Fatal Flaws Exposed, Again

[Jan Reimers]

As we saw in the first six games, the Bills:

1) Are disasterously bad at run blocking. Lynch and Jackson get what relatively little they get, on their own.

2) Are very poor tacklers. They miss, and have arm tackles broken, at an alarming rate.

3) Play very soft in the secondary, very seldom contesting a catch, but playing far off the opponent's receivers and then running them down after easy receptions.

4) Get absolutely no pressure on the opposing QB.

These serious and continuing problems had cost us only one game before yesterday. Late game heroics had somewhat masked, or at least allowed us to overlook, these fundamental flaws.

But against the Dolphins, we exhibited a few more problems, which made playing catch up impossible:

Trent looked dazed and confused (and maybe concussed again?), as he basically morphed into JP.

The special teams were anything but special, as their punter pinned us back in our own territory all day, Moorman was mediocre, and our punt return and kickoff return units got us virtually nowhere.

We showed a basic lack of intensity.

These last three items may just be one game phenomena, but the first four have been with us all season.

I'm generally an optimist, but if we don't start tackling better, find a way to get to the opposing QB, open some lanes for Lynch and Jackson, and tighten up our secondary, the Jets are going to kill us, the Pats will bury us, and we will be heading toward another bleak offseason.

[Night Train]

Agreed on all points.

We'll probably rebound and win next Sunday, as is the parity driven NFL standard but another off-season is sorely needed. Doesn't mean we can't snag a wild card berth this season but we can only go so far with this roster.

[Yasgur's Farm]

I gotta agree at this point.

[Historian]

1) Are disasterously bad at run blocking. Lynch and Jackson get what relatively little they get, on their own.

2) Are very poor tacklers. They miss, and have arm tackles broken, at an alarming rate.



These two are what's killing us.

If I were Lynch, I would be especially POed.

[DraftBoy]

I think our biggest issue for this next Sunday is our secondary not contesting catches and our non-existant QB pressure. We are 22nd in the league in sacks adn if we dont get to Favre, he has the ability to slice us up. They will be looking for a statement game after a poor showing v. KC.

[Jan Reimers]

I think our biggest issue for this next Sunday is our secondary not contesting catches and our non-existant QB pressure. We are 22nd in the league in sacks adn if we dont get to Favre, he has the ability to slice us up. They will be looking for a statement game after a poor showing v. KC.
I was going to say the same thing in response tp NT's post. If we play Favre and his receivers like we played Pennington and Ginn, the Jets might score 50 or better.

[shelby]

Very good posting, Jan.

Which begs the question: What is the solution?

[madness]

Anybody questioning Josh Reed's value to this offense? If they double Evans, he's the only reliable option on this team.

[Jan Reimers]

Very good posting, Jan.

Which begs the question: What is the solution?
For me, more vodka.

For the team: better coaching, an infusion of talent at LB, DE, C, TE and S, and the rapid development of McKelvin and Hardy, as a start.

[Forward_Lateral]

I disagree with the run-blocking. I though the O-line did a better job Sunday, unfortunately, the run game was abandoned at the first sign of trouble.

[yordad]

They should....

More zone blitzing. More jamming the WRs. Slap the guy who decided to IR Crowell. Leave Preston in at center. Get Butler back healthy. Get lower on tackles. Get Youboty healthy. Get McGee Healthy. Get Schobel healthy. Slap the guy who decided to IR Crowell. More blitzing.

[Meathead]

http://beltwayramblings.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/jump-20off-20a-20building-small.jpg

[Stewie]

To say Trent Morphed into JP is kind of silly. No qb will ever always have 4th quarter combacks. Trent didn't tip the pass, or fumble or kick the ball. Except when he fumbled. But the point is, Trent will be fine, our team will be fine.. we played poorly and lost. That will happen in the NFL. Now let's see what this team is made of, make sure they don't overlook the Favruh's.

I would like to see more blitzing from our defense though, especially against the high percentage QB's. We have athletic CB's. We should be able to cover guys man-on-man for 2 seconds.

[psubills62]

I disagree with the run-blocking. I though the O-line did a better job Sunday, unfortunately, the run game was abandoned at the first sign of trouble.

I thought the run-blocking was a lot better on Sunday also. Just look at Jackson and Lynch's stats - both of them averaged over 4 yards per carry. Lynch would have had more total yards if there weren't so many turnovers, imo.

The O-line has been doing better in run-blocking the last couple of games, imo. Late in the Chargers game they were getting the first downs that they needed.

[psubills62]

They should....

