Bucky Brooks' Scouting Report: Week 2 at Bills

Who’s the Guy?

Josh Allen is a perennial MVP candidate with remarkable tools as a dual-threat playmaker. The six-year pro is a “one-man show” for the Bills with elite arm talent, running skills and playmaking ability. With Allen capable of running around or over defenders, while also displaying the capacity to throw the ball over the top of the defense, the Raiders must always keep their eyes on No. 17.

Know His Name…

Diggs is one of the best wideouts in football. The three-time Pro Bowler is a crafty route-runner with a bag of tricks that makes him nearly impossible to defend without double coverage. Diggs routinely wins “50-50” balls down the field as a sticky-fingered pass catcher with exceptional hand-eye coordination. Given his shifty running skills and knack for playmaking, the Raiders need to have a plan to contain Bills’ WR1 on the perimeter.

Related Links

• Raiders-Bills Week 2 Injury Report: Jakobi Meyers ruled out
• Game Preview: Raiders get ready for second straight road game
• Versus: Which Raiders could step up against the likes of Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs?

Don’t Sleep On…

With Von Miller on the shelf nursing a knee injury, the Bills rely on Leonard Floyd to spark the pass rush. The veteran notched 1.5 sacks against the Jets in the season opener while flashing disruptive skills as a speed rusher. If the Raiders are forced to rely on their passing game extensively, the Bills’ veteran rusher could make a handful of plays that alter the game.

Under Pressure

The Bills need an interior pass rusher to emerge to alleviate the load on their edge defenders in the passing game. Ed Oliver flashes disruptive skills as a defensive tackle, but he has been unable to string together positive plays throughout the game consistently. That said, the fifth-year pro has 15 career sacks and is sneaky enough to create chaos at the line of scrimmage.

Matchup to Watch

Matt Milano vs. Josh Jacobs

The Bills’ Pro Bowl linebacker will likely play a ” cat-and-mouse” game against Josh Jacobs on Sunday. The instinctive tackling machine will roam from sideline to sideline, shadowing the Raiders’ feature back’s every move. Given the New York Jets’ success on the ground against the Bills in Week 1, Milano knows Jacobs will play a key role in the game plan in this matchup.

Offensive Strategy

Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey is trying to create an offense that meshes some new concepts with the old schemes Brian Daboll utilized to help Josh Allen and Co. flourish a few years ago. The second-year play-caller will mix in some heavy formations (multiple tight ends) with some spread sets to keep the Raiders guessing at all times. With the Bills featuring elite players at quarterback (Allen) and wideout (Diggs), the Raiders must keep the aerial attack under wraps to chalk up win No. 2 this week.

Defensive Strategy

Sean McDermott has taken over play-calling duties as the Bills head coach/defensive coordinator. The veteran defensive assistant will utilize a player-friendly scheme to ensure his blue-chip defenders have plenty of chances to make impact plays throughout the game. As a Jim Johnson disciple, McDermott does not mind dialing up pressures in key moments to help his defense get off the field with a critical stop. Although the New York Jets gashed the Bills for 170-plus yards on the ground, the Bills’ fundamentally sound defense will challenge the Raiders with its complexity and physicality.