater personnel, forcing groups right into a catch-22: play greater and danger the ability place gamers shredding you, or play smaller and get run over.
On this play, the Payments are in 22 personnel (2 backs, 2 TE), however they’re in an empty formation; solely Josh Allen is within the backfield, and RB Latavius Murray is lined up out vast. The Dolphins match this with their base protection and 4 linebackers on the sector, with one in every of them walked out over TE Dawson Knox. This creates a mismatch for TE Dalton Kincaid from the slot on a linebacker, and it’s a constructive acquire. Straightforward offense for a bunch that now can take the layups.
As well as, the Payments additionally stretched the Dolphins protection horizontally, forcing the linebackers and second stage defenders to cowl the flat areas earlier than hitting them over their heads. That’s precisely what occurred on the primary landing of the day, utilizing a Deonte Harty display screen as a decoy for Gabe Davis to search out the tip zone. It’s a terrific use of orbit movement to attract the eyes of the protection, and nice QB play by Josh Allen to promote the display screen then hit the TD with out dropping any additional time. Zero fats on the footwork.
Talking of Allen, he was in supernova mode for the complete recreation on Sunday, creating along with his arm and shopping for additional time along with his legs to hit passes that solely few within the NFL could make. On the primary drive of the sport, the Dolphins convey a blitz that simply barely will get by way of. Allen is fading away from the pocket on the correct aspect of the sector, however there’s a deep comeback route being run by Stefon Diggs on the left aspect of the sector.
Allen casually flicks this ball as he’s fading away to the left aspect of the sector and Diggs makes the catch for a primary down. It’s not a standard throw in any respect, however Allen makes it look routine. When he performs like this, the Payments are a juggernaut.
Like, what do you even do in opposition to this? That is Josh Allen going into Minecraft artistic mode and making a diamond sword. That is what Josh Allen has proven he can do at a really excessive stage, however getting the offense to hit the layups is simply as necessary as a lot of these performs.
Because the Week 1 loss to the Jets, Allen has been phenomenal. Per Professional Soccer Focus, he’s first in complete touchdowns and passer ranking, and the Payments have scored over 30 factors in each recreation. Getting Allen to take the layups whereas not forsaking the conventional Josh Allen shenanigans has constructed the Payments offense right into a wagon, and we all know that no person circles the wagons just like the Buffalo Payments.
