Kurupt's weekly plea for pass rush help
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 1:27 PM EST
60 comments
Good day all. In this week's edition of Kurupt's desire for a pass rush overhaul, we will be assisted by Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News. Thanks for stopping by today, Mark. Your information is greatly appreciated.
The Bills finished 14th in the NFL in both yards allowed and points allowed. That was a big improvement from 2007, when the Bills were 31st in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed.
However, the No. 14 ranking does not tell the whole story.
The defensive improvement in yardage allowed was nice on paper, but really, it didn't help us become that much better of a defense. Going from 18th to 14th in points allowed was a negligible change, as we allowed 354 points in 2007 and 342 this past year. That's not much of a difference at all, my sources indicate. Digging a little deeper, the stats really aren't that much better:
In 2007, the atrocious Bills run defense allowed 124.6 ypg, 4.4 ypc, and 15 TDs. How much of an improvement did we see this season? None whatsoever. In 2008, the Bills run D allowed 121.6 ypg, 4.3 ypc, and 18 TDs. OUCH. So, I guess our pass D was the catalyst for the statistical improvement, eh? I suppose that can be believed, though it's hardly convincing:
In 2007, the Bills passing D yielded 238.4 ypg, 7.0 yards per attempt, 19 TDs and an 81.1 passer rating, all on 567 attempts. (Keep in mind that Tom Brady's monster stats were part of these stats, as well as his once-healthy knee.)
In 2008, the Bills pass D allowed 204.4 ypg, 7.0 ypa, 14 TDs and an 83.2 passer rating, on 492 attempts.
Oh snap, our pass D wasn't any better this year. The YPG stat is improved because of 75 fewer attempts. Heck, passer rating allowed went up, and INTs were almost cut in half (18 to 10). Ouch again.
So despite some solid additions this past year, Mitchell, Stroud, maybe Johnson, Poz and McKelvin, this D was not better at all. Well, what's the constant? Besides the scintillating coaching, the lack of a pass rush and talent at DE remained in place. I really think this is what is holding the D back from showing significant improvement, especially through the air. How bad has it been though? And how bad is it in comparison to the teams around the league?
Need more proof? Keep reading. It gets better.
The Bills were not truly a top-half-of-the-league defense, because they tied for 28th in sacks and tied for 20th in takeaways.
....Dominant defenses make big plays. The Bills combined for 46 sacks and takeaways. That ranked tied for 29th — third from the bottom.
Yes, yes indeed. 24 sacks this year? 26 last year? Zoinks! 22 turnovers this year, after a respectable 30 last year. How can we allow this to continue? What is the best way to fix it? A PASS RUSH! The best teams can get after it, can force the big plays defensively:
Nine of the 12 teams that made the playoffs ranked among the top 12 in defensive "big plays." Pittsburgh combined for 80 sacks and takeaways, Philadelphia 77 and Tennessee 75.
Drink that in for a second. Those teams averaged about 2 more defensive "big plays" per game. That is quite significant, if you ask me. I can't envision us closing that type of gap any time soon, but there's no reason this off-season can't involve improving that number by one big play per game, while building for even bigger things in the future.
The Bills need more pass rush from the defensive line and more ball-hawking from the secondary.
Random obvious comment inserted.
Obviously, the loss of sack leader Aaron Schobel for the last 11 games was a huge blow. His replacement, Ryan Denney, shared the team sack lead with linebacker Kawika Mitchell. Both had four sacks. It was the Bills' lowest team-leading sack total since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Kelsay had just two sacks.
Did the loss of Schobel really hurt that much? We had 10 sacks in the 5 games he played, 14 in the 11 he didn't. 2 per game against 1.3 per game. Both numbers are atrocious. Take out the 5 sack anomaly against Seattle and in the other four games in which Schobel played, we saw 1.25 sacks per game. Same as the rest of the season. The loss of Schobel was an obvious blow to the D, but our pass rush didn't suffer. Remember those 26 sacks in the 16 games last year, when Schobel was healthy? He's as big of a part of the problem as anyone.
