How can Buffalo slow down the MVP contender? Snow in forecast? How will weather impact the Patriots offense?

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Bills DEF vs. Drake Maye? Ninko joins!  How can Buffalo slow down the MVP contender? Snow in forecast? How will weather impact the Patriots offense? Advantage NE?  Offense might have the edge. Run Defense key!  Vrabel or McDermott- Who has the coaching advantage? Ninko joins! Is Sean McDermott the right coach for the Bills? One bad playoff loss, could he be on the hot seat? Could Bills go offensive-minded coach to maximize Josh Allen?

Transcript

00:00We'll face the Bills on Sunday.

00:02This is a big one, Rob Ninkovich, and I was going to ask you about,

00:07because you did it very well for a long time on the defensive side of the football.

00:14If you were this Buffalo Bills defense, what would you,

00:18and you've seen, you've got some tape now when it comes to Drake May,

00:22what can you do to try to disrupt him?

00:25Well, number one, you don't let him out of the pocket,

00:27because we've seen in the previous matchup where he made that beautiful throw

00:32on the sideline there to Diggs where he got out of the pocket.

00:35So really hard to cover in the secondary when you let your quarterback out

00:38and scramble around.

00:39So number one, you've got to crush the pocket.

00:42So keep him inside the pocket, make him throw from a phone booth.

00:46That's really your best way to go about not letting these plays extend as a defense.

00:54It's going to be one of them shootouts.

00:55I don't see this game going in a low-scoring affair.

01:00The over's like, what's the over shot, 49 or something?

01:03Last check, I thought it was 50, but I'll double check.

01:0550.

01:05Yeah, 50 and a half.

01:07Will that change, though, if weather's bad?

01:08Yeah, I was just going to say, I think we're going to get, what,

01:11six inches of snow maybe?

01:12Don't listen to what Curtis says.

01:13He has no way down.

01:14I just heard the professional over there, Curtis.

01:16Josh Allen and Joe Burrow just put up like 75 points in a snowstorm.

01:21It's actually a lot easier to throw in the snow.

01:24So when it's snowing versus raining, you get more tack on the ball.

01:29And what's the one benefit of playing offense that defenders don't have?

01:33You know where you're going.

01:34I know where I'm going.

01:35Oh, I'm running a 15-yard out.

01:37Okay, defender.

01:38Oh, he's on the ground.

01:39I'm wide open.

01:40See you later.

01:41So some of the biggest games that we ever had as an offense,

01:45the Tennessee Titans in October, I think we were 59-0.

01:50Chicago in Chicago, a blizzard, we destroyed them.

01:53You know, Tom put up some really big numbers in the snow.

01:55So that doesn't really bother me.

01:56Now, if it's wet, I think that could be a big change,

02:00difference in trying to throw the ball, trying to run the ball.

02:04Buffalo does average 157 yards per game on the ground.

02:08They got a really good running back.

02:09So the key to this game is going to be up front,

02:13making sure that they do not just run the ball, hand it off,

02:17and gain five to eight yards a carry.

02:20And you've been struggling against the run here of late defensively,

02:23so that's going to be something else.

02:24Is most of that Milton Williams being out, do you think?

02:26I think that's part of it, you know, and I think it's definitely part of it.

02:31And when you see, and Niko brings up a great point,

02:34like a team like Buffalo and Josh Allen,

02:38you can get 30 yards rushing off of a pass play because, I mean,

02:43what do you have, a 30-yard touchdown in that game?

02:45Then on third and 15, he rushed for another 20.

02:47So, you know, right there you're talking about this 50 yards in rushing

02:51that they're able to get just off of pass plays.

02:53We're not talking about James Cook and runs or maybe specific runs

02:58that Josh Allen keeps the football.

03:00So those are things, like Rob says, you have to make sure that you're –

03:04if you've got to take – you've got to take away that running game

03:06and limit as many rush plays that you can from Josh Allen.

03:11I think there was a play that Cincinnati was in.

03:14They were in man coverage, and they blitzed Josh Allen,

03:18and he stepped up in the pocket.

03:20And as he was running for a touchdown, there was guys in coverage

03:25chasing the receivers, and, man, they had no idea that he was even up

03:29running for a touchdown.

03:30Literally, they're glued on their guy.

03:32They're running down the field with no awareness.

03:35So it'll be interesting to see.

03:37I know the Pats play a lot of zone.

03:40Zone versus Josh Allen, there's pros and cons to that.

03:44The pros are you have vision on the quarterback.

03:46So when he does get up into the line of scrimmage and try to scramble

03:50for whatever, first down, your eyes are on the quarterback.

03:54But if you're in man, your eyes are not on the quarterback,

03:56so then you need a mirror.

03:58You've got to put a guy on the inside on Josh Allen.

