Inside The Bills

Days of playing off coverage over

Too many times under previous defensive coaching staffs, the Bills cornerbacks often played entirely too much ‘off coverage’ giving opposing receivers sometimes a 10-yard cushion. The result was Buffalo getting dinked and dunked all the way down the field for eventual points. That isn’t the case anymore.

Thanks to the film reviewers and stat crunchers at ProFootballFocus, Buffalo’s two starting cornerbacks rank in the top 5 in the NFL in terms of cornerbacks that are in press coverage the most. Here’s the PFF chart.

The only reason Williams numbers are lesser than those of Gilmore is because Williams has rotated in and out of the lineup through the course of games with Terrence McGee. But with an improved pass rush, Buffalo knows opponents will try to get the ball out fast. Putting their corners in press coverage can take away the quick underneath routes and force opposing QBs to hold the ball just a bit longer thereby providing a better chance for the pass rushers to get home.