Of the Bills' 24 sacks, 17 came on plays in which they blitzed, according to Buffalo News figures. There were just seven sacks with a straight, four-man rush.
Oh my. OH MY! That's beyond pathetic. I think myself, Brian, sireric and jri111 could produce those type of sack numbers. If this stat isn't an indictment of the DE play and the terrible job the FO has done of wasting money at the position, I don't know what is.
The Bills blitzed on 32 percent of pass plays, by News count.
Ugggggghhhhhhhh.
It was only the third time in team history that the Bills did not get one interception from a safety. (The others were in 2002 and 2003.)
Shot to the heart. And we drafted Donte Whitner in the top 10 for what? At least in 2003, we somehow had the #2 D in the league.
At least we have two areas to build on:
• Third downs. The Bills improved from 29th to ninth on third-down defense, holding foes to 36-percent success in those situations.
• Red-zone defense. For the second straight year the Bills ranked fourth in the NFL in preventing teams from scoring touchdowns once they got inside the Buffalo 20-yard line.
Those are good numbers, no arguments there. Imagine how much better we could be on 3rd downs if we had a pass rush? Imagine the increase in turnovers?
And the obligatory Chris Kelsay garbage:
"I'd say our run front is shored up to a degree," said defensive end Chris Kelsay. "Obviously one thing we need is to generate more pressure on the quarterback. I'm sure we'll take steps this offseason to get that accomplished, whether it's the draft or free agency, or with the guys we have here."
Sorry, Captain, the run D really didn't improve all that much. I'm hopeful those steps towards finding a pass rush will involve you finding a new team. At least it should. Kelsay, your contributions these past few years after the big contract are pretty much criminal. You are STEALING money from the franchise!
***
A pass rush is what this defense is missing most. The run D is poor, and obviously still needs work, but our D could be so much better and so much more opportunistic with some pass rushers. The D's improvement this past year is like saying I upgraded my car from an '89 Grand Am to a '91 Grand Prix. In other words, on paper it looks a little better, but overall, there's still a long ways to go. Getting faster and more talented along the DL will really go a long ways towards making this defense playoff caliber...
This FanPost was written by a registered user of Buffalo Rumblings. Its views do not necessarily reflect the views of Rumblings' editorial staff, but are just as valued as our own.
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Well done, sir.
Rec’d (Yes, I did read the whole thing). How long until you print all these out and mail them to OBD?
John Madden told me 90% of the game was half-mental...
by TheK-GunNeedsReloaded on Jan 12, 2009 1:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'm going green
I don’t want to waste all that paper for nothing!
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Good point
Perhaps send it via telegraph for Ralph?
John Madden told me 90% of the game was half-mental...
by TheK-GunNeedsReloaded on Jan 12, 2009 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think Wilson would be more comfortable getting the delivery via Pony Express.
by Ron From NM on Jan 12, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You are absolutely right, of course. This is a very deep draft for DE’s. OBD should give serious consideration to using two picks at that position. Or one DE and one DT. I did not realize we blitzed so many times. Shows how desperate we were to generate ANY kind of pressure and it makes everyone else’s job that much harder. Another stat that catches my eye is the difference our D makes in and out of the red zone. Yet another solid argument for the needed pass rush.
BTW how much do you want for the "91 Grand Prix? haha
everything goes better with a BIG MACK
by keuka121 on Jan 12, 2009 1:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Without a Doubt
this is the most critical need of the Bills. A pass rush from the front four would improve the performance of the other seven players on defense. It would provide opportunities for more turnovers and game changing plays by the “D”. Not to mention the help it would provide to the"O" in the form of additional time of possession and improved field position. Every else being equal, if we could somehow get some people up front that could put legitament pressure on the QB we will be in the playoff next year.
by gjv on Jan 12, 2009 2:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Rec'd
DE is certainly the most pressing of the defensive needs and it’s at least as important to the defense as an upgrade C is to the offense. I’m not sold on DE being more important than C in terms of the overall team….but that’s an arguement for the next 3 months.
