Earlier this morning, we used a rudimentary evaluation system to compare the Buffalo Bills to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The results, as you imagine, were not pretty.
Buffalo dropped - literally - a 19-16 decision in overtime to Pittsburgh this past regular season. They also played the Steelers' Super Bowl XLV competition, the Green Bay Packers, and were blown away 34-7. Green Bay, however, is much closer to Buffalo on the so-called "development curve" than the Steelers are; the same comparison between Buffalo and Green Bay lies after the jump.
| Pos. | Group 1 (A) | Group 2 (B, C) | Group 3 (D, E) |
| WR2 | 83 - Lee Evans 11 - Roscoe Parrish 86 - David Nelson |
19 - Donald Jones 18 - Naaman Roosevelt |
|
| LT | 77 - Demetrius Bell | 71 - Ed Wang | |
| LG | 67 - Andy Levitre | ||
| C | 70 - Eric Wood | 63 - Geoff Hangartner | |
| RG | 60 - Kraig Urbik 76 - Chad Rinehart |
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| RT | 79 - Erik Pears | ||
| TE | 80 - David Martin 84 - Scott Chandler |
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| WR1 | 13 - Stevie Johnson | 81 - Marcus Easley | |
| QB | 14 - Ryan Fitzpatrick | 10 - Levi Brown | |
| RB | 22 - Fred Jackson | 21 - C.J. Spiller | |
| FB | 38 - Corey McIntyre | ||
| DE | 92 - Alex Carrington 99 - Marcus Stroud |
||
| NT | 95 - Kyle Williams | 96 - Torell Troup | |
| DE | 98 - Dwan Edwards | 91 - Spencer Johnson | |
| SLB | 90 - Chris Kelsay 57 - Danny Batten |
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| MLB | 54 - Andra Davis 50 - Akin Ayodele |
||
| WLB | 51 - Paul Posluszny 53 - Reggie Torbor |
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| JLB | 52 - Arthur Moats | 55 - Shawne Merriman 59 - Antonio Coleman |
|
| CB2 | 29 - Drayton Florence 28 - Leodis McKelvin |
27 - Reggie Corner | |
| SS | 20 - Donte Whitner | 43 - Bryan Scott | |
| FS | 31 - Jairus Byrd | 37 - George Wilson | |
| CB1 | 24 - Terrence McGee | ||
| K | 9 - Rian Lindell | ||
| P | 8 - Brian Moorman | ||
| LS | 65 - Garrison Sanborn |
| Pos. | Group 1 (A) | Group 2 (B, C) | Group 3 (D, E) |
| WR2 | 80 - Donald Driver 89 - James Jones 87 - Jordy Nelson |
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| LT | 76 - Chad Clifton |
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| LG | 73 - Daryn Colledge |
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| C | 63 - Scott Wells |
72 - Jason Spitz |
|
| RG | 71 - Josh Sitton | 70 - T.J. Lang |
|
| RT | 65 - Mark Tauscher 75 - Bryan Bulaga |
74 - Marshall Newhouse |
|
| TE | 88 - Jermichael Finley |
81 - Andrew Quarless 86 - Donald Lee |
|
| WR1 | 85 - Greg Jennings | ||
| QB | 12 - Aaron Rodgers |
10 - Matt Flynn |
|
| RB | 25 - Ryan Grant 44 - James Starks |
32 - Brandon Jackson |
|
| FB | 30 - John Kuhn | ||
| DE | 77 - Cullen Jenkins |
96 - Mike Neal |
|
| NT | 90 - B.J. Raji | 95 - Howard Green |
|
| DE | 79 - Ryan Pickett |
98 - C.J. Wilson 94 - Jarius Wynn |
|
| SLB | 93 - Erik Walden 58 - Frank Zombo 51 - Brady Poppinga |
||
| MLB | 50 - A.J. Hawk |
57 - Matt Wilhelm |
|
| WLB | 56 - Nick Barnett |
55 - Desmond Bishop 54 - Brandon Chillar |
|
| JLB | 52 - Clay Matthews |
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| CB2 | 38 - Tramon Williams 37 - Sam Shields |
26 - Jarrett Bush 22 - Pat Lee |
|
| SS | 26 - Charlie Peprah 42 - Morgan Burnett |
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| FS | 36 - Nick Collins |
27 - Anthony Smith 20 - Atari Bigby |
|
| CB1 | 21 - Charles Woodson | ||
| K | 2 - Mason Crosby |
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| P | 8 - Tim Masthay | ||
| LS | 61 - Brett Goode |
If you go back and look at Pittsburgh's breakdown, then compare it to Green Bay's you'll note the better depth defensively in Group 2. That's what you'll see when a team has been running the same defense for decades, and when the other defense is in the second year of a schematic overhaul.
Between Green Bay and Buffalo, again, you'll note the biggest difference: elite players. And, just as with Pittsburgh, the Packers have Group 2 players playing at an elite level (Tramon Williams chief among them). Sigh.