The Rams don’t need the blitz to dominate on defense and the Bills unleash chaos on the ground

Watching an NFL team click at full throttle is pure poetry - and the midseason stretch is when the rhythm sharpens, when both sides of the ball really start firing.

DAZN News’ Gavin Babbitt takes a closer look at two NFL units gaining serious momentum.

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Offense: Buffalo Bills

The Bills have scored fewer than 30 points only twice this season. Buffalo leads the NFL in rushing yardage per game (164.4) and is coming off a 40-point performance in Week 8. 

Josh Allen’s skill set unlocks this offense. A 235-pound quarterback averaging nearly eight yards per pass and nine yards per carry when scrambling does not come along often.

While Allen’s passing numbers are down from last year, his accuracy is up. His 68.0% completion rate is the second-best of his career, and he is in the top half of starting quarterbacks in touchdown throws (12). 

Allen’s genius is threatening teams with his arm, legs and physicality. His five rushing touchdowns are tied for the league lead outside of the running back position, with three coming on sneaks near the goal line.

James Cook is off to a great start as the feature back. He is second in the NFL in rushing (753) and leads the league in yards per attempt (6.0). 

The Bills’ offensive line is executing at the line of scrimmage to spring Cook. The Bills rank 25th in play-action usage (21.2%). When Buffalo’s formation shows run, they do, in fact, keep it on the ground.

Cook does the rest at the second and third levels. He is tied for second in the NFL in explosive runs (19) and has three touchdowns from outside the 20-yard line.

The receiving output for the Bills is diverse. Allen’s 12 touchdowns have gone to seven different players, including Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman. 

With Allen sharing the wealth, defenses are forced to spread out. This allows Allen to run often and complete easy throws; Shakir and Kincaid work primarily from the slot. 

This group squares off with the Chiefs on Sunday in the premier matchup of Week 9. 

Defense: Los Angeles Rams 

The Rams gave up a total of 33 points in October. Los Angeles is a top-five defense in scoring, sacks and yards per play allowed. 

This unit is excellent at stopping drives on third down and not conceding touchdowns. When teams drop back to throw on the Rams, they are met with quarterback pressure on the edges.

Jared Verse and Byron Young are both top-15 players in pass-rush win rate. Young is thriving in his third season and is tied for second in the NFL in sacks (10).

With Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner on the inside, this group is severely affecting quarterbacks’ ability to make plays on third down and in the red zone. All of this is coming without assistance from the blitz.

The Rams have been effective at stopping the run. Los Angeles is eighth in rushing yards per play allowed (3.9). Linebacker Nate Landman, Young and Verse are all in the top 30 in run-stopping tackles.

Safety Kamren Curl has been solid in the box, effectively adding to this front seven. Curl is tied for second on the team in tackles (43) and has no misses on running plays. The Rams are league leaders in rushing touchdowns allowed (two). 

None of the Rams’ starters at linebacker or in the secondary are being targeted more than 15 yards downfield. Los Angeles is taking away big plays. 

Being a low-blitzing team allows the Rams to drop seven players into zone coverage consistently. Opponents are gaining only 5.2 yards per play on throws against this defense.

Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens, Curl and Landman are the team’s top four players in coverage snaps. They have allowed three passing touchdowns, and matched that total with three interceptions. 

Look out for a big performance from this defense this week against the Saints.