Dolphins 30, Bills 23: Top Five Defensive Plays

by Brian Galliford on Dec 20, 2011 2:04 PM EST in Sponsored Posts

For a second straight week, the Buffalo Bills made a few plays defensively, off-setting another in a long line of largely terrible performances this season. While the defense in general deserves all of the criticism it's getting, there are at least a few plays that we can highlight from Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins. In fact, there were even more than five to choose from this week!

5. Drayton Florence, Jairus Byrd and Aaron Williams snuff out three straight Dolphins red zone passes. In the first half, Miami had opportunities to put up a much bigger lead, but couldn't get anything going in the red zone, with the three aforementioned Bills defensive backs providing tight coverage inside the 10-yard line. Miami settled for two field goals deep in Bills territory, and built only a 13-7 lead.

4. Marcell Dareus sacks Matt Moore for a seven-yard loss. Dareus recorded a sack in a second straight game when he took down Moore early in the first quarter. His solid rookie season continues to look better statistically, as he's now up to 5.5 sacks on the year - a figure that ties the career high that Kyle Williams set for himself just last year.

3. Florence strips Brandon Marshall and recovers his own forced fumble. The Bills forced and recovered three fumbles on the day, with this one providing the least long-term impact, as the Bills couldn't muster a drive after this key turnover.

2. Chris Kelsay sacks Moore, and Arthur Moats recovers. At the end of the first half, Kelsay brought Moore down 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, forced the ball out, and Moats came up with it. The Bills took the ball down the field for a last-minute field goal try, but Dave Rayner blew a 26-yard field goal to the left as time expired. This was another wasted golden opportunity.

1. Aaron Williams strips Reggie Bush, and George Wilson recovers. Here, finally, was a big defensive play - provided early in a ball game - that the Bills turned around and capitalized on, as C.J. Spiller ran for a touchdown two plays later, giving the Bills a 7-0 lead. For three plays, the Bills looked like the team that got off to a 5-2 start. Then reality set back in. This was a nice - if far too brief - respite.

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Comments

Dareus & Williams are going to be a solid foundation for a Bills defense for years to come. Imagine if we only had a few OLBs that could rush the passer.

by WestCoastBills on Dec 20, 2011 2:10 PM EST reply actions

It would literally take one guy that people were worried about, one guy, and rotational players would look good opposite them.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

maybe I’m in the minority here but I think if you put a good pass rusher on this team, we have a good defense.

by WestCoastBills on Dec 20, 2011 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

No I agree, I mean one pass rusher, we dont even need two.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah we do

When teams would double that pass rusher or when he is stymied by a blocker, then what? The pass rush and results would look the same as they do now. This team needs to be able to bring pressure from both edges.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 2:23 PM EST up reply actions

don’t be greedy. ;) I’ll be happy with any pass rush. We haven’t had one since Schobel retired….

by WestCoastBills on Dec 20, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

ultimately, we need 2

by dgrid on Dec 20, 2011 2:28 PM EST up reply actions

yes, i agree

I don’t care how many guys we have that can rush the passer. I just want to see a pass rush. If it’s 2 guys, great. If it’s 3, even better… My original point was, if you give this defense a pass rush, we have the makings of a decent defense. Some of the other pieces are already there.

by WestCoastBills on Dec 20, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions

Look, We have OLBs, I think Kelsay and or a rotation is fine opposite them. But sure, we can sit back and say we need two elite pass-rushers. Pigs may fly. Always demand the best at every position, blah blah blah. You get a guy like Tamba Hali in this front with Dareus and Williams and we can always ask for more, but I think ONE will make a big difference.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

Who said anything about two elite rushers?

Who’s demanding the best at each position?

One would be nice, no doubt, but wouldn’t a couple of good rushers be effective? Wouldn’t one elite and a solid rusher or two be great? Right now, we have NOTHING. Not a single pass rusher, elite, good or even average. That’s the problem. How would Kelsay or some crappy rotation opposite a good pass rusher be beneficial?

