Why Mitch Morse might be the key to Sean McDermott’s demands for physicality: Bills All-22 film review

In one of their most significant games of the year, under the microscope of a prime-time game, the Bills suffered a frustrating loss to the rival Patriots, putting their division title hopes in peril. The result has created quite the moment for the Bills in upcoming weeks — either they rebound to get back in the division race, or they continue their inconsistent trend with their playoff hopes in question.

The task doesn’t get any easier in Week 14 with the Bills traveling to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. Before the Bills head to Tampa, let’s take a deep dive into what went wrong against the Patriots.

Each week using the coaches’ film, The Athletic grades every individual Bills player based on how they performed. You can find the full explanation for the grades at the end.

What stood out, and which individual performances helped lead to the loss? Here are five takeaways from the film.

1. Mitch Morse’s downward trend and what it means

Through the Bills’ first seven games of the season, even with some uneven play at guard and tackle, center Mitch Morse remained a constant source of great play. His pass blocking was excellent, to the point that some thought he was playing at an All-Pro level. It was hard to disagree, given how good he looked on film and how the pass-first Bills were humming along. With a 3.11 GPA, Morse was one of the highest-graded players on the teams over that span and easily the top offensive lineman on the roster.

However, the Bills’ trip to Jacksonville started a negative trend. It was the first time an opposing team turned the passing offense into an inefficient unit, as the Jaguars dared the Bills to run and the Bills had no counter. It began the Bills’ desire to get the ground game going a bit more, and they tried a lot of different blocking and rushing principles to accomplish it.

That brings us to Morse, who remains a good pass blocker and is an asset in run blocking schemes centered on athleticism. However, if the Bills are insistent on being more physical than the opponent with power run schemes, as they did at times against the Patriots, Morse will likely struggle. That was the case on Monday, as Morse easily had the worst game of his season and was a liability as a run blocker. He even showed some struggles as a pass blocker against bigger defensive tackles, which isn’t usually the case. Either way, the Bills needed a great deal more from Morse in a bad-weather game, where winning at the line of scrimmage was at the top of head coach Sean McDermott’s mind after the game. Over the last five games, Morse has a 2.42 GPA, and his season-long grade has plummeted. So it is fair to wonder what this means going forward, similar to last season when things unraveled with Morse.

It all depends on the philosophical debate between McDermott, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and general manager Brandon Beane over what they want their offense to look like. It is abundantly clear that McDermott craves physicality at the line, establishing the line of scrimmage and the threat to run. Morse remains an imperfect fit for that and took a pay cut last offseason to stick around in 2021. Morse now has one year remaining on his contract. If the Bills want to rework their offensive line in the offseason to get more physical, which seems quite important to McDermott, they could move on from Morse.

On top of that philosophical reasoning, the team could save $8.5 million by releasing Morse ahead of the new league year in March, which would go quite far in bringing back some impending free agents. Morse is still a good starting center in the league, and in a scheme that suits him, he can be an asset. However, with the offensive line’s struggles and the battle over how they want it to look, we could be in for some interesting decisions this offseason, with Morse as the first of many decisions they’ll need to make.

2. The Bills toyed with the idea of going nickel after the big run

Until Damien Harris broke through the Bills defense for his big 64-yard touchdown run, the Bills were doing a great job against the Patriots’ heavy personnel. They allowed only 2.1 yards per play over eight rushing attempts and were on the verge of forcing a three-and-out for the third straight drive.

As we saw, the Bills got way too comfortable and the Patriots popped them for a huge play. A.J. Epenesa didn’t take the fight to the crashing blocker and was taken out of the play, which opened up the chances for a cutback. A blocker completely controlled Tyrel Dodson, to the point that it signaled the deep safety, Micah Hyde, to crash toward the outside to help. On the back side, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano were there initially for the cutback but failed to fight through two blockers heading their way. All of those individual lapses led to a game-changing play, and the Patriots did it with a sixth offensive lineman on the field — the reason Dodson was on the field in the first place. It’s fair to wonder how differently that play would have gone had A.J. Klein been on the field rather than Dodson.

Bills nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (Ryan Kang / Associated Press)

It’s no surprise that two things happened on the next defensive series, one from each team. First, the Patriots went right back to the ultra-heavy formation with a sixth offensive lineman, sensing an advantage. Before that play, the Patriots had six offensive linemen on three of eight plays. After the touchdown run, they used it on 29 of their remaining 41 plays. The Bills also made a switch in the immediate aftermath of the big play. On the first two plays, with the Patriots running six offensive linemen, the Bills sacrificed size to get an experienced player they trusted. Dodson watched from the sideline as the Bills returned to their identity with nickel corner Taron Johnson on the field. The Patriots gained first downs on each play, averaging 11.5 yards per play. The Bills returned to Dodson any time the Patriots went with a sixth offensive lineman from that point forward.

With or without Klein, the Bills should expect to see more of these concepts to get Johnson, one of their best defenders, off the field. The Bills should consider putting in a waiver claim for former Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham or try to sign him if he clears waivers. He’s an excellent run defender, and it would significantly help their depth for those situations. (Cunningham reportedly was claimed by the Titans after this was written.)

