accentuating the postive...Bills allow fewest road game points in 17 years

[shelby]

Let's take a moment to appreciate our defense, y'all:


Outside linebacker Angelo Crowell said the Buffalo Bills’ defense hadn’t played its best football yet. It was never better this year than it was Sunday.
A once generous defense was downright stingy as the Bills put a muzzle on the Jets’ offense en route to a 13-3 victory.
The three points by the Jets were the fewest the Bills have allowed on the road since a 42-0 shutout of the Cleveland Browns in 1990.
“We came out a little shaky the first couple of quarters,” said Crowell, who finished with 10 tackles and a sack. “We weren’t playing as well as we wanted to but we kept points off the board. We were just determined that we had to come out and play better.”
The Bills have gotten progressively better on defense, which is a major reason the team has surged to three wins in the last four games. The 254 yards gained by the Jets was the lowest singlegame total allowed by the Bills this season.
After allowing an average of 458.3 yards in the first three games, the Bills have given up 323.5 in their last four outings. The run defense has been particularly effective, yielding just 90.8 yards over the past four games after getting shredded for 177.3 yards in the first three contests.
The Bills also are forcing more turnovers. They had three takeaways against the Jets and have 12 (nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries) in the last four games after recording just three in the first three outings.

Defense in shutdown mode (http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/billsnfl/story/194733.html)

[justasportsfan]

The Bills also are forcing more turnovers. They had three takeaways against the Jets and have 12 (nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries) in the last four games after recording just three in the first three outings.


this is the reason why we're winning.

[LtBillsFan66]

I really like Crowell. He was all over the place yesterday.

[RockStar36]

Keeping up with the general theme of Bills fans...

They let up 3 points because the Jets are to stupid to keep running Thomas Jones who was gashing the defense left and right.

[shelby]

RS:chair:

[PECKERWOOD]

Accentuating. Nice choice of words, Shelby.

[RedEyE]

This is what this defense can ultimately bring to the table. It takes a significant amount of time to get the entire team to jell. A good QB will pick it apart, but the defense is designed to keep everything up front and not to give up the big play. They have essentially done that this season. This D gets better and still doesn't have all of its key players in place.

I also think that its safe to say that Greer will get the start over webster next season, if Webster is anywhere to be found.

A Poz return will turn up an even stingier D that can help alleviate those long gains in the running game. Dig would be best suited on the outside.

[HHURRICANE]

We really won the time of possession battle which helped alot. That first drive was 16 plays and took 10 minutes off the clock.

The D is playing extremely well.

[RoanokeVABillsFan]

I think Fewell has done an excellent job. After all of the injuries and just trying to get healthy bodies on the field, they have really improved beyond what I thought they were capable of. The offense hasn't scored all season (the only game over 20 was Dallas but that was only 3 for the offense), but the defense has been keeping us in and allowing us to win games. The points against have been 15, 26, 38, 14, 25, 14 and 3. Four games less than 20 is getting the job done. According to this link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/2007/team_offense/0_byOFNS_YDS_PER_GAME.html, the games they gave up over 20 points were to the offenses ranked #1 (New England), #2 (Dallas) and #4 (Pittsburgh). The Bills have played a tough schedule and they are taking advantage of the teams they should beat because of the defense. When (if) the offense improves and gets in the 10-15 range, this team will be tough to beat.

[djjimkelly]

this is the reason why we're winning.


i said this a few weeks ago i was cursed for it

[TigerJ]

Accentuating. Nice choice of words, Shelby.

There was a song written once that said you have to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Seems to me it was in a movie in the 1940s or 50s. I don't know for sure if it was Doris Day who sang it, but she would be my guess.

[MTBillsFan]

Keep it up D!!! Lets GO BILLS!!

[SABURZFAN]

according to some people,the defense only tries harder when Edwards is the starter. :rolleyes:

[shelby]

I think Fewell has done an excellent job. After all of the injuries and just trying to get healthy bodies on the field, they have really improved beyond what I thought they were capable of. The offense hasn't scored all season (the only game over 20 was Dallas but that was only 3 for the offense), but the defense has been keeping us in and allowing us to win games. The points against have been 15, 26, 38, 14, 25, 14 and 3. Four games less than 20 is getting the job done. According to this link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/2007/team_offense/0_byOFNS_YDS_PER_GAME.html, the games they gave up over 20 points were to the offenses ranked #1 (New England), #2 (Dallas) and #4 (Pittsburgh). The Bills have played a tough schedule and they are taking advantage of the teams they should beat because of the defense. When (if) the offense improves and gets in the 10-15 range, this team will be tough to beat.

That is, indeed, impressive! Thanks!

[YardRat]

It's no coincidence that defensive play has improved over the same period of time that the time of possession has. Tired players get beat...rested ones make plays.

[mysticsoto]

this is the reason why we're winning.

Some people around here haven't gotten that yet. Even though we tried to explain all about the cover 2, how it works and what it tends to do and focus on, etc. If our offense turns it up a notch, we would definitely be in the playoffs.

[colin]

i was sold on the cover 2 last year. it of course is all about speed and taking away the big play.

being solid and stopping big plays with our base lets us do things like the overload blitzes, the fake blitzes, and the creep. i also like how this scheme should let new talent we might sign just step up and play.

in some D's (our old 3-4 for example) the NT is the start of it all. if you have a super star there you have an advantage with him dominating 2 guys clogging up the guts and allow for all kinds of stuff. the problem is if you have a smart qb like a manning who knows where the weak spots will have to be, or supperior running game you are just gonna get beat. you also need a stud NT which isn't easy to find and late in the game he will be tired as all get out. you also put big pressure on corners in most traditional D's which WILL get you burned.

with the new tampa type D teams can just plug in aggressive hungry fast guys and not have the massive drop off that a 3-4 can have with one weak spot. you also let your corners make some plays as well as give them help on the WR.

now it isn't perfect, but if you have a nice balanced base with a lot of speed good things will tend to happen. when you mix in the odd blitz or new look the qb on the other team will get confused or frustrated which can be deadly with the speed this d and our squad allows (see romo, tony).

the best part is it can last a while (like a good WCO). tampa has been very good on D for the longest time and have let more pro bowlers go than most teams. the colts were horrible last year, but tightened up late and now are playing well even tho they let some vets go.