Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers: first half open thread

A warm http://www.thebillslockerroom.com/authentic-doug-flutie-jersey , sunny day is the backdrop for the beginning of the Josh Allen era with the Buffalo Bills. The team hosts the Los Angeles Chargers in their home opener today, and they will need to play much better than they did the last time these two teams met if they want to end the day with a .500 overall record.Last season, the Bills also started a rookie quarterback against the Chargers, except Nathan Peterman was forced to deal with a road crowd and a swarming defense featuring pass rusher Joey Bosa. The Bills lost that game 54-24. Allen will make his start in front of a home crowd, and Bosa will not play in the game.After a demoralizing loss on opening day to the Baltimore Ravens, where the Bills trailed 40-0 in the third quarter before ultimately falling 47-3, the team needs a quick turnaround this week. The Chargers lost last week, as well White Frank Gore Jerseys , falling to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-28. With neither team wanting to start the year at 0-2, this will be a hard-fought game from the start.Sit back, enjoy the comfort of your couch (or wherever comfort finds you), and come chat about the game with us, Bills fans! A story that’s definitely flying under the radar this week is that the Buffalo Bills will be starting newly acquired quarterback Derek Anderson against the Indianapolis Colts this week. Anderson has a few cards stacked against him this week and the anticipation is that the Bills will rely heavily on their running game. The logical counter by the Colts will be to muck up the running lanes with nose tackle Al Woods. The starting tackle hasn’t broken the 60% barrier in snaps this year, but may do so courtesy of the Bills “not quite perfect” quarterback situation. Play 1There’s a few parallels between the Colts’ defense and that of the Bills. Under that lens, Al Woods’ closest comparable player is Star Lotulelei. Like Lotulelei Frank Gore Jerseys 2019 , he’s often asked to occupy two lineman to create opportunities for others. On this play, Woods shows good aptitude for the job, making two Jets linemen back up nearly all the way to Sam Darnold. Play 2The play above is a great illustration of the role of a space eating tackle. Al Woods occupies two linemen and gets them to shift to his left. This creates a running lane but linebacker Darius Leonard is there to fill the gap. Without Woods, one of those lineman is there to spring Isaiah Crowell. Play 3If you’re looking for a good way to make a quarterback nervous it’s to win a two on three this cleanly. Woods gets low and with a little help from a friend, drives three Texans into Deshaun Watson’s lap. Play 4Al Woods needs to be accounted for when moving sideline to sideline. The Washington line flows right to block for Adrian Peterson. Center Chase Roullier seems to be moving Woods where he wants the nose tackle to end up. However, Woods plants a foot and cuts back. The entire time he’s been moving he makes sure to maintain enough space to disengage from the block. In an instant he’s made the tackle. Play 5Similar to the last play, Al Woods is able to disengage from his block and chases down the runner. Good lateral speed helps him close the distance and get in on the tackle. Play 6Indianapolis has Al Woods do this quite a bit. After engaging briefly in front of him, he quickly races to the edge. For this play White John Brown Jerseys , the pass is off before he can become a factor, but in general he is attempting to rush the passer when asked to make this move. While Woods has good speed for his size, this tactic has not been effective. By the time he gets to where he can be disruptive the play has usually already been decided. Play 7Al Woods is a solid player who can create some havoc at times. He is not a dominant force however, and loses this match-up due to simple leverage. Nick Martin pushes up on Woods and is able to stand the nose tackle up, making him a non-factor on the play. Play 8The Bills will have some opportunities to run assuming they can scheme around what the Colts will be up to. Our focal point Al Woods is making sure there’s space for his linebacker Anthony Walker to be able to shoot into whichever lane running back Lamar Miller chooses. A key block by the tackle sets up Miller to kick it outside while also closing Walker off from the play. In ConclusionAl Woods is a roughly 50% of the time player, but comes in to help stop the opponent’s rushing attack. With the Bills offense already being run heavy and starting a quarterback that required a good dusting before arriving, it’s a safe bet the Colts will lean on their run stopping unit. Buffalo will need to be mix it up to take advantage of running lanes around Woods. A few big gains like that in Play 8 will help give Derek Anderson the breathing room he’ll be looking for.