As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, and Jonathan will analyze the players.
Today, we are scouting the Buffalo Bills’ defense for Week 13’s game against Pittsburgh.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Bills Run Defense
Buffalo runs a 4-3 defense, though it can shift to a hybrid style in passing situations. In the past, the Bills have played almost exclusively nickel defense with CB Taron Johnson never leaving the field. That’s changed a bit now. On the season, the Bills’ run defense has been ugly. They’re allowing 148.9 yards per game on the ground, giving up 100-plus yards in nine of 11 games this year.
Per-carry is just as bad. Buffalo’s giving up 5.3 yards per attempt, 31st in the league. This figure is only behind the historically bad New York Giants, at 5.9. The only team in history with a worse figure is the 1934 Cincinnati Reds, one of my favorite teams to talk about. The 17 rushing touchdowns Buffalo’s allowed this year are tied for the NFL’s most, entering Week 13. The Bills have given up 48 runs of 10-plus yards this season. That’s also 31st behind the New York Giants. Injuries to the likes of DT Ed Oliver have been significant.
With injuries across the board, the leading tackler is rookie S Cole Bishop. Linebacker Terrel Bernard is second with 56, though he has missed two games and could miss another with an elbow injury. Rookie DT Deone Walker is making use of his rotational snaps with seven tackles for a loss. Although four of them came in mid-October and he hasn’t recorded one since.
Buffalo mixes up one and two-gapping. One notable aspect is how the Bills approach gap/power runs. The EDGE players are taught to “wrong-arm” the puller. The Bills also like to slant and scrape instead of trying to hold their gap. This is a similar strategy to the one that the Chicago Bears took against Pittsburgh last week.
Watch No. 97 Joey Bosa in this first clip here “wrong-arm” the puller as the linebacker scrapes over. This allows penetration and disrupts the run scheme, though it can still be overcome by the guard “logging” the puller and washing him inside. No. 57 does the same in the second example.
The Bills can be moved off the ball. Inside zone and duo might be the best approach this weekend.
The crack/toss game has brought mixed results, including a long run by Houston in Week 12.
Against a sixth offensive line look last week, the Bills deployed a 4-4. It will be interesting to see how they respond when Spencer Anderson takes the field this weekend.
Some other stats. Buffalo is giving up 22.9 points per game this season. That’s 17th in the league entering the week. But they’ve allowed 30-plus in two of the last three weeks. They are 13th in yards per game allowed (317.1). Situationally, the Bills are average on third down (37.9 percent) and in the red zone (56.3 percent), ranking 16th and 15th, respectively. They have missed only 62 tackles this season, a good number overall.
Bills’ Pass Defense
A much different and better story here. Buffalo enters the week as the No. 1 passing defense, giving up just 168.2 yards per game. They have allowed a low opposing completion percentage of just 60.9 percent (sixth-lowest in the NFL) with an equally low 6.7 YPA (seventh-lowest in the NFL). Buffalo’s also given up just 12 touchdown passes this year, sixth league-wide.
The Bills have allowed 30 completions of 20-plus yards. That’s tied for 1oth in the NFL, but Buffalo hasn’t allowed a single one in three of 11 games. So the Bills have truly clamped down at times.
Buffalo ranks seventh in pressure rate at 25.1 percent and 23rd in blitz rate at 20.3 percent. That’s a good place to be as a defense.
Joey Bosa leads the team with four sacks and 14 QB hits. He also has four forced fumbles, tied for the most by any defender in the NFL. This is his most since the 2021 season, with games to spare. Greg Rousseau is close behind with three sacks and 11 QB hits. But Buffalo statistically doesn’t have a marquee pass rusher, spreading out its pressure and 26 sacks.
In the secondary, Cole Bishop has come on strong after a slow start to the season. He leads the team with three interceptions and has seven pass breakups. Most of that production has come over the last month, notching six breakups and two interceptions. He has turned the corner.
Buffalo plays a good deal of quarters coverage, especially near the goal line. That creates moments like these “box” calls against bunch looks. Watch the Bills play 4-over-3 against the bunch using “first in, first out” rules to match it well.
In open grass, the Bills are more likely to play Cover 1/1 Lurk. This involves a robber, a safety, or a linebacker reading the quarterback to take away anything over the middle. Pittsburgh may continue its trend of staying away from that area of the field.
Buffalo isn’t a blitz-heavy team. They often show rush but will bluff and drop out. However, there are plenty of stunts and twists up front. Like many teams, the Bills will use this look with dual 3-techs, Wide 9s, and a “00” tech with a linebacker directly over and covering up the center to make it hard for him to slide and help.
The Bills defend trick plays well and aren’t easily fooled, stopping an attempted WR pass by Houston last week.
Last note. Buffalo is very responsive to motion and will follow it around the formation. You can get some good clues about man coverage from that alone.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Steelers now face the Buffalo Bills at home after both teams lost this past week. This puts pressure on both squads to come away with the win as the AFC playoff race intensifies.
The Bills currently rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to their defense. They rank 17th in the league in total points allowed and 13th in football in total yards allowed. They have an excellent pass defense, ranking top in the league in that area (168 YPG allowed). But they rank 30th in the league against the run, surrendering nearly 149 rushing yards per game.
