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Three Week 15 Plays You Need to Watch Again, Including the Bills’ Run Stampede
At this point in the NFL season, you typically see trends continuing. But occasionally, something happens that stuns.
This week, we had both scenarios emerge.
In Buffalo, the Bills shocked everyone by running the ball with ruthless efficiency in a blowout win over the Cowboys to keep playoff hopes alive.
With the Rams, we watched Cooper Kupp continue to dominate. At the same time, we saw the Commanders continue to play coverage at a shockingly bad level.
Then, in Green Bay, Baker Mayfield had one of the best days of his career. We highlight one of his four touchdown passes, in which Mike Evans shows why he’s a future Hall of Famer.
Let’s look at some of the most instructive plays of Week 15.
The Bills’ stampede all over the Cowboys
At Highmark Stadium on Sunday evening, Josh Allen threw for 95 yards. Surefire loss for Buffalo, right? Instead, the Bills won 31–10 over the Cowboys, as they rushed for an obscene 266 yards and three touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry.
Below, we see a 24-yard touchdown jaunt by James Cook (No. 4), who led all rushers over the weekend with 179 yards.
Presnap, we see Allen in the shotgun with Cook to his left. Tight end Dawson Knox (No. 88) is on the right side. Meanwhile, Dallas is in a brutal position to defend the run: The Cowboys have only one defender behind their four-man front with safety Markquese Bell (No. 14) in the box.
Considering Buffalo was facing first-and-5, leading 24–3 in the fourth quarter and having already rushed for 229 yards, Dallas’s alignment was curious at best.
On the snap, it was poetry in motion. Left tackle Dion Dawkins (No. 79) pulled with Allen handing off to Cook. Meanwhile, guard Connor McGovern (No. 66) climbed to the second level, while center Mitch Morse (No. 60) got a key reach block.
On the right side, guard O’Cyrus Torrence (No. 64) and tackle Spencer Brown (No. 79) combined for a duo block.
Just a half second later, Brown came off his double-team block to wipe out Bell, sealing the inside edge of a huge lane for Cook. Finally, look at Knox, who got a perfect seal on the other edge, walling off safety Jayron Kearse (No. 1).
In the end, Cook made safety Juanyeh Thomas (No. 30) miss with ease. Touchdown, and the capstone for an incredible evening.
You couldn't find a better example of blocking if you looked at every play from every team this season.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) December 19, 2023
Literal perfection from the Bills up front on this inside run pic.twitter.com/eN1dgkuNZc
Cooper Kupp burns the Commanders
A few weeks ago, we highlighted how atrocious Washington can be in coverage. This is backed up by the Commanders being dead last against the pass, allowing a staggering 264.8 yards per game through the air.
On Sunday, Washington tried to slow down a Rams offense featuring Matthew Stafford, Kupp and Puka Nacua. It didn’t go well.
The play below shows Los Angeles with a first-and-10 on the opening drive of the third quarter, leading 13–0. The Rams were running a two-man route, with Kupp coming across the formation at the snap. Washington was in a zone defense, with a single-high safety.
When Kupp went into motion, though, the Commanders had to communicate. The next few paragraphs prove that didn’t happen.
On the snap, Kupp runs vertically outside the numbers and along the boundary. In theory, the Commanders were in good position with three defenders to the left with a safety over the top. Considering there’s no route being run on the right-hand side of the field, that safety (Percy Butler, No. 35) should have been shading left.
Instead, Butler stayed between the hashes. What’s more troubling, though, is the lack of awareness for where Kupp is. There’s no double move by the former All-Pro wideout. He ran a straight go-route out of motion, and yet Washington turned him loose, largely because all three defenders on that side gravitated toward Demarcus Robinson (No. 15), who has 14 catches for 197 yards this season.
The result was a massive bust in coverage. With corner Ben St-Juste (No. 25) and safety Kamren Curl (No. 31) both sitting down, Kupp catches the ball with no defender within 20 yards of him. By the time Stafford hits the top of his drop, he knows even a middling ball means six points.
There's bad pass defense, and then there's this. Truly a master class from the Commanders. pic.twitter.com/eipMdTcDUd
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) December 19, 2023
Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield torch the Packers
The Buccaneers are 7–7 and leading the NFC South, thanks largely to their three-game winning streak.
On Sunday against the Packers at Lambeau Field, Tampa Bay got a phenomenal day from Baker Mayfield, who threw for 381 yards and four scores, posting a perfect QB rating. While there were myriad examples of why Tampa Bay thrived in the passing game, and why Green Bay’s defense needs work, the snap below shows it best.
On the play, the Buccaneers led 10–7 with a third-and-6 early in the second quarter from the Packers’ 19-yard line. Tampa Bay came out with trips left and Chris Godwin (No. 14) isolated on the back side. Green Bay matched with zone, sitting in a Cover 3.
This play comes down to timing, protection and Mike Evans (No. 13) running a filthy route. On the snap, the Packers pressured with four and got a decent push, but Tampa Bay was able to hold up. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers ran a concept designed to win against a single-high safety.
On the left side, Trey Palmer (No. 10) ran from the slot into the middle of the field, occupying deep safety Rudy Ford (No. 20). Underneath, tight end Cade Otton (No. 88) ran a quick out, holding corner Keisean Nixon’s (No. 25) attention. This essentially left corner Eric Stokes (No. 21) in man-to-man coverage with Evans.
Evans, being a wily veteran, ran vertically before bending outward, forcing Stokes to open his hips. Once Stokes did that, Evans cut hard inside, and Mayfield let it fly.
The end result is a 19-yard touchdown strike, putting Tampa Bay up 10 points on its way to a comfortable road win.
Ford kept his eyes on Mayfield and knew his intentions but couldn’t make up enough ground. Additionally, Stokes was finished once he opened up, and with Ford widened by Palmer’s route, the window was large enough for Mayfield to make a routine throw.
Great playcall by the Bucs on third down here, anticipating the single-high look.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) December 19, 2023
More impressively, though, is the route from Mike Evans. So subtle, yet so effective. pic.twitter.com/tbWU8vac6T
Matt Verderame is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated covering the NFL. Before joining SI in March 2023, he wrote for wrote for FanSided and Awful Announcing. He hosts The Matt Verderame Show on Patreon and is a member of the Pro Football Writers Association. A proud father of two girls and lover of all Italian food, Verderame is an eternal defender of Rudy, the greatest football movie of all time.