Jim Kubiak: Josh Allen's best friend is the Bills' newfound rushing attack. Take a look
The 2024-25 Bills' newfound rushing ability is doubly dangerous to opponents when coupled with quarterback Josh Allen.
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills advanced to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs with their impressive 31-7 victory over the Denver Broncos, scoring 21 unanswered second-half points. And Allen’s performance was nearly flawless, as he completed 20 of 26 attempts for 272 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Some anticipated that the Broncos’ defense – ranked seventh in the NFL in total defense, first in sacks and third in scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and average rushing yards allowed (96.0) – would help the Broncos upset the Bills.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s answer was a power approach, negating the sack-leading pass rush of the Broncos by running right at them.
Teams cannot rush the passer if they are forced to stop the run, and Brady executed this formula to perfection. The Bills rushed 44 times on 72 plays, racking up a staggering 210 net rushing yards.
This philosophy also led to a lopsided time of possession, 41:43 to 18:17, allowing the Bills to run 30 more offensive plays while minimizing the time their defense had to be on the field.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hands off the ball to running back James Cook (4) during the first quarter at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News)
This 2024-25 Bills' newfound rushing ability is doubly dangerous to opponents when coupled with Allen, as he added another 272 passing yards for a total offensive production of 471 total yards.
As the wild-card game wore on, the Broncos’ defense was slowly suffocated under the continuous pounding, the third-down conversions (8 of 15) and Allen’s remarkable efficiency.
Allen played in only seven offensive possessions Sunday before being replaced with Mitch Trubisky to finish out the game – a testament to Brady’s power philosophy. The Bills stayed multidimensional, while the Broncos lacked the balance and ultimately the fortitude to catch up.
Here's how it all went down.
FIRST QUARTER
Play selection: 20 plays (nine passes, 11 runs)Allen: 6 for 9 passing, 49 yards; three carries for 19 yards
Performance grade: 90%
Score: Broncos, 7-3.
The Bills’ defense took the field first and gave up a long touchdown pass almost immediately to fall into an early hole 7-0.
Allen’s first drive of the game was impressive as Brady’s balanced attack (six runs, five passes) chewed up 5:29 of game clock on 12 plays. The result of the drive was a field goal as Allen was brushed in the pocket and missed this opportunity on second-and-7 from the 8-yard line.
1. Second-and-7: Josh Allen brushed in the pocket
The Broncos’ pass rush did an excellent job on this play of making Allen uncomfortable as they collapsed the pocket to the point that Dion Dawkins and Connor McGovern both brushed Allen as they were protecting him.
Both offensive linemen were able to keep their bodies between Allen and the rush, but not without giving up enough ground to bump into him.
This was excellent poise by Allen not to immediately leave the pocket. Watch as he looked left and then came back across the field to the right as the scramble began. The contact in the pocket definitely made Allen uncomfortable, and as he stepped up and to his right, he found a tiny hole just inside of Cody Barton. Knox could have had this had he settled, but he kept moving, anticipating that Allen would throw him open toward the inside of the field. On most days, this disconnect would have been a touchdown, but the uncomfortable nature of the contact, in my opinion, caused the hiccup.
Allen followed with a high incompletion on the next play, and the Bills settled for a 27-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.
The Bills’ defense forced a punt, and Allen had the ball back in his hands with an opportunity for the Bills to take their first lead of the game. Allen led a monstrous 13-play drive that continued into the second quarter and devoured 7:35 from the game clock in the process.
This drive-starting play was brilliant by Brady and perfectly executed by Allen. Watch as the tight end traded motion from one side to the other, and then the orbit-action by Curtis Samuel influenced the defense.
2. First-and-10: Josh Allen tight end delay to Dalton Kincaid
This is how to help a great quarterback such as Allen be efficient. This may look like an ordinary play, but it is not. With the tight end trade, Dalton Kincaid changed the strength of the formation. Next, Brady creatively used "11" personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end) to make it look like "21" personnel (2 running backs, 1 tight end) with Curtis Samuel in the backfield.
The magic here goes beyond that, however, as the protection was a play-action that pulled left guard David Edwards. These elements made the play feel like a run to the Broncos' pass rushers – but here is where it got good.
Brady used the right running back, Ty Johnson, to run a go through the hole Edwards vacated and down the field, clearing the path for Kincaid’s tight end delay. Kincaid blocked for a two-count before he released across the field and underneath Johnson. The Broncos’ defense was effectively tricked into thinking it was a run, then was overloaded with two right-side receivers flooding an area to Allen’s left.
This was an unusual, creative, and highly effective design for Allen to help the offense build momentum on the first play of the drive.
Two plays later, on another first-and-10, Brady called this power running play from "21" personnel (2 backs, 1 tight end).
