Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

[Pride]

I have a gut feeling that against teams that run first / pass second, Spencer Johnson will start at DE over Kelsay or Schobel.

I am all for a run clogging DE. I think 3 run stuffers up front and a QB targeting DE along with our LB corp could be a scary thing for opposing offenses.

[ddaryl]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

I say just get the best players on the field... If Johnson looks better at DE over kelsay, denny or Schobel then mkae sure he is in there.

However under that thought we would definitely need another DT on the roster, and in this scenario I could see the Bills making a play for one of the top DT's.

our D could be quite impressive up front.... Dare I say a complete 180 degree difference from 2007

[jamze132]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

I have a gut feeling that against teams that run first / pass second, Spencer Johnson will start at DE over Kelsay or Schobel.

I am all for a run clogging DE. I think 3 run stuffers up front and a QB targeting DE along with our LB corp could be a scary thing for opposing offenses.

I have a hard time believing he is going to start over a two-time Pro Bowler in Schobel.

[colin]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

i think he will get lots of snaps at DE and DT.

it doesn't matter as much who starts in our D as we rotate like mad.

if our O can stay on the pitch longer, and our D can stop the grinding runs and the 3rd and long conversions a little bit, the all of our linemen will have serious shots at shooting gaps and blowing up plays in a big way.

i wouldn't call johnson or any of our players real cloggers, they shoot gaps and make a mess of things. i expect our LBs to get a lot of big sticks form the line forcing the ball carrier up into holes as they get filled.

[Mahdi]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

I have a gut feeling that against teams that run first / pass second, Spencer Johnson will start at DE over Kelsay or Schobel.

I am all for a run clogging DE. I think 3 run stuffers up front and a QB targeting DE along with our LB corp could be a scary thing for opposing offenses.

Besides a few downs here and there in obvious run situations there's no way Spencer Johnson starts a game at DE unless theres an injury. And even then I expect the Bills to address DE on the first day of the draft in case Kelsay or Schobel play like they did last year.

[raphael120]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

If Spencer Johnson outplays Kelsay, I will drive over to OBD myself and ***** slap everyone who dealt with his huge resigning.

[camelcowboy]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Johnson has a very good chance of starting at dt. he will be the freeagent steal of the off season

[coastal]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Thread translation: Schobel sucks.

[OpIv37]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Schobel sucks and so does Kelsay. I don't see Johnson taking their starting positions, but he'll be a part of the rotation at DE just like Hargrove was last year. The re-signing of Jefferson is a sign that they want bodies for DT to free up Johnson for DE.

That being said, if I see a 4th quarter DL of Johnson/Williams/Jefferson/Denney, I will personally kick Dick Jauron in the nuts. Last year, we had some pretty questionable DL formations late in games and I don't want to see that crap again.

[DrGraves]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

maybe we should be drafting a DE if we are seriously talking about this guy potentially starting. so lets trade for ocho cinco, fitz, and roy williams, trade our 2,3,4,5,6,7 picks for a top 10 pick and then pick a CB and DE with our two top ten picks. then trade jp for the rights to barry sanders and trade lee evans for peyton manning. there. all our problems solved.


well at least the first thought maybe be a good idea...

[raphael120]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Schobel sucks and so does Kelsay. I don't see Johnson taking their starting positions, but he'll be a part of the rotation at DE just like Hargrove was last year. The re-signing of Jefferson is a sign that they want bodies for DT to free up Johnson for DE.

That being said, if I see a 4th quarter DL of Johnson/Williams/Jefferson/Denney, I will personally kick Dick Jauron in the nuts. Last year, we had some pretty questionable DL formations late in games and I don't want to see that crap again.

Yeah you got to love Schobel dropping back in coverage instead of going after the QB...awesome move...lovely part is, we have our defensive coordinators in tact. Whooopeee!!!!

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Yeah you got to love Schobel dropping back in coverage instead of going after the QB...awesome move...lovely part is, we have our defensive coordinators in tact. Whooopeee!!!!

Did you happen to watch "The Comeback" game against Houston on NFL Network recently?

If you had, you would have seen a play where Phil Hansen had dropped back in coverage against Lorenzo White.

Oh, I forgot...it was OK for Hansen to do that because the Bills went to all those Super Bowls, but it isn't OK for Schobel to be asked to do that occasionally because the Bills haven't made the playoffs recently.

BTW: Michael Strahan, who is certainly one of the top pass rushing 4-3 DEs in the game, has been known to drop off in coverage on zone blitzes at times as well.

You know, if the Bills never called any zone blitzes, some of you guys would be screaming bloody murder that the defense is predictable and never uses any zone blitzes, etc. But, when the Bills call a zone blitz and get beat on it because the RB turned up the field and the QB made a good throw to him, you act as if the DC and Schobel had committed homicide.

As I recall, nobody was complaining about Ryan Denney being back in coverage near the goal line on a zone blitz when the Bills played in Miami in 2006, forcing an errant pass that Crowell picked off to stop a Dolphins scoring threat.... Then, it was a great play because it went the Bills way.

But, folks, you can't have it both ways.

