Before you all jump off a cliff

[Ingtar33]

it's just pre-season.

that said.. i finally am getting a chance to watch the game against greenbay in NFL Network, and i have some thoughts about what i was seeing.

1) the packers obviously game planned for buffalo. they are running a full NFL season game defense against the bills offense, and are trying to exploit matchups against the defense.

the bills clearly are running basic defense packages... and while i've not had enough of a chance to see their offense in action, it looks pretty basic there too. i doubt they even looked at a single game tape about the packers.

this is why you never pay attention to the final score in preseason. different teams take it differently. Some teams don't gameplan. some do. the packers have a new coach, with a new system, and it's clear he wants to get them comfortable running it.

2) Defense: the outside linebackers on our team are atrocious. Both Mitchell and Ellison looked terrible, worse then usual. I counted at least 5 plays Ellison blew, with another 7 by Mitchell. that's horrendous for such a short time on the field. Our DT's looked fine, Denney and Schobel looked poor, and Scott (5 bad plays) shouldn't be on the field.

3) Eric Wood had a bad day. (it wasn't as bad as a few of the plays looked, but it wasn't good either)

4) the o-line as a whole was not terrible, they're getting to the 2nd level far better then they did last year. Walker doesn't look like he'll work at LT, i really hope im wrong, but he was the weakest link yesterday (it wasn't Wood), and i have serious doubt about butler at right tackle. (He was almost as bad)

5) Edwards (im going to ignore how lost he looked.. as i said the Packers clearly game planned for the bills so he was going to look a little lost reguardless) was off target all day. He was uncharacteristically inaccurate. Throw in the complex defense schemes he was facing.. and a rough day by the o-line and you have a terrible day in the works.


Conclusion from the first quarter and part of the 2nd.

overall i was more concerned with the play of our OLBs Mitchell and Ellison then i was with anything else. they were terrible in both pass and run coverage. So bad it was almost like the team was fielding 9 players on defense.

[Jaybird]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

I find that Kawika always takes bad angles.. good player, but im not a fan!!!

[Tatonka]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

we have to get nick harris in there.

[Hemlepp53]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

Agreed. The Defense looked ready for a reg season game. Raji was a monster up front in the pass rush. I am not too worried about what i saw ouside of the OLine getting man handled. Regardless of what GB d cordinator planned for that was inexcusable .... the o line got their asses beat 80% of the time.

Offesnse wise.. we most likely showed 10% of the playbook and we didnt have TO. If we play TO the D cant bring everyone in to presure the line and backs. Our WR corps will pull the D into pass protection a majority of the time in reg season games. All we need to do is establish the run early and build off that. Yes I know the run game was weak but we need to beat it up the middle and dump on short passes for the first several plays to tighten the D Line up then we air it out with TO and Evans.... Or TE group will make that much easier if they get involved early.

[Oldbillsfan]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

Im hoping the team has a plan to score a lot and win opening day. The deer in the headlights look by Edwards is not good though.

[Hemlepp53]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

The deer in the headlights look by Edwards is not good though.

That look was because as he admited the coaching staff didn't prepare them AT ALL for this game. Its insane and i cant accept a HC in the NFL would do zero game planning. That has to be the case... Trent had no time and not a clue what to do. Everywhere he looked he saw coverage and pass rushing... not what DICK needs this year.... But again Preseason and we will see the real deal by week 3 this season...

[mysticsoto]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

it's just pre-season.

that said.. i finally am getting a chance to watch the game against greenbay in NFL Network, and i have some thoughts about what i was seeing.

1) the packers obviously game planned for buffalo. they are running a full NFL season game defense against the bills offense, and are trying to exploit matchups against the defense.

the bills clearly are running basic defense packages... and while i've not had enough of a chance to see their offense in action, it looks pretty basic there too. i doubt they even looked at a single game tape about the packers.

this is why you never pay attention to the final score in preseason. different teams take it differently. Some teams don't gameplan. some do. the packers have a new coach, with a new system, and it's clear he wants to get them comfortable running it.

2) Defense: the outside linebackers on our team are atrocious. Both Mitchell and Ellison looked terrible, worse then usual. I counted at least 5 plays Ellison blew, with another 7 by Mitchell. that's horrendous for such a short time on the field. Our DT's looked fine, Denney and Schobel looked poor, and Scott (5 bad plays) shouldn't be on the field.

3) Eric Wood had a bad day. (it wasn't as bad as a few of the plays looked, but it wasn't good either)

4) the o-line as a whole was not terrible, they're getting to the 2nd level far better then they did last year. Walker doesn't look like he'll work at LT, i really hope im wrong, but he was the weakest link yesterday (it wasn't Wood), and i have serious doubt about butler at right tackle. (He was almost as bad)

5) Edwards (im going to ignore how lost he looked.. as i said the Packers clearly game planned for the bills so he was going to look a little lost reguardless) was off target all day. He was uncharacteristically inaccurate. Throw in the complex defense schemes he was facing.. and a rough day by the o-line and you have a terrible day in the works.