Defensive Line
Ed Oliver suffered a torn bicep and is out for the rest of the season. This caused No. 92 DaQuan Jones to step up as the team’s top player on the interior. Jones is a big, strong presence on the inside who best excels as a run plugger. The long-time Tennessee Titan signed with Buffalo before the 2022 season to beef up the team’s defensive front. He is a steady player who is more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher, but has three sacks this season and plays with great effort up front.
Starting opposite of Jones is rookie No. 96 Deone Walker. He is a mountain of a man, standing 6-7, 331 pounds. Walker fell to the fourth round of the draft due to weight concerns. Walker has since lost 30 pounds since finishing college and has become a consistent presence plugging the middle and forcing double teams. He has 27 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack, and two pass deflections on the year.
Providing depth for Buffalo on the interior is a familiar face, No. 99 Larry Ogunjobi. He is in more of a rotational role for Buffalo, as is rookie No. 98 T.J. Sanders. No. 52 Jordan Phillips also sees time for Buffalo as a big run plugger on early downs, using his 6-6, 341-pound frame to eat space and occupy blockers up the middle.
EDGE
No. 97 Joey Bosa is in his first year with Buffalo after spending nearly a decade in Los Angeles with the Chargers. The often-injured Bosa has been able to stay on the field thus far for Buffalo. He has provided stout run defense on the edge as well as some pass rush juice. Bosa currently has 24 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and a career-high 4 forced fumbles. He is a name to watch up front on passing downs.
Opposite of Bosa is No. 50 Gregory Rousseau. The 6’6, 266lb pass rusher fell to the end of the first round last season after opting out of the 2021 season back at Miami. Rousseau posted eight sacks in two of the last three seasons and is up to three sacks and three tackles for loss so far in 2025. He utilizes his phenomenal length and impressive athleticism to keep blockers off his frame and win around the corner. Rousseau can also come across the blocker’s face to pursue the quarterback. He is a strong run defender as well, able to set the edge.
No. 57 A.J. Epenesa provides key depth as a big-bodied defensive end who can set the edge against the run and provide a viable pass rush thanks to strength and power at the point of attack. No. 56 Javon Solomon is notably smaller than the other pass rushers (6-1, 247 pounds). Still, he has plenty of juice and explosiveness, being able to rush from all over the formation for Buffalo.
Linebackers
No. 8 Terrel Bernard injured his elbow against the Houston Texans last Thursday and is a candidate for IR, making the chances of him suiting up in this game unlikely. Holding down the fort for Buffalo at linebacker is No. 58 Matt Milano, who has been a mainstay in their defense since 2017. Milano has often been injured himself, but when healthy, he’s great in pursuit of the football. His coverage skills have dropped off in recent years, but he’s still capable of running with eligible receivers as the captain of this defense.
No. 42 Dorian Williams will start in place of Bernard. Williams is an athletic run-and-chase linebacker in his third season out of Tulane. He has seven starts this season with 43 total tackles, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery. No. 45 Shaq Thompson came to Buffalo this offseason after spending 10 years with the Panthers and should see more playing time with Bernard’s injury. Thompson has 32 total stops (19 solo), three tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble. To provide depth and special teams value, the Bills have No. 44 Joe Andreesen.
Cornerbacks
No. 27 Tre’Davious White came back to the Bills after stints with the Rams and Ravens last season. He provides a stable presence outside for Buffalo. He has four pass deflections along with 30 total tackles and five tackles for loss this year. But White hasn’t recorded a pick since 2023 as an older defensive back heading into the twilight of his career.
No. 47 Christian Benford has developed into a starter after being a sixth-round pick in 2022. He has started 44 games the past four years for Buffalo on the outside. Benford hasn’t made much of an impact against the pass this season, but he is a capable coverage defender who competes on every rep while being a reliable tackler.
No. 7 Taron Johnson is Buffalo’s nickel defender. He is extremely feisty, excelling off the edge in blitz situations as well as near the line of scrimmage in run support. He has 36 total tackles (25 solo), one tackle for loss, and three pass deflections on the year, as a guy who should be accounted for. No. 39 Cam Lewis has seen some time in the slot for Buffalo as a sub-package defender and does a good job competing at the catch point as well as contributing on special teams.
No. 31 Maxwell Hairston has two picks in five games played, having missed some time at the beginning of the year due to injury. He rotates in a fair amount for Buffalo as a fast, aggressive cover corner, being the future for the Bills at the position. No. 46 Ja’Marcus Ingram also provides depth at corner for Buffalo.
Safeties
No. 21 Jordan Poyer came back to Buffalo this season after spending one season in Miami, filling in for the injured Taylor Rapp. Poyer has provided a stabilizing presence in the secondary, racking up 40 total tackles and two pass deflections as a seasoned veteran on the team. He possesses a playstyle to roll up in the box and make sound plays against the run, but his coverage skills have fallen off. Poyer has allowed three touchdowns this season on nine targets, having a 156.7 passer rating when targeted.
No. 24 Cole Bishop has stepped up in his second season, becoming a full-time starter and performing at a high level for the Bills. He has 61 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, seven pass deflections, and three interceptions. Bishop can play on the back end of the defense, using his length and range to impact passing lanes as well as fill in against the run.
Rookie No. 37 Jordan Hancock also spends time rotating in as well as contributing on special teams, as well as No. 28 Sam Franklin Jr.