How often will the Bills run a base defense against the Ravens?

Making the Case for Taron Johnson

Johnson was named an All-Pro in 2023 because of his versatility as both a run and pass defender. At 5'11" and 192 pounds, Johnson is powerful enough to shed blocks and athletic enough to patrol large areas in coverage and make tackles in open space.

It’s his effectiveness as a run defender that has kept him on the field at such high rates over the years. While there are many slot defenders who can cover opposing receivers, few can play in the box as effectively as Johnson on a consistent basis.

Making the Case for Dorian Williams

Before I analyze how often the Bills might incorporate Williams into their lineup, watch this breakdown from NFL Live's Dan Orlovsky on the Ravens offense.

Heading into Sunday's game, the question for Buffalo is: how often will they match size with size? Williams is clearly a much bigger and stronger player than Johnson, and the Bills deployed a season-high three linebackers on more than 25% of their defensive snaps during their Week 4 loss in Baltimore.

The Ravens wild card weekend strategy against the Steelers centered on running zone reads with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. For those unfamiliar with the play, its more common name is the read option. In this play, Jackson reads the EDGE defender: if the defender maintains the edge, Jackson hands the ball to Henry; if the defender crashes down, Jackson keeps the ball and runs it himself.

The Steelers plan was to crash their EDGE defender — limiting Henry's impact — while accepting Jackson's production with his legs. In this approach, the defense's second level is tasked with trusting their reads and maintaining sufficient leverage to contain Jackson.

All of this leads to the likelihood that the Bills will incorporate Williams into the mix when the Ravens use their larger packages (as highlighted in Orlovsky's breakdown). However, keeping the more athletic Johnson on the field will be crucial for containing Jackson when the Ravens operate out of the shotgun, where they typically run zone reads. In these situations, Johnson is also the better defender in coverage against formations where the Ravens are more likely to pass.

In the end, don’t expect the Bills to change their defensive philosophy for just one game. The team will likely keep Johnson on the field for the majority of snaps, as they should, but that doesn’t mean Williams won’t make an impact of his own.

To defeat one of the league's best teams — and most feared offenses — the Bills will need all hands on deck, and I expect that to be the case on Sunday night.

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