3. The Patriots took advantage of Spencer Brown

The Bills badly needed rookie right tackle Spencer Brown to return to the lineup to help steady their offensive line. Brown being in the lineup shifted Daryl Williams back inside to right guard, and his performance improved significantly. Dion Dawkins had a great bounce-back performance at left tackle as he did not allow a single pressure in pass blocking.

Interestingly enough, after being a strength in many of his starts, Brown turned into a weakness against the Patriots. Brown struggled with some physicality as a run blocker, got caught oversetting in pass blocking and took a bad holding penalty on a third-down play that would have kept a drive alive. Performance dips are to be expected of an inexperienced rookie, especially one in his first game back after a multiple-game absence and working against one of the best defenses in the NFL. However, his worst game helped contribute to the Bills’ woes on offense and their inability to get ahead in a crucial game.

4. Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano failed the physicality test

“Physicality” has become a bit of a buzzword after the Patriots game, but it’s hard to ignore the Bills’ struggles with it. In a game in which the Bills couldn’t show off their pass coverage prowess, they needed a lot more from Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano. The team’s top two linebackers have been among the top-performing players all season, but both struggled to hold their spots and get off blocks. Milano certainly had difficulties but charged forward late in the game by playing into his hunches and shooting the gaps to create a pair of negative plays for the Patriots.

Those plays never came for Edmunds, who was constantly lost in traffic and even put off balance by blocking opportunities. Edmunds has taken a big step forward in this area this season, but there’s no doubt that he took a step back Monday night. I didn’t mention Edmunds in my postgame observations because it’s difficult to judge linebackers in a run-heavy game. The film showed that he really struggled, and they needed more from him.

On the flip side, if there’s one Bills defender who stood out for all the right reasons, it was strong safety Jordan Poyer. His level of intensity in crashing into blockers, forcing rushers back inside, securing tackles and filling running lanes made him into the best Bills player on the field, and it wasn’t particularly close.

5. Should Zack Moss have bounced his run outside?

By now, most Bills observers have seen the Zack Moss run near the goal line that many were clamoring for him to bounce outside. It certainly appeared that way from a broadcast angle. Moss struggled with his vision and making the right reads consistently before that play, so it’s not out of the question that he missed a massive opportunity. However, the beauty of the coaches film is that you can put yourself in the player’s position to see what they were seeing. I thought it was prudent to put all of us in Moss’ shoes on that play.

(NFL Game Pass)

We’ll begin with the handoff. Moss gets the ball, and straight ahead of him, the linebacker is ready to take the run away. Just to his right, Spencer Brown (No. 79) has his defender controlled, and Mitch Morse (No. 60) has what seems to be something to work with against his defender. Right guard Daryl Williams also is bearing down on the linebacker to create a running lane to Moss’ right.

(NFL Game Pass)

As Moss makes his cut to the designed hole, he could see Brown still in control, Morse with relative control of his block, the linebacker cleared out because of Williams and a clear lane to the end zone. Even though another defender charges hard from the outside, Moss probably liked his chances to power through a smaller defender. There was a clear path to the end zone, or just short of it. From this point, the play unraveled, which wasn’t Moss’ fault.

(NFL Game Pass)

As Moss is about to sprint forward, the Patriots defensive tackle throws Morse aside and immediately clogs the lane — which is part of the issue with Morse in this scheme. There wasn’t much Moss could do at that point but to try to power forward for as many yards as he could.

NFL Game Pass

I included this last frame of the run because of cornerback J.C. Jackson (No. 27) to the right of the tackle. If Moss had indeed broken the run outside as the broadcast angle suggested he should have, Jackson would have been there in run support and likely would have stopped the runner short. Not to mention, Moss does not have the proper speed to the edge, and running east-west too often is part of the reason for his inconsistency in the first place.

Since entering the league, Moss has struggled with his decisions, but despite that and mistakenly writing that he should have bounced it out immediately after the game, I don’t fault him for putting his foot in the ground and running forward. The blocking appeared to be there, creating a clear path to the end zone. So if there’s anyone to blame on that play, it’s Morse, not Moss. If Morse holds that block, Moss might have been the hero of the evening.

Bills All-22 grades vs. Patriots (Week 13)