by Ron From NM on Jan 12, 2009 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
DE is far more a need than C
The Bills were able to run the ball and pass block with the current center. As a matter of fact I believe with a year under his belt, Preston will be our most improved player on the O-Line next year. However we have not been able to muster a pass rush from our front four for the last six years. This has put alot of pressure on the remaining seven “D” players. As I said earlier, if we can find people who can play the D-Line the way it’s supposed to be played, we will get to the playoffs without any other improvement. Not to say that I would not like to see upgrades at TE and WR.
by gjv on Jan 12, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You're a funny man.
At least I hope you weren’t being serious. Preston has no business starting at any position on the OL on the Bills or any other organization. (I wonder if the Patriots would take Evans on the sole condition that they had to take and start Preston every game….) He has had YEARS to improve and simply hasn’t. Preston was called out by Levy when he was the starting guard…and promptly lost his job to Butler. Preston took over for the ineffective Fowler and didn’t represent any kind of upgrade. I have to believe that the Bills will enter camp with a new starting center, Fowler off the roster and Preston—at most—clinging to a roster spot as a desperation reserve. As it looks unlikely that the Bills will be able to get a starting quality FA center the draft is the only option.
We can argue C vs DE all day long. The simple truth is that Buffalo needs both. When I look at the Bills’ games I don’t see many losses due to defensive ineptitude. Instead, I see a lot of losses due to offensive ineptitude—specifically the ability to dominate time of possession via a consistent power running game and/or run out the clock. That doesn’t take away from Kurupt’s point that the defense really needs pressure from the DE position—pressure that’s just not going to come from anyone on the roster.
by Ron From NM on Jan 12, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Imagine if we had drafted Jason Brown, like most Bills fans wanted at the time, instead of Preston. Sometimes I do think that the fans are smarter than this front office….UGH!
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 9:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with every single word of this. Great write up K.
by kaisertown on Jan 12, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Maybe the Bills should spend every single one of their pics on DE pass rushing specialists...
Of course the Bills would be the only team to miss on all the draft picks though probably.
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Jan 12, 2009 3:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think myself, Brian, sireric and jri111 could produce those type of sack numbers.
It must be said that I feel like I would be the best pass rusher of the four of us. I would simply hide behind Brian and when he got flattened by the blocker I would come in untouched. Stealth my friends…stealth.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Jan 12, 2009 3:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If Damion McIntosh can paste two defenders in less than two seconds, then I’m confident your stealth would be violently eradicated, my friend.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 12, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That is where your ability to take on blockers comes in. When he runs you over you have to drag him down to the ground to clear my path.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Jan 12, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Haha, wait, am I Chris Kelsay in this scenario? Because I am NOT cool with that.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 12, 2009 6:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hey man, I’m much older than you, I’m a little on the fragile side these days. You don’t want me getting hurt do you?
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Jan 12, 2009 7:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
rec'd
Kurupt,
Love seeing an article like this with facts to back it up. Really brings it all together for me. Undoubtedly we need a huge improvement at DE and improvement from our coaches in their scheme to generate pressure, and from our LB’s at getting to the QB when they do blitz. I think it is a combination of both. But we don’t have guys that win one-on-one battles much, and to be honest our scheme is so damn vanilla. Do you see all the stunts the Steelers run? It’s insane. Ever play is some twisting among the DL. And Baltimore….they overload one side constantly after pre-snap disguise. I’m not arguing that they don’t have far superior DL talent, cuz they do, but I also think for us to see more sacks, pressures, QB hits, TO’s, we need a more attacking scheme, and 2-3 more guys in the front 7 that can execute it
MARVelous
by MARVelous on Jan 12, 2009 4:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Im all for
best DE at #11, but I honestly think we have to splash it up in FA to really significantly improve this defense from average, bend but don’t break to above-average and an OPPORTUNISTIC defense. With guys like McGee and McKelvin back there to intercept tight throws and then return them to the house, our secondary is fine, we just need the hogs up front to make it happen
MARVelous
by MARVelous on Jan 12, 2009 4:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
McGee and McKelvin could become ALL-PRO’s if we had a real D-Line.
by gjv on Jan 12, 2009 4:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sweet Post
This was awesome K!