Sure, saying one will make a big difference is obviously true, but saying we don’t need two pass rushers is wrong, IMO.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 2:57 PM EST up reply actions

Sure, saying one will make a big difference is obviously true, but saying we don’t need two pass rushers is wrong, IMO.

in this league, with the demand… we need as many as we can get to buffer us from injuries, as well as ensure that we can create pressure from multiple fronts, and be able to offset their ability to block us. Agree 100% w K.

ABAYARDE IS NOSTRADAMUS JUST WATCH WE WILL NOT YIEALD TO NOBODY YOUR SOUL WE WILL TAKE

by ThaRealTruth on Dec 20, 2011 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

The point of the thread is I would take one guy and it would make a big difference, we don’t even need two pass-rushers to see a legit impact. You commented on my post out of context. Hence my sarcastic response.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

And I disagree with your point

That adding one good pass rusher would make rotational non-pass rushers look good. Seriously, would DeMarcus Ware or even a guy like Cliff Avril make somebody like Kelsay or Battan look good or more disruptive? I highly doubt it.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 3:34 PM EST up reply actions

Yes

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 3:35 PM EST up reply actions

How?

How exactly would a guy on the other edge improve the pass rush ability and production of a non-pass rushing threat? That guy isn’t going to all of a sudden become disruptive and it’s not like they’d be getting less attention than they already get. I could see a blitzing LB or DT being aided by a good pass rusher on one edge, but fail to see how Chris Kelsay, Danny Battan and friends would become any better.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

You can see how a blitzing lb or dt is aided, but can’t imagine how it might help another edge rusher?

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 3:47 PM EST up reply actions

The problem is that it’s not like those guys are getting double-teamed right now. They’re going head-to-head with an OT or TE and getting stuffed. Repeatedly. They just don’t have the ability so you need someone else.

Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman

by WhyBillsWhy on Dec 21, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions

Yes, one effective rusher would help the D. But I don’t think it would help Kelsey or any of our other OLBs because they are seldom, if ever double teamed. Thus, I don’t believe slanting the protection to the other side would change the blocking our OLBs currently face. That said, I did see Moats get doubled with a back last game. Williams abd Dare us would likely benefit from a OLB who could rush the passer.

by WhatGoesAround on Dec 20, 2011 3:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Changes pass protection schemes, receiving options and moves the QB. All things that can help anyone rushing the passer. Even Kelsay, Batten, Moats or whomever else is getting a shot over there.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 3:52 PM EST up reply actions

Plenty of teams “bring it from both edges” precisely because they have one elite guy. Not two. The second guy just looks good because his job got easier. So like I said, if we could get one, we could get somewhere.

But of course we always need two, heck 5, letsbring in 5 legit pass-rushers, that way if the first 4 go down, we still have one to make the rotational guy look good.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

Those teams that can bring it from both edges

That second guy is usually a pretty solid pass rusher in his own right. The Bills don’t have anything remotely close to that guy at this point, let alone an elite guy.

What’s with all the snide comments so often?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

You misinterpreted my post. Hence the snide comment.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

So what's the point of it?

You do it a lot, I’ve noticed. How does that help make any point you are trying to make?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Dec 20, 2011 3:35 PM EST up reply actions

Boys, boys…let’s play nice….
I do have to agree with K though, just like any other position in football, you can’t have crap on one side and elite on the other and expect them to average out to be 2 good players…
If you have a bum receiver and a great receiver, your great receiver will get doubled every play, if you have a pro bowl LT and a crap RT, they will just flush the right side and destroy your QB, if you have Darelle Revis opposite a nobody CB, they will pick on that guy….and lastly, if either your end or your OLB is no good against basic looks and single coverage, I don’t care if you’ve got a brick wall on the opposite side, the other team is going to feel 0 worry!
The point K is trying to make is that its not a position like Guard or Safety or ILB that has lots of help and an All star next to him can make him look better.

by monk43085 on Dec 20, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions

But with Dareus and Williams, he wouldn’t be the only guy on that front, to me a gouping of a guy like Hali or Williams or whomever, with Dareus Williams and thn two rotational guys, is as good a grouping as a lot of defenses ever get. And its enough to make the lower guys look better.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

I frankly thought it was funny. It makes the point that we can always say we need a laundry list of things, which seems to be a a very common post. But theres what any team wants and what we can get and what will make the most impact. These are harder issues which I think get glossed over in our demands for one of everything (franchise QB, effective pass-rusher (I mean two), cornerback, elite wideout, and inevitably another tackle.