More zone blitzing. More jamming the WRs. Slap the guy who decided to IR Crowell. Leave Preston in at center. Get Butler back healthy. Get lower on tackles. Get Youboty healthy. Get McGee Healthy. Get Schobel healthy. Slap the guy who decided to IR Crowell. More blitzing.

Agree with all points except the slapping part...I don't necessarily agree, but it's a moot point now.

Preston has been playing quite well, imo, at center. Our running backs averaged over 4 yards per carry against a very good run defense.

[jdbillsfan]

To say Trent Morphed into JP is kind of silly. No qb will ever always have 4th quarter combacks. Trent didn't tip the pass, or fumble or kick the ball. Except when he fumbled. But the point is, Trent will be fine, our team will be fine.. we played poorly and lost. That will happen in the NFL. Now let's see what this team is made of, make sure they don't overlook the Favruh's.

I would like to see more blitzing from our defense though, especially against the high percentage QB's. We have athletic CB's. We should be able to cover guys man-on-man for 2 seconds.


Good post

[Historian]

More blitzing, yes.

I'd rather go down swinging, than look this bad.

[Typ0]

I agree TE morphed into JP. I expect every QB to have bad days but he gave away the game yesterday. You can buy into that team loss crap the bottom line is if TE doesn't make those mistakes we win yesterday. The nice thing is he's already won us a few games so at least we know he can win some too. I sure hope he doesn't do those dopey things again.

[DraftBoy]

You can't constantly blitz in a Cover 2 scheme, its not the way it is designed. It would create huge holes in the zone. Whether you want it or not does not matter, its not going to happen.

We are not going to bump at the line and we are not going to be aggressive in blitzing, I hate it, but thats the scheme we run.

[Jan Reimers]

To say Trent Morphed into JP is kind of silly.

Just a little turn of the phrase, and I didn't mean it would last. But for one quarter, TE did many of the same things for which JP is always crucified. Kind of out of character for a guy who is generally so good late in games. That's why I mentioned it.

[patmoran2006]

Good post, and I totally agree on everything you said.

[Jan Reimers]

You can't constantly blitz in a Cover 2 scheme, its not the way it is designed. It would create huge holes in the zone. Whether you want it or not does not matter, its not going to happen.

We are not going to bump at the line and we are not going to be aggressive in blitzing, I hate it, but thats the scheme we run.
I guess the Cover 2 depends more on pressure from the DEs, which means it's a scheme which doesn't fit our talent (or lack thereof) very well.

[DraftBoy]

I guess the Cover 2 depends more on pressure from the DEs, which means it's a scheme which doesn't fit our talent (or lack thereof) very well.
It commpletely depends on the Front 4 generating pressure and it does not fit us in that regard but because we dont have the DB's to play man up coverage, its what we have to do. McGee, Greer, and Youboty are not known as good man-to-man coverage guys. In our zone scheme they work, but not in straight up man coverage. None have elite top speed, size, or bulk, we would get massacred by the top passing teams in the league.

[Seventeen&0]

Turnovers is what killed you guys yesterday. If your team hangs on to the ball, they would have won.

I'm just glad to see the Fins bring back some respectability to our division. We were embarrassing last year. Now, there isn't an easy/pushover team in our division.

[Akhippo]

It commpletely depends on the Front 4 generating pressure and it does not fit us in that regard but because we dont have the DB's to play man up coverage, its what we have to do. McGee, Greer, and Youboty are not known as good man-to-man coverage guys. In our zone scheme they work, but not in straight up man coverage. None have elite top speed, size, or bulk, we would get massacred by the top passing teams in the league.

We play defense. We have a base; 4-3 and thats the only constraint we have. We were in man on the first pass. We had good position but McGee timed it bad. We should have stayed in that mode. I guess Fewell got scared and decided to zone the rest of the game.

With McGee not being able to drive to the ball (I guess), Chad was able to float passes his direction all game long. If you cant create a pass rush you need to play man.

[DraftBoy]

We play defense. We have a base; 4-3 and thats the only constraint we have. We were in man on the first pass. We had good position but McGee timed it bad. We should have stayed in that mode. I guess Fewell got scared and decided to zone the rest of the game.

With McGee not being able to drive to the ball (I guess), Chad was able to float passes his direction all game long. If you cant create a pass rush you need to play man.

If you can't create a pass rush, they why would you stay in man? Man coverage is easier to get burned in and is much more taxing on a DB, if you can't rush the passer you have to go zone.