Some things the Bills could do to address these problems would be:
1. Draft Brian Orakpo (DE Texas), Everette Brown (DE Florida), or Michael Johnson (DE GT) in the first round.
2. Draft or trade down for Peria Jerry (DT Ole Miss.) late first or early second round.
2. Draft Jarron Gilbert (DT/DE San Jose St.) in 3rd or 4th round.
3. Resign Angelo Crowell. Angelo is physical and can blitz.
The problem with my tips listed above is that many of the players are rookies. So, results might not be immediate.
by buffaloboy90 on Jan 12, 2009 4:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If we don't get immediate results, fine
as long as we get sustained results afterward. I don’t want a one year fix, I want to build our lines into team strengths. I want them to be units that are feared by the opposition.
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Baby steps K
I would settle for somewhat worrisome in 09, as opposed to the current state in which O-linemen get a good night sleep before facing the Bills.
Great read rec’d.
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
by Joe P. on Jan 12, 2009 6:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
excellent article
If Buffalo drafts another defensive back in the first round this year, they can drop off the face of the earth as far as I’m concerned. They should draft nothing but linemen in the first two rounds of the draft for the next five years and admit the mistakes they’ve made in the past. Spending bick bucks on bums like Kelsay and Dockery has set this franchise back immensely and the sooner Buffalo starts rebuilding these two failed units, the sooner an honest rebuilding effort can take place. Since 2009 is a waste of time before it even begins thanks to the inner circle, finding a pass rush for the next coaching staff is probably the most constructive thing we could hope to see this laughingstock of a team accomplish over the next 12 months.
The passing of the torch is finally complete.
by Benjamin Salem on Jan 12, 2009 4:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sad
but true. I feel you on the lost 2009 already. With a tough looking schedule and the same garbage in place, I really don’t have hope for this upcoming season. I will remain hopeful for the long term though, and we can really build for that this year with a strong, trenches oriented draft….
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Great work K.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
by sireric on Jan 12, 2009 6:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'm joining you in you Plea man !
That’s really good post. This numbers can show us the truth about this defense. Seeing the playoffs we can come back with the old cliche, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIP. I really hope the “losing” circle who runs the team, can make all the possible to bring some pieces to make this defense excels next season.
In my onion they should:
1. Bring the best LB avaliable, in my opinion the guy is Karlos Dansby.
2. Draft Everette Brown, or Orakpo, I prefer the first one because e has all the tools to become amazing and the second only has all physical tools;
3. With 3rd and 4th draft DT and another DE maybe, someone said Jarron Gilbert i like him at this point of draft.
Others possibilities are resign with greer for a good price and trade McGee for more picks, but i really don’t think they will trade him for good picks higher than 3 round, in this case not worth
This is only my opinions, you guys fell free to disagree! As you I only hope we get better team for next season!
by hightower_mc on Jan 12, 2009 7:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I would go after Bertrand Berry hard in FA after I cut Kelsay. That would give us a decent veteran pass rush option while Ellis (hopefully) and Brown/Orakpo/other rookie get their feet wet.
A mid round DT is almost necessary as we’ll only have 3 on the roster once McCargo is let go….
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 12, 2009 9:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I would be shocked if McCargo isn’t at least brought back into training camp.
by kaisertown on Jan 12, 2009 10:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Why??????
If we can’t do better than McBusto (another nickname), you know….like a FA or late round draft pick, we are not trying. Bring him to camp I guess……our new Center will need a punching bag!!!!
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
by Joe P. on Jan 12, 2009 11:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not saying DT isn’t a need or that McCargo is a lock or even has a decent shot to make the team. But he is under contract and at a fairly modest 800K salary. You bring 80 players into camp (is it 70?, I suddenly can’t remember). Why on Earth would Buffalo cut McCargo before camp starts.
