Listed at 228 pounds, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been a tackling machine for San Francisco, Tennessee and now Houston. What he lacks in weight, he makes up for in full-field athleticism.
Two weeks ago, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans assigned Al-Shaair 鈥渟py鈥 duties on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
On five Bills third-down snaps, Al-Shaair didn鈥檛 blitz, drop into zone coverage or track a tight end or running back. His eyes always were on Allen, who was 0 of 5 passing when spied on third down, and Al-Shaair had two quarterback knockdowns.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a tremendous athlete,鈥 Bills center Connor McGovern said. 鈥淭hey would keep him in the box to spy Josh and then if something happened late, he might add onto the rush.鈥
The New York Jets sprinkled in some Allen spying in Week 6, but did the Texans provide a blueprint of sorts for future Bills opponents? Maybe, since it worked. Maybe not, because not every team has a player like Al-Shaair. And maybe not as Allen will find ways to beat it.
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The cons of using a spy on Allen?
鈥淏y taking a defender out (of coverage), it creates 1-on-1 matchups outside,鈥 Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said.
If the opponent uses a spy, Trubisky said options to get him out of position include using motion and crossing routes that run right by him. But it is up to the perimeter players to get open for Allen. If they can't, Allen will be forced from the pocket to throw the football away or attempt a low-percentage pass.
Bills backup linebacker Nicholas Morrow said he has never been the spy, but watching from the sideline the last two weeks, he noticed a spy being used against Allen.
鈥淚t comes down to a few things,鈥 Morrow said. 鈥淚f you want to have a four-man rush and have a spy, you鈥檙e taking away a guy who can drop into coverage. If you want to rush three and have a spy, you give the quarterback a two-way go 鈥 he can (escape) left and right.鈥
What has Morrow seen work?
鈥淭he most effective way is if you can rush four, play the spy and play man coverage,鈥 he said. 鈥淏y playing man coverage, it makes it easier to plaster (cover) and that gives time for the rush to get there or for the spy to get there and force the quarterback into a decision.鈥
The Jets appeared to use two spies on a third-and-goal play from the 8-yard line. Linebackers Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams were aligned side-by-side and their eyes never left Allen. At the snap, receiver Mack Hollins worked over safety Ashtyn Davis from the right slot and got open behind Sherwood/Williams on a skinny post.
Had Sherwood and Williams been used traditionally, one or both would have retreated toward the end zone and maybe taken away Hollins as an option.
Trubisky made the best point about trying to spy Allen.
鈥淓ven if they are spying him, the (linebacker) still has to make a play, and I like our guy over theirs,鈥 Trubisky said.
Quick kicks
1. Talking with Raiders. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said after practice Thursday he had 鈥渃onversations about various things,鈥 with the Las Vegas Raiders, chiefly receiver Davante Adams.
鈥淢y gut was they were never interested in eating money, which they didn鈥檛 (with the New York Jets),鈥 Beane said. 鈥淚f they were interested in doing that, they probably could have gotten some more (in return) from us or somebody else.鈥
The Jets gave the Raiders a third-round pick for Adams. Later Tuesday, the Bills acquired receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.
2. Morrow鈥檚 milestone. Morrow played 14 special teams snaps against the Jets in his 100th career regular-season game.
鈥淚 actually didn鈥檛 know that,鈥 he said of the milestone. 鈥淪hoot, coming from where I came from (undrafted from Division II Greenville University), that鈥檚 exciting. A cool thing and a cool milestone. A lot of work. I鈥檓 actually humbled by it.鈥
Morrow鈥檚 100-game totals: Fifty-eight starts, 466 tackles, seven sacks and three interceptions.
3. Red zone defense. The good news for the Bills鈥 defense is they rank ninth in red zone work (45.5% touchdown rate). The bad news is they鈥檙e in the red zone often 鈥 the 22 possessions by the opponent are tied for fifth-most.
The issue鈥檚 root: Big plays allowed. Opponents have 45 explosive plays (17 rushes of at least 12 yards and 28 completions of at least 16 yards). In the last three games, the Bills have allowed 15 plays of at least 20 yards.
The Jets were 1 of 4 in the red zone on Monday (two field goals, one touchdown and one missed field goal). Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 3 of 8 passing for 13 yards (one TD).
4. Draft watch. No. 5 Georgia (5-1) plays at No. 1 Texas (6-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC). Longhorns defensive tackle Alfred Collins (No. 95) is listed at 6-foot-5 and 329 pounds, and the Bills should be on the lookout for a young interior lineman to join Ed Oliver, DeWayne Carter and DaQuan Jones. Collins has played a whopping 53 college games (101 tackles). In six games this year, he has 14 tackles and 1陆聽sacks.
I asked Beane for his pick as college football鈥檚 best team.
鈥淧robably, I would say Texas,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been Georgia (the last couple years), clearly. They鈥檙e still really good and can win the title, but I don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e a notch above this year.鈥
5. Extra points. Bills receiver Khalil Shakir was napping Tuesday afternoon when the Bills completed their trade for Cooper. 鈥淢y wife woke me up because if I sleep too long, I鈥檒l be up all night,鈥 Shakir said. 鈥淪he said, 鈥楪et up. Also, you just traded for Amari Cooper.鈥 I was stoked. I鈥檝e been fortunate to play with some good receivers and I鈥檓 excited to watch him in action and learn from him.鈥 鈥 Bills tight end Dawson Knox grew up in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tenn. His favorite Titans player growing up? 鈥淚 loved (safety) Blaine Bishop because of how hard he hit 鈥 I got his signed gloves when I was a kid,鈥 Knox said. 鈥 The Bills鈥 offense has been called for 22 enforced penalties, but only two have been inside the 20-yard line. 鈥 The Bills鈥 plus-8 turnover differential is second-best in the NFL (Green Bay, plus-9) and they rank tied for seventh in takeaways (10) and tied for first in fewest giveaways (two). 鈥 The Bills鈥 defense has had 26 run 鈥渟tuffs鈥 (gain of 1 or fewer yards not including goal-line/short-yardage) in the last three games.