Titans’ creative defense will baffle Josh Allen and Bills

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will be baffled by the Tennessee Titans’ creative defense.

Josh Allen’s is getting a degree in how to read complex defenses at the pro level. He’ll need extra study to decipher the Tennessee Titans’ creative D’ in Week 5.

Allen has faced a roll call of some of the most intimidating units in the NFL so far.

The Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback took his first snaps against the intimidating Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. He suffered five sacks and threw two picks the next week against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Week 3’s upset of the supposedly stingy Minnesota Vikings now looks like the first hint of how the NFC North giants may not merit the Super Bowl contenders tag.

Things were tougher last week as Allen and the Bills O’ were shutout against the Green Bay Packers. There is a silver lining for Allen after taking seven sacks and tossing two interceptions at Lambeau Field.

Playing the Pack is useful preparation for facing a Titans unit also based on moving parts, sophisticated pressure and disguised coverage.

Tennessee’s defense is exactly in the middle of the pack statistically. But the group has keyed back-to-back wins over the fancied Jacksonville Jaguars and defending Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Titans held them to less than 30 points combined.

Coordinator Dean Pees is one of the more creative minds in football. Pees’ creative leanings are best summed up by nine different players having logged at least one sack.

The Titans have been equal-opportunity quarterback destroyers because of the myriad of ways Pees designs pressure. Players are shifted around pre-snap, lining up in different stances and multiple alignments.

Offensive lines are being shown a labyrinth of looks, while the man under center is forced to guess where free rushers will come from:

Cracking the code is a difficult assignment for any signal-caller, but especially for a rookie.

Carson Wentz was an MVP candidate for most of last season but, the Eagles passer rarely found the answers last week in the Music City. The Titans kept him guessing as “Wentz took 11 QB hits, the 2nd most of his career (Week 13, 2017 vs Seahawks),” per the league’s official website.

Tennessee brings so much heat thanks to scheme and personnel. Pees can rely on a dominant inside rusher in Jurrell Casey, while Kamalei Correa is effective off the edge.

The combination of cutting-edge X’s and O’s and formidable physical talent will give Allen sleepless nights between now and Sunday. He’s playing behind an offensive line that’s already surrendered a league-high 21 sacks.

Pees will be looking at the number with glee as he crafts this week’s blitz packages.

The Bills would be wise to keep the ball on the ground. Running backs Chris Ivory and LeSean McCoy can test a Titans run defense allowing opposing ball carriers 4.9 yards per carry.

Eventually though, Allen will have to make the difference from the pocket, exactly where Pees and the Titans want him.