Wasn’t it just last offseason that everyone was talking him up, guessing he would replace Williams in the starting role and would have a really productive season? I think if McCargo’s hugely dissapointing 2007 can somehow motivate to have a great offseason and he can come back to camp in shape and ready to work, then he can be a great 4th DT.
by kaisertown on Jan 13, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That would be great
but is it something the Bills should rely on? Should they not bring in another DT somewhere, that if McCargo does falter again, we would have a 4th DT? I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I don’t see how the Bills can expect anything out of McCargo going forward now. I’d love for it all to come together for him….
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 13, 2009 12:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. I’m not saying DT isn’t a need. I’m merely informing the world that barring a trade for a late round pick or him showing up for OTAs in even worse shape then last year, he will be on this roster when August roles around. People are always so eager to cut players before they have to be cut. It’s the same reason Robert Royal will still be on the roster on August 1st. There is simply no reason to cut him until the final roster decisions.
by kaisertown on Jan 13, 2009 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m merely informing the world
HAHA, I like that. That might become the preface to most things I say at work.
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 13, 2009 1:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
great read K...
i love numbers. I love arguments supportted by numbers! good work sir (as well as to Mark Guaghan)!
John I.
by jri111 on Jan 12, 2009 9:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
the common thread with teams that make it this far in the playoffs...
Is obviously being able to generate a powerful pass rush, often with just four guys. I also find it hilarious that Kelsay is the one to comment on the teams lack of pass rush and saying how the offseason should be able to fix it. Yeh it will get a hell of a lot better once we replace you.
Don't forget to pay the troll toll...
by evdawg419 on Jan 12, 2009 10:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
FA
i prefer FA for DE. a lot of people here were obsessed with gholston last year. i thought he disappeared against good competition in college. he obviously did in the nfl. maybe he will turn it around, but a large percentage of highly touted first round DE picks don’t pan out (or at least take a few years). i realize a lot of positions dont pan out (see v davis at TE below), but the rate seems higher at WR and DE. maybe this is just in my head.
if they are in love with somebody that falls, that is fine. otherwise i prefer to get a speed rushing DE in the second or third (maybe ellis will be ready next year) and pick up a young-ish vet as well. take a tackle, TE, or backer in the first.
with hardy out 6-9 months from right meow it looks like we are back to square 1 at receiver and TE (outside of scuba steve). disappointing to say the least.
by jmorris0823 on Jan 12, 2009 10:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
LOL
“Scuba Steve” ….. First time I have heard that one……I love it!!!!
Brian – We have got to start a list of player nicknames. Peters is “Dough Boy”, Poz, Scuba Steve, Leo, Beast Mode, Action Jackson, King of CAC, Turk-key, ? Who else am I forgetting? Panda is not on the team yet.
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
by Joe P. on Jan 12, 2009 10:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
haha I like it...
Scuba Steve…DAMN YOU
I like Fast Freddy for Jackson…because his name is actually Freddy unlike Jonathan Smith was (who wasn’t fast either)
Don't forget to pay the troll toll...
by evdawg419 on Jan 12, 2009 11:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Good post K !
You know my feeling on this, I would like to see Suggs in a Bills uniform next season.
But you touched on two very important points:
Pittsburgh combined for 80 sacks and takeaways, Philadelphia 77 and Tennessee 75.
It’s no surprise that these teams don’t do this crappy tampa2 crap, they create pressure by blitzing everything but the kitchen sink and they often rely on their DBs & LBs to play man2man. I don’t disagree with you that we badly need to upgrade our crappy Defensive Ends but even more important is that we need to trust our DBs to play man and through some wrinkles at them! Which bring me to the second important point:
The Bills blitzed on 32 percent of pass plays, by News count.
