5 things that need to happen to keep Buffalo Bills' playoff hopes alive

5.) No longer send more than four defenders at the quarterback

When the Bills were on defense against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, there were a handful of times where the Bills not only blitzed four but as much as six and would still not get into the pocket to pressure Burrow.

This allowed the Bengals to have a free man down the field for a big gain against a banged up secondary. The Bills like to show different schemes but they have become predictable in recent weeks, making it easier for quarterbacks to pick them apart. 

While there is an understanding that the Bills have a ton of injuries on defense, this “next man up” mentality is not working and it is keeping the Bills in close games where they either just get by or end up costing themselves a potential win.

Moving forward, Sean McDermott will need to play more zone coverage on all three downs because there is no point in sending five or six defenders if none of them can get inside the pocket.