Bills vs. 49ers, Week 13 All-22 Review: LB Matt Milano’s return

0
San Francisco 49ers v Buffalo Bills
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Buffalo’s All-Pro LB makes his return after a lengthy hiatus

The anticipated return of Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano had been building for over a year. After suffering a significant right leg injury on October 8 of last season and enduring a ruptured biceps tendon in this past preseason, Milano’s journey back to the gridiron has been arduous.

Milano’s return for the Bills’ finally came in Week 13 — in a dominant victory over the San Fransisco 49ers. It was a major milestone for both the team and him, and a night when the team captured its fifth-straight AFC East division title.

While the elements and extended layoff made for a challenging reintroduction, Milano’s performance offered both encouraging moments and reminders of the time he’s spent away from live action. Let’s take a look at how Milano fared in his first game action in over a year! Just listen to how happy Bills Mafia was to have Matt Milano back on the field!

What did Matt Milano do in first game back?

Matt Milano logged 37 snaps in his first game back, which was 77% of the total defensive snaps. When the Bills went with their “Dime” package (six defensive backs), they took Milano off the field for Cam Lewis. In those 37 snaps, Milano recorded five total tackles. Besides the game being in inclement weather, BUffalo couldn’t have asked for a better game for Milano to return. Getting a manageable 37 snaps in a blowout victory was a fantastic way for Milano to knock the rust off.

Not everything was perfect, though. Milano missed a handful of tackles that led to big chunk plays, and he also looked hesitant at times when taking on blocks. We didn’t get the heat-seeking-missile version of Milano that we’ve been accustomed to, but he hasn’t played live football in over a year. He needs some time to return to form. Additionally, the footing during this game was treacherous, and everyone was playing a little slower than normal.

That being said, Milano did some good things, so let’s dive into his performance!

What does the film show us about Matt Milano?

Play 1

This was the first play of the game on defense, and Milano was in on the tackle! Nothing special but it was good to see him jump in on the action early.

Play 2

Maybe Milano gets back across the line of scrimmage in time to make this tackle if the footing was better, but it would have been a tough play. Milano let his eyes get the best of him and he over pursued too much on this toss-cutback play by the 49ers.

Play 3

Milano read through all the commotion in the backfield well and fit the hole perfectly. However, he seemed hesitant to go attack this block and close the hole. The 49ers blocked this play well.

Play 4

Milano saw the screen play develop before anyone else did and was the first man on the scene. I’m not sure if bad footing had something to do with it, but we’re used to seeing him fly in-between these blockers and make a tackle. On this play, he tried to tip-toe around the block and ultimately was taken out of the play.

Play 5

A quality “see ball, get ball” play from Milano here. The dump-off pass happened right in front of him, and he closed space quickly on the ball carrier, limiting the gain.

Play 6

Here’s one of Milano’s missed tackles in Week 13. It was probably the hardest of the three I saw, but it is one he’s expected to make. Fighting around the block makes it tough, but this ball carrier needed to be tackled here.

Play 7

This is an encouraging play to see from Milano. He read the play well, attacked the blocker with authority, and made the tackle with his injured arm. Milano didn’t look like he was holding anything back here due to his injury.

Play 8

A superb play — and it looked like Milano was on ice skates! He didn’t over-commit and shuffled back across the line of scrimmage to upend the ball carrier for a minimal gain. Great rep!

In summary

Matt Milano’s return to action was a positive first step in his comeback story. While some rust was evident, there were also glimpses of the All-Pro linebacker that Bills Mafia has come to know and love.

Returning against the 49ers provided a solid opportunity for him to find his footing, literally and figuratively. Buffalo’s defense will benefit from his presence — expect Milano to continue on his journey of working himself back into form as the regular season winds down.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post