I don’t have any stats and have not researched it but I’d be willing to bet that Philly & Pittsburgh blitz well over 50% of pass plays, and they mix things up a lot, they keep it fresh. Us we blitz Mitchell, that’s it! I know Youboti shot in on a few plays but why don’t we see Poz shooting in or Whitner, these guys should be more involved in creating these pressures instead of always sitting back in prevent mode!
BEAST MODE, During the week plan on it & on game day thrive on it!
GO BILLS!
Section 336 Row 13
by keysh67 on Jan 12, 2009 11:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Actually I don’t necessarily think that its the percentage of times the above teams blitz that makes a difference. In fact, the Titans barely blitz. The Steelers and the Eagles don’t blitz as much as you might imagine either. These teams have one thing in common however- they spend a lot of draft capital on the D-line.
Most of the Eagles line rotation for example has been drafted in the last few years: Victor Abiamiri (2nd 2007), Brodrick Bunkley (1st, ’06), Trevor Laws (2nd, ’08), Mike Patterson (1st, ’05), and Trent Cole (5th, ’05).
The Titans have drafted 13 D-lineman since ’02, including 5 (!) in ’04. Not mention picking up a few contributors in FA.
The Steelers picked up two explosive pass rushers in ’07 by taking Woodley and Timmons in the first two rounds, despite it being seen as a position of strength.
by PozDispenser on Jan 13, 2009 12:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I understand what you are saying PD and you are right, Philly really invests a lot of draft picks on their D-Line (both middle & edges).
All three of those team play a lot more man coverages that we do which provides them with more opportunities to blitz or at least show blitz but I remain convinced that they blitz way more often than we do. The difference is that the pressure comes from anywhere and they move around a lot and disguise their intentions very well.
Titans I must admit do it differently but having the best D-Tackles in the league. They explode the pocket from the middle which really helps their Ends a lot. And they also had one of the best CB/FS tandems in the league in Cortlan Finnegan / Michael Griffin combining for 40 PDef & 12 INTs.
I guess my major point was that it’s not only with a Monster DE that you get the job done, it’s more the system & attitude that gets the job done. If we hope to ever be among these elite defensive teams we need more that just better pass rushers, first we need to overhaul our approach to the game and become more aggressive & more creative.
BEAST MODE, During the week plan on it & on game day thrive on it!
GO BILLS!
Section 336 Row 13
by keysh67 on Jan 13, 2009 8:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Defense/Pass Rush
When the problem seems to be year after year and so many other teams seem to make their younger players productive and there are issues across many defensive areas……doesn’t that point to a coaching problem (the same could be said for the offense)
by kearnsj on Jan 13, 2009 9:35 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Yes it does
but right now, there’s nothing that will be done about coaching. Of course, they’re the ones who keep sticking with the same unproductive bums, so I really don’t expect a whole lot this offseason. But I can dream.
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 13, 2009 12:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It usually takes me a while to get around to read your posts as I know they are long and have to wait until I have time. But I must say Kurupt, this is one of your finest posts in a while, and all your write ups are high quality. Good stuff.
Though I should be mad at you for bursting my bubble that the defense was actually better than 2007
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 13, 2009 11:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Thanks poz
I wasn’t saying the 2007 D was better, just the 2008 version wasn’t exactly improved. Actually with no Brady and his stats and a much easier schedule in 2008, maybe it was better in ‘07 :). Nah, I don’t want to go there. That D was more opportunistic though, no arguing that! If you think the 2007 D was better, I think you need to go ahead and put that in a fanpost so I can try to support that!
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 13, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Though I should be mad at you for bursting my bubble that the defense was actually better than 2007
Despite the stats I actually think this run defense improved quite a bit from last year. Buffalo gave up some huge plays that really skew the numbers. Eddie Royal had that 70 yard “run” and Donnie Avery had that 40 yard reverse. I don’t think gadget plays are a good indicator of how the defense played last year and are pretty irrelevant when talking about how the defense will be against the run next year. QBs ran for a lot of yards that make the run defense look worse than it was. Garrard ran around a lot, Cassel had some rushing yards and Tyler Thigpen had some good runs too. I remember Quinn Gray having like a 30 yard run in garbage time in that game too. Leon Washington, Jerome Harrison and Larry Johnson all had runs over 50 yards too.
