Bills' defense adjusts for Stroud
PITTSFORD — The Buffalo Bills have tweaked their defensive scheme this year to try to take full advantage of their top new weapon, Marcus Stroud.
The last two seasons, the Bills’ two defensive tackles played distinct positions. Starter Larry Tripplett, who’s now in Seattle, played opposite the outside shoulder of the guard, usually on the left side of the defensive line. The Bills called that the three-technique position. Starter Kyle Williams played opposite the outside shoulder of the center, on the right side of the defense in what the Bills called the nose tackle position.
This year the Bills’ defensive tackles are going to be interchangeable. Whether it’s Stroud, Williams, John McCargo or Spencer Johnson, each could play the left side or the right side. Still, the left defensive tackle often will be in the “three technique” spot. The right defensive tackle most often will not play over the center; he will play opposite the inside shoulder of the guard.
Why? The main reason is those are the two alignments in which Stroud was used in Jacksonville the last seven seasons.
“We want to get as much production out of him as we can,” said Bills defensive line coach Bill Kollar. “Our parts are interchangeable, so we said, ‘Hey, let’s play him where he feels the most comfortable.’ ”
Stroud excels against the run. If the Bills plugged him into last year’s defense, he would have had to play on the nose, usually at the right defensive tackle spot.
“Obviously we’re hoping he’s going to end up being a big player for us, whether it’s versus the run or the pass,” Kollar said. “He’s obviously a little better in the run than in the pass. He played mainly on the left side in Jacksonville. So for us to say, ‘No, you’re not going to do that; we’re going to play you on the shade (the nose) all the time and you’re going to play a different side than you played on,’ that didn’t make sense to us.”
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Stroud made the Pro Bowl for the Jaguars in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He says the transition to Buffalo’s defense has been simple.
“I’m doing the same things I’ve always done,” Stroud said. “We played left and right defensive tackle [in Jacksonville], and I played either one. I’ll play on the center sometimes, too. It’s all football, and basically you have to do whatever you need to do to win your gap.”
The right defensive tackle, whether he’s playing directly across from the center or opposite the inside shoulder of the guard, is more likely to get double-teamed.
Williams was in that role most of the time last year. He likes the idea of splitting time between both spots. It means spending a little more of his time in the three-technique spot, which requires more penetration into the backfield and less hunkering-down.
“I think it’s better for me where I can move around and try to get up the field, as opposed to last year where I’m just taking on double team after double team every play,” Williams said.
“We’re going to roll guys in and out and keep them fresh,” Kollar said.
“Do you think we want to play Stroud 70 plays a game to where his tongue’s hanging out and he can’t do it? No,” Kollar said. “We’re going to keep him fresh so he can end up going like a bear. Every play we want you out there, we want you going full speed. If it’s 40 plays a game, that’s what we want. We’ve got other guys. It’s not like we can’t rotate. We’ve got enough guys to rotate this year.”
