And a big part of that vanishing pass rush -- certainly the biggest part on Sunday at the very least -- has been a big dropoff in performance from
Mario Williams, the team's most talented pass rusher. When the curmudgeon Doug Marrone was replaced by the ultimate players' coach in Ryan, it would have seemed somewhere between implausible and impossible to think that not only would Williams' motor fail to rev faster this season, but it would come very close to turning off completely.
On Sunday, Williams looked very much like he was barely trying. About halfway through the first quarter, I started just watching No. 94 on every Washington play. He seemed very happy on almost every passing attempt to end up 8 to 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, getting no closer to
Kirk Cousins than he had been before the snap.
Williams has expressed frustration with the Bills' scheme under Ryan, and appeared throughout the game to be acting out that frustration. In a different era and sport, you might have wondered if Williams was shaving points, engaging just enough to avoid drawing eyebrows on a crowded field where it's possible to avoid scrutiny.
It's difficult to be that harsh since we're never in an athlete's head -- and you never know when a player might be hurt -- but I encourage anyone who is interested to go back and watch the tape of Williams' snaps against Washington. Here are a few plays from the many where Williams might as well have just stood frozen at the line rather than going through the motions of a defensive end involved in a play, with GIFs mostly capturing what comes through clearly on the film.