I have low expectations. But high hopes.

by greysquirrel on Dec 20, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions

George Edwards recovered a fumble?

He must be quicker than he looks to get there from the sidelines :)

by Morningw00d on Dec 20, 2011 2:13 PM EST reply actions

Maybe the fumble helped him recover from the strokes he's been having all season?

Red zone D was legit this week.

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 20, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions

I think he meant to say Ralph Wilson, not George Edwards :)

by wallyvoodoo on Dec 20, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

You’re on roll Wally !

by PineWoodsBillsFan on Dec 20, 2011 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

#5 George Edwards recovered the fumble?

And people around here were saying he was worthless and should be fired…

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 20, 2011 2:13 PM EST reply actions

hahahaha

give the man credit, he gives it everything he has….

by WestCoastBills on Dec 20, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions

I was going to say
“…at least Edwards did something!”

Give a monkey a typewriter and infinite time, and he’ll eventually release Maybin. -- stetzwebs
No one circles the waiver wire like the Buffalo Bills!

by thefourwinds on Dec 20, 2011 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

I think saying that is entirely appropriate at this point in the season.

I will give him credit for the red zone defense this week, though. Bills looked ready to play there, and minus a long Bush run and a long Marshall catch there would be a lot less vitriol, anger, and scapegoating on this board this week.

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 20, 2011 7:37 PM EST up reply actions

Also the Williams hit on Bess, end around.

Popped him good and jarred the ball loose, unfortunately it fell right back on Bess.

Come on Buffalo, please?

by bflo on Dec 20, 2011 2:23 PM EST via Android app reply actions

ah, that was a nice hit!

by dgrid on Dec 20, 2011 2:28 PM EST up reply actions

THIS!!!

That hit and Spiller’s rushing TD were my favorite plays of the game. Can’t remember the last time someone in a Bills jersey cranked anyone like that.

That's relish from a hot dog I found.

by dougflutie on Dec 20, 2011 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

Dareus sack was a stunt in which he was unblocked. Kelsay made a very good play, but it probably should have been called an incomplete pass. I’d never seen a fumble come out with a spiral until that play. I really liked Florence’s play, first time in a long time the Bills actually ripped the ball out through brute strength.

by Rick A on Dec 20, 2011 3:03 PM EST reply actions

Dareus going unblocked does not mean its a bad play. He took advantage of a mistake. I clearly saw mat moore cock backwards then kelsey smack the ball out of his hand from.the back tip .

"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus

by matthew62 on Dec 20, 2011 3:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Good point.

A large part of a successful stunt is making the initial move to confuse the OL and then getting small (hard for Dareus to do!) as you make the move past the line toward the QB.

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 20, 2011 7:38 PM EST up reply actions

Yes for his size he is very athletic and agile. We all prolly saw the clip of him breakin down and sackin cam newton on draft day.

"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus

by matthew62 on Dec 20, 2011 9:11 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Dave Rayner is a BUM

I hope the Bills are not honestly considering signing Rayner to any kind of extension over Rian Lindell, Rayner may have a bigger leg but he is incredibly inaccurate. Not to mention that Lindell is good from 54 and that is a very acceptable distance. I mean after all the media blaming Stevie for “costing us the game” against the JETS, how do people not realize that Stevie may have drawn a 15 yard penalty moving the kickoff back but RAYNER was the one who couldn’t even manage to kick the ball off out of a tee hitting it with his ankle rather than his foot. If Ochocinco can do it what is this guys problem….but then again he is the only player to play for 8 different teams in his career. Something needs to save us from ourselves right here.

by SquishTheFish on Dec 20, 2011 4:20 PM EST reply actions

What is this rationality and logic you bring here???

While I don’t think Rayner is a bum, per se, Lindell is definitely a lot more consistent and reliable as a kicker.

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 20, 2011 7:40 PM EST up reply actions

Rayner's miss

I think that actually changed the game more than people are saying. If we were down 7 instead of 10… I liked our chances of getting in the end zone to tie it on that last drive.

by lord gloom on Dec 21, 2011 12:59 AM EST up reply actions