04:00So who is the most athletic linebacker that we have that would mirror

04:04Josh Allen?

04:05You're going to have to have a mirror on him, especially on third down.

04:08If there is one, who has the coaching advantage?

04:12I think Vrabel.

04:13Yeah.

04:13Yeah, definitely Vrabel.

04:14So I still have some questions on the Buffalo head coach.

04:21Is he the guy?

04:22Yeah.

04:22He sucks.

04:23I think this is it for him.

04:24I mean, he's had a – I saw a meme on Instagram.

04:27It was like a Buffalo Bills fan realizing they wasted the last five years

04:31of a window to do something, and now the Patriots are back.

04:36They were screaming and crying.

04:37But for the amount of talent, especially last year, two years, the last two years,

04:43to lose to Kansas City in the fashion that they did, it's like, dang.

04:48I bet they go offensive-minded coach and next – and Curtis brings this point up

04:53all the time, which I think he's right about.

04:55If they don't go very deep into the postseason, I think you're like, all right,

05:00we're done with Sean McDermott.

05:01He's a defensive-minded guy.

05:02We still have Josh Allen in his prime.

05:05Let's go with somebody that can really, you know, make him stand out

05:10and do some great things.

05:12And I think you see an offensive guy go to Buffalo, you know, next year.

05:17It's hard to move on from a guy when you're in the playoffs.

05:19Yeah, no, I know it is.

05:21Nine, ten win, 11 win team.

05:22Yeah.

05:23I think the last –

05:23What's your excuse?

05:24Like, we just can't get over the hump.

05:26That's why we're moving on.

05:26Maybe.

05:26Similar to like a Mike Malarkey in Tennessee.

05:29Yeah.

05:30They had a stacked team.

05:31They went to the playoffs.

05:31They fired him, then they brought in Vrabel.

05:33Right.

05:34I mean, they're going to a brand-new facility next year.

05:37And this will be, if they fire McDermott, I mean,

05:39probably one of the most coveted jobs in football.

05:41Yes.

05:42To coach that guy, that team at this time.

05:44Yeah, that would be, you know, like a rabid fan base.

05:49And I think, just like in Pittsburgh, we have this conversation as, you know,

05:53Courtney's a Stalers fan.

05:54But the fans in Buffalo probably are done with Sean McDermott.

05:59Like, they probably, like, run – get this guy out of here.

06:02So, as an organization, it's not going to be, like, something where you're going to get a lot of pushback

06:07if you fire them, even if they make the postseason.

06:10Nick, quickly before you go, your first playoff game with the Patriots,

06:13our first playoff game overall was that awful one to the Ravens.

06:16Yeah.

06:16What does just getting to the playoffs mean for the development of the young guys on this team?

06:20Like, what – were you better the second time around?

06:21Did that help in any way?

06:22Was there anything that getting playoff experience benefited you or that team?

06:26Yeah, you realize how much more physical it is.

06:28It's almost like preseason or regular season, there's a big jump in physicality.

06:33But when it goes into the playoffs, it's almost like even more.

06:38Guys are more violent.

06:39They're trying to knock you out.

06:41They're hitting you harder.

06:43Everything counts more.

06:45One play here, one play there.

06:47You know, the first play of the game in 2009, I think Ray Rice hit his head on the goalpost.

06:50It was an 80-yard touchdown, so that was not ideal.

06:55But you learn that in the playoffs, it's one or two plays that can really change the outcome of the game.

07:02All right.

07:02I probably don't even have to ask, but you like the Patriots in this one?

07:06I do like the Patriots.

07:07I think Buffalo is pressing too much.

07:10And listen, they almost lost to Cincinnati.

07:12I know Cincinnati has Burrow back, and they had their receivers back, blah, blah, blah.

07:17But Cincinnati's not a great team, right?

07:20And they were going back and forth with Cincinnati.

07:22I think Buffalo is pressing, and Josh Allen has got the weight of the team on his shoulders.

07:28He's trying to do too much.

07:29That's why you see some of the interceptions.

07:30He's forcing passes, forcing certain things in a coverage.

07:34So I'm definitely going with the Pats.

07:37I think all three phases are better in a sense of understanding your roles, coaching, and execution.

07:45All right.

07:46You going to be there?

07:47I will be there, yeah.

07:48Okay.

07:48All right.

07:49Well, thanks for being here this morning, as always.

07:51Well, thank you.

07:51Can't wait to drive home for an hour.

07:55Awesome.

07:55Maybe stop and use a check somewhere.

07:57I will.

07:58I think you're going to pay something.

07:59Pay for your gas on the way home with a check.

08:00You can't.

08:00I don't think you could do that.

08:02You got the card for the gas.

08:03Go pick up some groceries.

08:05That's Rob Dinkovich.

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