Bills/NFL writer {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown have a pump-themselves-up saying they repeat to each other before every game. “Best duo in the world.
” Left tackle Dion Dawkins is a powerhouse blocker on the move in the Bills’ running game. Dawkins and Brown are together for a fourth straight season, and they could reach eight together now that Brown signed a contract extension three weeks ago. Brown is signed through 2029, Dawkins through 2028.
Are they the best tackle duo in team history? Not yet. That distinction belongs to Will Wolford and Howard Ballard, who played together for six straight years, including the first three Super Bowl seasons of the 1990s. Give Dawkins and Brown a couple of more good years together, however, and they could surpass Wolford and Brown.
But there is no debate about this: Dawkins and Brown are the most athletic tackle duo in Bills history. It’s one of the big strengths of the Bills’ offense. And it’s exemplified by one of the Bills’ favorite running plays: the tackle trap.
Right tackle Spencer Brown blocks Miami’s Jaelan Phillips as Josh Allen looks to throw during the Bills’ Week 2 victory over the Dolphins. Since early last season, the Bills have been taking advantage of the mobility of Dawkins and Brown by pulling them across the formation. If it’s Dawkins pulling, he takes out a linebacker or defensive back on the right side of the formation.
Brown and guard O’Cyrus Torrence seal off their men on the right side. Running back James Cook can follow the tackle through the hole, bounce it outside or cut it back weak side. The 320-pound Dawkins is a freight train as a puller.
Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer says Dawkins has “the biggest calves on the team, maybe in the league.” On the move, Dawkins is like the fastest, most supersized fullback in football. It’s no surprise, given the Bills shed six 30-something starters after last season – receiver Stefon Diggs, center Mitch Morse, defensive end Leonard Floyd, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
“I love it,” Dawkins said Wednesday of the tackle trap play. “My analogy is that play is like me catching a deep ball as a receiver. When I can get out in space, and I hate to say it, when the camera zooms in on me and everybody sees me and I’ve got to blow up the guy I’m pulling for, I see that as don’t drop the ball.
” Dawkins has proven himself to be one of the quickest, most physical tackles in the league. Brown is a freak of nature on the right side, because few NFL tackles who are 6-foot-8 can move with his fluidity. Coming out of college, Brown’s testing numbers for the 3-cone drill (6.
96 seconds), the broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches) and short shuttle (4.4 seconds) were among the best ever for tackles. “It’s a concept that a lot of teams don’t do, not because of knowledge, but they might not have the tackles that can do it,” said Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
“We are fortunate to have Dion and Spencer.” Kromer first used the play five or six years ago, when he was coaching the Los Angeles Rams, who had a likely Hall of Fame left tackle in now-retired Andrew Whitworth. “It was with Whitworth, and we handed it to the receiver,” Kromer said.
“We faked it across to the halfback and handed it to Robert Woods. We ran that four times a year as kind of a change-up play. When I started thinking about who we had once we got Cybo (Torrence) at right guard and we had Connor McGovern at left guard, these two massive human beings to block one on one and these tackles that could run like deer.
” “They run so well it didn’t make any sense to pull the guard,” Kromer said. “So we just continued to work on and find the reasons to run and the reasons not to run that play.” Consider the tackle trap an elite change-of-pace pitch in the Bills’ running arsenal.
Last season, they averaged running it about six times a game in the second half of the season, once Brady took over, according to Buffalo News charting. This season, they’ve run it nine times in two games, by The News’ count, including the opening play from scrimmage against Arizona. Cook gained 9 yards, following a Brown pull to the left.
Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass responds to the team working out two kickers on Tuesday. Will defenses get a handle on it? The Bills think there’s enough variation in the play to keep it a threat. The linebacker on the play side has to respect Dawkins barreling through the hole (or vice versa with Brown).
“Personally I would like it if he would follow me,” Dawkins said of Cook. “But the beauty of the play is he can go anywhere. I could be a distraction, I could be a gimmick, I could be this is the reason the play is going.
” The Bills gashed the smallish Dallas defense last year on the tackle-pull play 12 times for 110 yards, by The News’ count. “Last year, I think we had 10 different versions of the same play just to keep them guessing,” said McGovern. “Against Dallas, I think we ran the tackle play literally 12 times.
But we only ran it the same way twice. It was from different formations. Oh, it’s going to be a weak-side zone but then all of a sudden we’re pulling a tackle around.
” “Credit to Krom and the guys being able to adjust,” Brady said. “Hey, we have these type of offensive linemen, let’s run these type of schemes.” The Bills’ tackles are going to need to utilize every bit of their athleticism Monday night against Jacksonville.
The Jaguars might have the most athletic defensive end duo in the NFL in Josh Hines-Allen, who had 17.5 sacks last season, and Travon Walker, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft.
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