Rank	Player	Pos.	Grade	Play Count	Snap %
1	Jordan Poyer	S	A-	51	100.00%
2	Dion Dawkins	LT	B	58	100.00%
3	Dane Jackson	CB	B	51	100.00%
4	Micah Hyde	S	B	51	100.00%
5	Harrison Phillips	DT	B	33	64.71%
6	Mario Addison	DE	B	18	35.29%
7	Boogie Basham	DE	B	21	41.18%
8	Gabriel Davis	WR	B	16	27.59%
9	Daryl Williams	RG	B-	55	94.83%
10	Eli Ankou	DT	B-	18	35.29%
11	Star Lotulelei	DT	B-	27	52.94%
12	Greg Rousseau	DE	B-	23	45.10%
13	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	B-	46	79.31%
14	Stefon Diggs	WR	B-	55	94.83%
15	Ed Oliver	DT	B-	23	45.10%
16	Devin Singletary	RB	B-	28	48.28%
17	Jerry Hughes	DE	B-	25	49.02%
18	Ike Boettger	LG	B-	58	100.00%
19	Matt Milano	WLB	C+	51	100.00%
20	Taron Johnson	CB	C+	22	43.14%
21	Tyrel Dodson	MLB	C+	27	52.94%
22	Zack Moss	RB	C+	24	41.38%
23	Levi Wallace	CB	C+	51	100.00%
24	Cole Beasley	WR	C+	40	68.97%
25	Josh Allen	QB	C+	58	100.00%
26	A.J. Epenesa	DE	C	16	31.37%
27	Tremaine Edmunds	MLB	C	51	100.00%
28	Dawson Knox	TE	C-	56	96.55%
29	Spencer Brown	RT	C-	58	100.00%
30	Mitch Morse	C	D+	58	100.00%

Players with fewer than 15 snaps:
TE Tommy Sweeney (13), RB Matt Breida (7), OL Ryan Bates (4), G Cody Ford (3), LB Tyler Matakevich (2), WR Jake Kumerow (1)

Active players without an offensive or defensive snap:
QB Mitchell Trubisky, RB Taiwan Jones, OT Bobby Hart, LB Andre Smith, LB Joe Giles-Harris, CB Siran Neal, CB Cam Lewis, S Jaquan Johnson, S Damar Hamlin

Inactives:
(Total games inactive in 2021 while on the active roster)
DE Efe Obada (6), DT Vernon Butler (5), WR Isaiah McKenzie (2), OL Jamil Douglas (2), WR Marquez Stevenson (1), FB/TE Reggie Gilliam (1)

The core:
(Position players that play the core-four special-teams units of kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return)
RB Taiwan Jones (94 percent), WR Jake Kumerow (94), LB Tyler Matakevich (94), LB Andre Smith (94), LB Joe Giles-Harris (94), S Jaquan Johnson (94), S Damar Hamlin (94), LB Tyrel Dodson (67) WR Gabriel Davis (50), S Micah Hyde (33), RB Matt Breida (22), S Jordan Poyer (22), CB Cam Lewis (17), DE Jerry Hughes (6), DE Mario Addison (6), DT Star Lotulelei (6), DT Harrison Phillips (6), LB Tremaine Edmunds (6), LB Matt Milano (6), CB Levi Wallace (6), CB Dane Jackson (6), CB Taron Johnson (6)

2021 Bills All-22 Grades, Week 13

Rank	Player	Pos.	GPA	2021 Snaps	Last Week
1	Micah Hyde	FS	3.38	710	2
2	Stefon Diggs	WR	3.36	658	1
3	Tre'Davious White	CB	3.23	629	6
4	Josh Allen	QB	3.20	781	4
5	Jordan Poyer	SS	3.20	670	8
6	Tremaine Edmunds	MLB	3.17	559	3
7	Matt Milano	WLB	3.16	602	5
8	Star Lotulelei	DT	3.14	262	7
9	Taron Johnson	NCB	3.10	584	10
10	Ed Oliver	DT	3.08	427	12
11	Jerry Hughes	DE	3.07	394	13
12	Greg Rousseau	DE	3.05	385	14
13	Gabriel Davis	WR	3.04	302	15
14	Dawson Knox	TE	2.98	558	11
15	Spencer Brown	RT	2.91	343	9
16	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	2.90	657	17
17	Cole Beasley	WR	2.86	517	18
18	Mitch Morse	C	2.85	787	16
19	Zack Moss	RB	2.85	320	19
20	Dion Dawkins	LT	2.81	795	21
21	Harrison Phillips	DT	2.81	281	22
22	Levi Wallace	CB	2.80	683	20
23	Dane Jackson	CB	2.75	180	NR
24	Mario Addison	DE	2.75	314	24
25	A.J. Epenesa	DE	2.72	264	23
26	Devin Singletary	RB	2.67	412	25
27	Jon Feliciano	LG	2.64	430	26
28	A.J. Klein	LB	2.57	249	27
29	Vernon Butler	DT	2.33	221	29
30	Tommy Sweeney	TE	2.33	245	28
31	Daryl Williams	RG	2.31	789	30
32	Ike Boettger	G	2.29	468	31
33	Cody Ford	G	2.06	415	32

How the standards work

Every Tuesday, when the All-22 film becomes available, we’ll watch every player on every play as many times as necessary to assess letter grades. It is a subjective analysis, and it’s important to note we do not know the play calls and full responsibilities. The grades stem from technique, effort and presumed liability.

The study accounts only for players who take a snap on offense or defense. Players with fewer than 15 snaps — unless they significantly affect the game — will not factor into weekly rankings. Season-long grades will be tallied and documented, with a single game’s grade weighted based on how much the player was on the field in a given week.

(Top photo of Devin Singletary: Barry Chin / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)