Conclusion from the first quarter and part of the 2nd.

overall i was more concerned with the play of our OLBs Mitchell and Ellison then i was with anything else. they were terrible in both pass and run coverage. So bad it was almost like the team was fielding 9 players on defense.

I don't have a problem with us not game planning or watching tape on specific GB players...I do have a problem with the coaches not practicing against 3-4 formations when most of the games in the season will be facing 3-4 teams. Our new Oline needs to be intimately familiar with how to handle it and everybody, Trent included, was lost out there. Blitz pickup was horrible...everything. We face the Patriots on Monday night to start in front of the whole nation and here we are, completely clueless and not practicing against 3-4, despite it being a perfect opportunity to get our players some experience against it. You need to add horrible coaching to your list of problems you saw...

[BuffaloRanger]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

I am not overreating based on a preseason game. Going back to last season, I have zero faith in the Bills coaches and I highly doubt there's 80% of the playbook they are holding back for the regular season. Failure to move the ball thru air was reminiscent of the Browns game last year. After that game Edwards said the same crap. "WRs weren't getting open." Attention Coaches: Your plays obviously suck, change things up.

TO should help. And Trent can run the no-huddle - OK got it. But if the plays suck and the WRs STILL can't get open, then it's going to be a long season.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

Please don't discourage some folks Ingtar...

[BuffaloRanger]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

I don't have a problem with us not game planning or watching tape on specific GB players...I do have a problem with the coaches not practicing against 3-4 formations when most of the games in the season will be facing 3-4 teams. Our new Oline needs to be intimately familiar with how to handle it and everybody, Trent included, was lost out there. Blitz pickup was horrible...everything. We face the Patriots on Monday night to start in front of the whole nation and here we are, completely clueless and not practicing against 3-4, despite it being a perfect opportunity to get our players some experience against it. You need to add horrible coaching to your list of problems you saw...

EXACTLY!! The coaches knew GB was bringing the 3-4. The same 3-4 that the rest of the AFC East uses. The same 3-4 that the Bills were 1-9 against last season. Why not take advantage of the opportunity and prepare for it? But no. The Bills practiced against a 4-3 all week and then were mystified when the blitzes came out of the 3-4. What were they thinking?

They will look even worse against the an experienced Steelers 3-4 this week if they don't practice for it. Oh but wait, the Bills Coaches don't want to reveal any of their crappy plays before the season starts.

If they fail to practice against the scout team 3-4 this week and treat the 1st half against the Steelers like a direct warm-up for the Pats game then we have no choice but to question the competency of Dick & Co.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

on opening day we are playing a team who's coach is one of the best at creating game plans and making game day adjustments at their home.

Peyton, Brady and the better teams with better qb's are staying longer on the field during preseason games. We're unproven and have a new OL. I think Trent should be one the field longer and stop trying to look like Rob Johnson out there.

[TigerJ]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

The thing I find most worrisome is that after having struggled against 3-4 defenses last season, Buffalo has apparently done nothing in preseason to address the situation, this from Trent Edwards' own post game comments.

On the other side of the ledger, Buffalo's scrubs looked better than Green Bay's scrubs.

[Kenny]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

Im worried. Dont care if it's just preseason, -this team needs to show something.

Im tired of people saying, **** it... it's just preseason, -it doesnt mean anything. It's one thing if we know the team could compete with the likes of the Steelers, Pats, etc... then fine, I'd be the first to just say the hell with it.... preseason mean's nothing.
But this team cant beat anyone, -other than the bottom feeders of this league. We went 0-6 vs. our division, and I dont see that changing this year.

And I dont know if any if you guys checked, -but we dont have that cakewalk schedule we did the first half of last year. We arent going to go 5-1 to start the season... Trent isnt going to look like an MVP.
The fact that we've been embarassed everytime we play against the 3-4, yet the coaches feel best to just 'wing' it when we play against it just pisses me off.

And the worst thing? we get to start all over again with a new coaching regime and QB in 2010.

[Prov401]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

we have to get nick harris in there.

Absolutley. Mitchell isn't good, and Poz is our only solid starting LB at this point.

[Prov401]

Re: Before you all jump off a cliff

In reply to this thread, I'm jumping off a cliff. Honestly, I'm usually biased and filled with homerism, but this year, I'm taking the realist approach. We're going 7-9. I think we are going to see what we saw with Bledsoe his first year. We'll lose games 34-31, 41-31, and so on. Our O will carry the team, and our D will let us down. We have NO pass rush what-so-ever. Give any NFL QB 7 seconds to throw the ball, I don't care if you have Ty Law and Champ Bailey in their primes on each side of the field, passes will get completed. And sometimes it seems we give the QB an eternity to throw the ball. Games are won in the trenches, fact. We don't have the trenches this year, on either side of the ball. Trent may have a short season if we can't find out what we're doing at the Tackle positions. And last night's game, I truly believe Edwards had no confidence in his blind side at all.