Blitzing has always been a risky thing to do. When you blitz, you are vulnerable because you have to leave something open. Zone blitzes are risky because you are asking a bigger, slower player to drop back in coverage where he's at a disadvantage against the man he is supposed to be covering. Anytime you blitz--whether it is a zone blitz, corner or safety blitz, or a straight up blitz--if the offense has the right play called and you don't get to the QB, you are going to get burned. That's just the way it is.

Schobel doesn't suck because he got beaten trying to cover a RB running up the field. Half the LBs in the NFL would have been beaten on that pattern and by that throw.

And, P.Fewell isn't an idiot for calling a zone blitz--unless you believe that the Bills shouldn't use zone blitzes as part of their defense or are willing to say that the same call is idiotic when it works out well for the Bills. He took a gamble on that play and he got burned by a better call and better execution by the offense. It happens. It's just part of the game.

If you think that only stupid teams make calls like that one, well, then, those Bills teams that went to all of those Super Bowls and the NY Giants, who just won the Super Bowl, and a lot of other winning teams in the NFL (including the Pats, who I have seen drop Ty Warren into coverage) are all just as stupid.

It's not that the play-call was stupid, it's that the Bills got beat on the play by a good play by their opponent. But, that's no different than a goalie in hockey or soccer being beaten by an excellent shot. It happens. Sometimes the other guy makes a good play. You have to accept that. That play wasn't the only play in that game or the only reason that the Bills lost. And, IMHO it is grossly unfair and not very observant to keep harping on it as if it were.

[OpIv37]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Did you happen to watch "The Comeback" game against Houston on NFL Network recently?

If you had, you would have seen a play where Phil Hansen had dropped back in coverage against Lorenzo White.

Oh, I forgot...it was OK for Hansen to do that because the Bills went to all those Super Bowls, but it isn't OK for Schobel to be asked to do that occasionally because the Bills haven't made the playoffs recently.

BTW: Michael Strahan, who is certainly one of the top pass rushing 4-3 DEs in the game, has been known to drop off in coverage on zone blitzes at times as well.

You know, if the Bills never called any zone blitzes, some of you guys would be screaming bloody murder that the defense is predictable and never uses any zone blitzes, etc. But, when the Bills call a zone blitz and get beat on it because the RB turned up the field and the QB made a good throw to him, you act as if the DC and Schobel had committed homicide.

As I recall, nobody was complaining about Ryan Denney being back in coverage near the goal line on a zone blitz when the Bills played in Miami in 2006, forcing an errant pass that Crowell picked off to stop a Dolphins scoring threat.... Then, it was a great play because it went the Bills way.

But, folks, you can't have it both ways.

Blitzing has always been a risky thing to do. When you blitz, you are vulnerable because you have to leave something open. Zone blitzes are risky because you are asking a bigger, slower player to drop back in coverage where he's at a disadvantage against the man he is supposed to be covering. Anytime you blitz--whether it is a zone blitz, corner or safety blitz, or a straight up blitz--if the offense has the right play called and you don't get to the QB, you are going to get burned. That's just the way it is.

Schobel doesn't suck because he got beaten trying to cover a RB running up the field. Half the LBs in the NFL would have been beaten on that pattern and by that throw.

And, P.Fewell isn't an idiot for calling a zone blitz--unless you believe that the Bills shouldn't use zone blitzes as part of their defense or are willing to say that the same call is idiotic when it works out well for the Bills. He took a gamble on that play and he got burned by a better call and better execution by the offense. It happens. It's just part of the game.

If you think that only stupid teams make calls like that one, well, then, those Bills teams that went to all of those Super Bowls and the NY Giants, who just won the Super Bowl, and a lot of other winning teams in the NFL (including the Pats, who I have seen drop Ty Warren into coverage) are all just as stupid.

It's not that the play-call was stupid, it's that the Bills got beat on the play by a good play by their opponent. But, that's no different than a goalie in hockey or soccer being beaten by an excellent shot. It happens. Sometimes the other guy makes a good play. You have to accept that. That play wasn't the only play in that game or the only reason that the Bills lost. And, IMHO it is grossly unfair and not very observant to keep harping on it as if it were.

NOTHING the SB teams did should be compared to what this team does until this team proves themselves. That team had the talent to do it and the coaching staff to know when to do it and when not to. This team has neither of those.

Also, in your two examples, notice how it was HANSEN and DENNEY who dropped back, leaving Bruce Smith and Schobel to rush the passers, respectively. For all Schobel's faults (and as depressing as this is), he's still the best pass rusher on this team. Let Kelsey or Denney or Hargrove or Neill pretend to be a LB for the play rather than Schobel- let him do what he does best.

No one is saying there shouldn't be zone blitzes- but there is a time and a place to call them and a way to execute them, and the current incarnation of the Bills is pretty poor at it.

[jamze132]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

Besides a few downs here and there in obvious run situations there's no way Spencer Johnson starts a game at DE unless theres an injury. And even then I expect the Bills to address DE on the first day of the draft in case Kelsay or Schobel play like they did last year.

So you think Schobel played bad last year? That invite by the players and coaches to the Pro Bowl says otherwise.

I guess you are another guy who has been brainwashed by ESPN. They think that unless a DE has a gazillion bazillion sacks, he sucks. It's not your fault, ESPN has that effect over people.

[Luisito23]

Re: Put it in stone: Spencer Johnson starts a few games at DE this year

ESPeeN is garbage....