There was no play in this game that personified the Bills’ will to win and their desire to impose that will than this Herculean effort by the entire offensive line to carry James Cook for an additional 14 yards after he had been stopped. It was almost unreal to watch as a pile of linemen pushed, fought and carried Cook across midfield. The Broncos’ defense could not stop the avalanche of rushing power and the refusal to go down.
This set the tone and established a dominance that was projected for the remainder of the game.
Pass rushers can be virtually erased from the game when they are being overwhelmed with a power rushing attack.
3. James Cook and the offensive line display the will to win
Cook is a tremendous inside runner, with the electrifying ability to pick his way in traffic and accelerate through the smallest of openings. Here, Reggie Gilliam blocked linebacker Nik Bonitto as he came off the edge, and O’Cyrus Torrence pulled around and up into the hole for Cook.
The Broncos had 10 players at the line of scrimmage to stop the run, but they were overwhelmed by a ferocious Bills mindset to pound the football with raw power. Nothing fires up offensive linemen than a play like this, when they break the spirit of the opponent who cannot stop the momentum.
As the clip gets toward the end and Cook goes to the ground, watch the emotion of Spencer Brown. This was an important motivational point in this game with the Bills behind 7-3.
One could feel the tide about to turn in the Bills’ favor.
There were other key plays by Allen on this drive, including a 9-yard scramble, a third-and-3 run and a smart third-and-5 completion that all highlighted the theme of this game: patient, smart, power football.
Allen protected the football and never reached for more than what the defense was giving. The result was, like a heartbeat, the consistent thumping of the defense all the way down the field.
SECOND QUARTER
Play selection: 15 plays (three passes, 11 runs)Allen: 3 for 3 passing, 24 yards; 3 carries for 16 yards; 1 sack
Performance grade: 100%
Score: Bills, 10-7.
As the second quarter began, Allen continued this prolific, signature Bills drive with this smashing quarterback sweep on third-and-3.
The Broncos, whose pass rush was a concern coming into the game, were thinking about stopping the run.
4. Josh Allen QB sweep
Allen ran this sweep with abandon, and the Brady scheme and the overall execution was outstanding. The Samuel motion forced an adjustment that made it easier for Edwards and McGovern to seal the inside defenders. This gave Allen a great cutback lane, and he reacted to it.
Dawkins pulled as Mack Hollins cracked down on the edge rusher, Bonitto. This was a play that demonstrated Hollins' physical play, as well as the athletic ability of every player on the Bills’ offensive line. They win at the point of attack and climb to the linebacker level, making it possible to gain the first down.
In general terms, running the quarterback gives the offense an advantage of all 10 remaining players as blockers, opposed to nine potential blockers if the quarterback hands off. This is what the “wildcat” philosophy is about – using a running back as the quarterback and gaining one more blocker. Using Allen in these situations, within reason, made the Bills’ rushing attack nearly unstoppable.
Watch as Allen delivered a blow to Justin Strnad, who is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds. Allen was bigger and stronger than Strnad and hammered him as he tried to make the tackle. Allen is as fearless and ferocious a runner as there is in the NFL.
Cook ran for the Bills’ go-ahead touchdown on the next play to take the lead 10-7. This drive – only the Bills' third offensive possession of the game – took the wind out of the sails of the Broncos’ defense as they were physically dominated.
The Broncos later faked a punt for a first down, extending their possession. This could have been a turning point in the game. The Broncos' drive stalled, and as a result, the Bills had to start on their 1-yard line.
If the Bills’ offense had faltered in this backed-up situation, it could have resulted in a safety and possession change. This was a well-played strategy by Denver coach Sean Payton, but Allen, Brady and the Bills’ offense handled it beautifully and powered their way on 11 plays, chewing up 6:36 of the game clock.
The Bills punted, leaving the Broncos with only 1:52 in the quarter from their own 7-yard line. This was due to an excellent punt by Sam Martin and coverage by Hollins.
Through a poised and prepared offensive strategy, the Bills took what could have been a game-changing situation and flipped the script. Allen and Brady took a starting position on the 1-yard line and gave it back to the Broncos on their 7 while draining more than 6 minutes off the clock. This was a reflection of Allen’s growth as a player, understanding exactly what his role was in surviving the adversity.
The Broncos missed a long field-goal attempt before halftime, which kept the Bills' lead at 10-7.
There were no turnovers in the game to this point. Allen completed 9 of 12 attempts for 69 yards and was without a touchdown or interception, but his management and execution were nearly flawless.
The Bills’ offense ran 11 more plays (35 to 24), nearly doubled the time of possession (19:40 to 10:20), and outrushed the Broncos 128-44. The game was closer on the scoreboard than it was on the field as the Bills were consistently exuding the power and strength that would eventually make the difference.