Five ways the Bills can rise

[madness]

A fast start, better run defense will help the Bills reach the playoffs
Matt Bowen (http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/matt-bowen.html)

Can the Buffalo Bills make a run this season and put themselves back in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season?


That’s the ultimate question facing this football team and head coach Dick Jauron — who is back after some resistance from the Bills’ fan base and enters his fourth season on the sidelines at The Ralph.


But what does this team have to do in order to get back on top and finally compete with the New England Patriots for the AFC East crown? Today, I am all about Buffalo as I try to figure out a way the Bills can make a run into January.


Getting Back on Top


1. Play more Cover 1 on defense

One of the knocks against the Bills’ defense is its inability to stop the run. In ’08, the Bills gave up more than 121 yards a game on the ground, and a lot of that was attributed to their failure to play solid run defense in their Tampa 2 scheme, which is a seven-man front. Buffalo has the talent at corner in Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Ashton Youboty to play man-to-man with safety help, and safety Donte Whitner has good enough feet to match up against a No. 3 receiver in the slot.


If I were the Bills, I would move Whitner to free safety (where he can make more plays), thus moving Bryan Scott into the starting lineup at strong safety and becoming more of an eight-man-front team that brings pressure and plays man coverage in the back end. Stop the run and take your chances with McGee and McKelvin...


http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Five-ways-the-Bills-can-rise.html

[madness]

Don’t agree with all of Bowen’s assessments (http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2009/07/08/dont-agree-with-all-of-bowens-assessments/)

By Chris Brown - Posted July 8th, 2009

National Football Post columnist and former Bills safety Matt Bowen (though a leg injury cost him his only season in Buffalo) put together his five ways that the Bills can make the playoffs this year.
While I share his enthusiasm, I don’t completely agree with some of his assessments (http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Five-ways-the-Bills-can-rise.html).
First, regarding his stance that Buffalo has to play more man-to-man defense on the back end. I’ll be the first to say I’d like to see more press coverage, than painfully watch talents like Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin giving WRs a 10-yard cushion.
Even McGee himself felt they should be playing more press coverage. But I think the reason Perry Fewell had his guys play off so much was because his four man pass rush couldn’t get home, and 24 sacks last season serves as proof.
As good as McGee and McKelvin are asking them to cover man-to-man for more than four seconds is unrealistic. I think until Fewell sees that Schobel and Maybin can consistently make the four man front work, you won’t see a whole lot more man coverage calls.
I agree wholeheartedly with his second point about getting T.O. involved, but that’s kind of a no brainer. He’s right about the coverages though (lots of cover-2 and 2-man). I just hope that Trent doesn’t just settle for working underneath with Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish when he sees that. Reed and Parrish are great weapons in the middle of the field, but Trent has to throw some passes into the teeth of the defense because he has proven playmakers in Owens and Evans who can work the deep middle and both fight for the ball.
Bowen’s right about Jackson and Rhodes. I think together they can hold the fort while Lynch serves his suspension.
He’s dead on with his pass rush point, and Fewell knows how to be creative with his blitzes and creeper LB packages. He’s been forced to use it the past two seasons, so he’ll be ready if he has to go into his bag of tricks again.
The home field advantage point is a tricky one. The Super Bowl era Bills of the early 90’s reveled in the winter weather they had at home and used it to their advantage. I know there are a lot of fans that would like to see the current Bills make better use of that advantage.
The only problem is the only teams on the schedule slated to come to the Ralph when the weather begins to affect games and might not be accustomed to it are Miami (Nov. 29) and Indy (Jan. 3). The only other home games on the back end of the slate are two northeast based teams in the Jets and Patriots and Buffalo is playing New York in Toronto on Dec. 3.
So while I respect Bowen’s opinion in most cases, points one and five have some caveats.

[bigbub2352]

It all comes down to coaching we still got Fewell Turk and Skeletor who constantly and consistently get out coached

[jamze132]

Am I the only person on this entire MB that thinks Scott sucks ass? He shouldn't be starting. I know there are absolutely no options other than to have Whitner play SS and throw the Byrd kid at FS.

[Ebenezer]

Am I the only person on this entire MB that thinks Scott sucks ass? He shouldn't be starting. I know there are absolutely no options other than to have Whitner play SS and throw the Byrd kid at FS.
I don't disagree with you.

[jamze132]

I don't disagree with you.
:buddies:

[patmoran2006]

Am I the only person on this entire MB that thinks Scott sucks ass? He shouldn't be starting. I know there are absolutely no options other than to have Whitner play SS and throw the Byrd kid at FS.
That is what I, and I would suspect the Bills by drafting him in Rd 2, are expecting to do.

[yordad]

Thanks Madness. Interesting articles. I can't disagree with Bowen or Brown's tweaking of Bowen's assessment.

I don't think Scott is all that bad. He was our best blitzing safety. He was physical in run support. He matches up well with big, pass-catching tight ends. His range in the passing game isn't the greatest though. In the end, Byrd may provide more big play potential, and I doubt Whitner is hitting the pine.

[Pinkerton Security]

Way #6 the Bills can rise: Levitre...oooh its just so easy!!