[Akhippo]

You stay in zone the wide receivers get to go where they want uncovered. Its not like they are running 120yds every play. It beats them not moving. They drop back 5 yds let the wide outs run where they want then wait for chad to hit them. Why do you think Ginn got so many yards. There were no DBs around him once he got the ball.

[Night Train]

For me, more vodka.

:rofl: I mixed mine with tonic. :up:

[yordad]

If you can't create a pass rush, they why would you stay in man? So you can blitz and try and create a pass rush. :idunno:

[Kadiddlehopper]

As we saw in the first six games, the Bills:

1) Are disasterously bad at run blocking. Lynch and Jackson get what relatively little they get, on their own.

2) Are very poor tacklers. They miss, and have arm tackles broken, at an alarming rate.

3) Play very soft in the secondary, very seldom contesting a catch, but playing far off the opponent's receivers and then running them down after easy receptions.

4) Get absolutely no pressure on the opposing QB.
Up until the end of the first half, sounds like the Phins your describing.

[CuseJetsFan83]

well for this weeks game against the jets, if i was with the bills, i'd be very pass happy...

the jets may have some chances at picking off a pass or two, we play rather conservatively against the pass, and that allows teams to get those 4-8 yd slant/curl patterns for those critical first downs..... on the flipside, our strongest point is our run defense, which buffalo seems to have had problems lately with on their offensive side.

special teams could be risky for the bills as they have seemed to be stagnant on their coverage squads.

the key for both teams will be the QB play of favre and edwards, but i have a feeling pass coverage and special teams will be the x-factors in this one

obviously i will be rooting for the jets, and flame away, its your duty!..... but i am expecting a very close divisional game, and hope to god the patriots lose too

[billogic99]

The Bills will bounce back nicely against the Jets.

[Mr. Pink]

And as we have noticed that with competent QB play we've been able to overcome our flaws. They aren't "fatal flaws" because if they were we'd be sitting at 0-7, maybe 1-6, right now.

A "fatal flaw" would put you at about a 0% success rate...we are well above that rate.

You start throwing in inability to control the ball and not protecting the ball and we lose. Then again, almost every team in the NFL loses when they can't sustain drives and protect the pigskin no matter what other weaknessses they have.

In the land of parity every team has flaws, no one is perfect, and everyone can lose a game or three.

You can throw up all the stats you want against someone or against you doesn't guarantee a W or an L. Look at the Cardinals for example, Kurt Warner has thrown for around 800 yards in two Cardinal losses. Wouldn't you agree that the teams he did this to were "flawed" defensively that day? In the end did it matter?

Stats are great if you're playing fantasy football or Madden but guarantee nothing in the real life.

[DraftBoy]

So you can blitz and try and create a pass rush. :idunno:


Do you really trust McGee and Greer on an island against guys like Coles, Cotchery, Welker, Moss? We dont have a defense built to blitz with our corners are not good man coverage guys. We would be even worse off then we already are.

[Jan Reimers]

And as we have noticed that with competent QB play we've been able to overcome our flaws. They aren't "fatal flaws" because if they were we'd be sitting at 0-7, maybe 1-6, right now.

A "fatal flaw" would put you at about a 0% success rate...we are well above that rate.

You start throwing in inability to control the ball and not protecting the ball and we lose. Then again, almost every team in the NFL loses when they can't sustain drives and protect the pigskin no matter what other weaknessses they have.

In the land of parity every team has flaws, no one is perfect, and everyone can lose a game or three.

You can throw up all the stats you want against someone or against you doesn't guarantee a W or an L. Look at the Cardinals for example, Kurt Warner has thrown for around 800 yards in two Cardinal losses. Wouldn't you agree that the teams he did this to were "flawed" defensively that day? In the end did it matter?

Stats are great if you're playing fantasy football or Madden but guarantee nothing in the real life.
A fatal flaw doesn't mean no success. A fatal flaw simply prevents you from attaining your ultimate goal, which in our case (and every other NFL team's) is the Super Bowl. That's not going to happen given our continuing problems with some of the most basic elements of the game.

[SABURZFAN]

Trent looked dazed and confused (and maybe concussed again?), as he basically morphed into JP.




i hope it's not permanent. :ill:

[Typ0]

A fatal flaw doesn't mean no success. A fatal flaw simply prevents you from attaining your ultimate goal, which in our case (and every other NFL team's) is the Super Bowl. That's not going to happen given our continuing problems with some of the most basic elements of the game.

but is TE a dues ex machina? It does present an interesting way of looking at it and puts to bed the idea of the QB position being overrated which I think is rediculous.