Mike Dussault

All four starting defensive linemen graded in the positive against the run, led by DT Vince Wilfork ( 3.6) and DE Rob Ninkovich ( 2.4). Wilfork had his way with left guard Colin Brown as he maneuvered him into running lanes and consistently pushed him back at the point of attack. He set the tone for their battle at the 10:18 mark in the first quarter and never looked back. Ninkovich was often the player being targeted by Manuel’s option action in the backfield, but he still managed to get in on seven tackles, including six stops. He always seemed to be ready for whatever the Bills threw at him, whether it was taking a great angle to cut off the flat route to C.J. Spiller with 4:12 to go in the third, or having the awareness to shake WR Stevie Johnson’s back side cutoff in order to get in on the tackle on the first play of the fourth quarter. Ninkovich appeared to be one step ahead of the Bills on Sunday.

The Bills disguised their pressure really well with their zone blitzes, often showing big blitz but then rushing only four or five defenders. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, listed at 331 pounds, was surprisingly nimble when dropping into coverage, and played the role of QB spy on a half-dozen snaps. They also showed a “sugar” rush on a handful of snaps, in which each player in the front seven began the play in a two-point stance, making it tough to determine who was rushing the quarterback. The offensive line’s performance looked much better on the film than it felt at the game. The line opened several big holes for Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen up the left middle behind Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell, and Nate Solder. Vereen had runs of 19, 20, and 21 yards, and Ridley had a 20-yarder, all to the left-middle.