Buffalo Bills: Here’s what’s wrong with the running game

What’s wrong with the Buffalo Bills running game? Receivers not being able to block.

When you think of the receiving corps the Bills have, it’s not the biggest. Not that it always needs to be six David Bostons running routes for you. The current WR’s don’t exactly come to mind when you think of blocking at that position. In fact, it was one of the reasons Stefon Diggs wanted to leave Minnesota, as blocking for Dalvin Cook was becoming too cumbersome. Or in Diggs’ words, the Vikings were “dishonest”.

“(The Vikings) were kind of gearing towards a run-heavy (offense) at that time. I didn’t know it going in. I didn’t know it was going to be that way. They only would allow me to do so much. In my eyes, it wasn’t going to be in the best interest of my career.”

Now trying to infer if Diggs is really the reason to blame for the Bills’ lack of a run game is a whole different article in itself.

Getting back on track, a lot of times where the receivers are told to line up is most likely not going to help a run play. Formation rules are always going to need 7 men on the line of scrimmage at all times.  Usually, the X receiver is on the opposite side numbers of the TE.

So that’s one player pretty much out of the play unless Daboll asks for a crack-back or “pop” block that requires the X to travel a significant distance. That leaves two true players to make a difference- the slot (Y) and the TE.

Basic football knowledge will tell you any time a team bunches in on a formation with anyone, it’s probably going to be a run(see photo above). While this can be used to pass the ball, it is tricky as more defenders are closer to the QB. So it puts extra pressure on the WR’s to get out of their breaks on a defender.

However, this can be of great use, as WR’s can do a crack-back/ “crash down” block on an edge player. It can work especially if the defender isn’t expecting it, but defenses catch on fast. I don’t have access to every single snap the Bills ran last year, so if this already in place, maybe it just needs to be refined.

Or there need to be different run styles employed.