madness
07-08-2009, 09:57 AM
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
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