Team’s that would have had a lot of success running the ball on last year’s DL were often slowed or shut down this year. Buffalo held Oakland and Miami (two top 10 rushing teams) in check. Jacksonville and San Diego were completely shut down. Frank Gore had one of his worst games of the season against us. Marcus Stroud really improved Buffalo’s run D, so maybe you can be less mad now.
by kaisertown on Jan 13, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
all good points
and it does make me less angry. I will say this, and it could just be perception when watching all the games a bit buzzed, which you alluded to.
One thing that was exciting about the defense this season – They stopped teams on third downs, which Kurupt demonstrated above. This was a real nice improvement from last year.
One thing that was disheartening about the defense this season – As you implied with your post above, they seemed to give up a disproportionate amount of big time plays compared to other defenses. Again, could just be perception but it seemed like we gave up at least one huge play a game. Whether it Johnnie Lee Higgins in the Raiders game, Matt Cassel scrambling all over us, etc.
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 13, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Big plays
How bad is that? We have this conservative Defense that is supposed to allow underneath stuff, but we gave up a TON of big plays. What gives? Who has an opinion on this?
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 13, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
it is very bad
We give up so many big plays that it really is unacceptable that they come under a conservative philosophy. I think the biggest reason for the amount of big plays we give up is our lack of penetration by defensive ends. If you give teams so little pressure they have a lot of time to develop their big strike plays. This is not only true on passing plays but on the ground as well as great defensive end penetration can snuff out run plays by funneling runners right into the defensive tackles and MLB.
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 13, 2009 2:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
We actually don’t give up too many big pass plays. The Bills gave up 39 pass plays of 20 or more yards which is the 9th fewest in the league, tied with Tampa and Tennessee. The conservative pass defense did a pretty good job of limiting big gains considering that we had no pass rush and blitzed a non-conservative % of pass plays. Consider this: Trent Edwards had only 4 fewer 20+ yard completions than the Bills D gave up despite attempting 118 fewer passes than opposing teams.
The problem is Buffalo gave up 15 run plays of over 20 yards which was fewer than only 5 teams (Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis). If they can just cut a few of those plays out (shouldn’t be tough to stop those reverses and gimmick plays and who lets Larry Johnson have a 63 yard run?), then this defense improves by a decent margin.
by kaisertown on Jan 13, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
But
you do have to stop any play that’s thrown at you. You can’t just deny some stats because they came on certain gadget plays. The better D’s don’t allow those plays to develop even. Those long runs by RB’s were all defended terribly.
We can also do the same thing for 2007’s stats. Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Willis McGahee (ugh), Fred Taylor and even Travis Henry had long runs against us. Actually, going back and looking at last year’s stats, it sure looks like we had some AWFUL games (Cleveland, Giants, Broncos, Steelers, Pats 1) that really skewed the run D stats. We had some pretty good run d performances last year, actually. It was boom or bust last year, while this year, we just consistently gave up 130+ yards a game over the last half of the year. Whether they were gadget plays or long runs or whatever, we still didn’t stop them enough. I just want this D to be even better, and it’s pretty obvious there’s still a LONG ways to go….
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 13, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Did anyone look at the Bills D performance with and without Aaron Schobel? I think that might be an interesting stat.
by syrbillsfan on Jan 15, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Peppers
If I recall, Julius Peppers will be a free agent in the off season. Not that this is a realistic signing, but how much do you think it would take to sign him?
MONEY
by JoeGoal on Jan 15, 2009 5:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
All of it.
Assuming he doesn’t get franchised.
by twoeightnine on Jan 16, 2009 12:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
More than the Bills have to offer. Peppers is looking at $10M a year, at least.
~K
"I’m Kurupt with Buffalo Rumblings. I am worth hundreds!"
by Kurupt on Jan 16, 2009 12:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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