Our defense rocks!!!

[justasportsfan]

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=2&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&conference=ALL&role=OPP&season=2011&seasonType=PRE&d-447263-s=TOTAL_YARDS_GAME_AVG&d-447263-o=1&d-447263-n=1

[better days]

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=2&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&conference=ALL&role=OPP&season=2011&seasonType=PRE&d-447263-s=TOTAL_YARDS_GAME_AVG&d-447263-o=1&d-447263-n=1

Not top 10 like the old days, but I'll take it! MUCH BETTER than last year. Now if they finish that high at the end of the real season, I think you will see this team put up some wins.

[ddaryl]

much much improved....

[psubills62]

I'd like to see what our run defense looks like through 4 quarters. If they can maintain what they started in preseason (correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe any starting run O averaged more than 4 YPC against ), we could be pretty good.

[sdbillsfan2]

Baltimore is at 21 and Pittsburgh at 30 .....I'd still like my chances with those line ups over ours. plus N.E. and the Jets rank ahead of us. I don't see much to get overly excited about until our d earns us some wins.

[ZAZusmc03]

CHAMPIONSHIP!!

I don't think i've used that before, so im glad I took the opportunity.

[HAMMER]

Top 10 defense this year, top 12 offense, 10-6 record.

[BillsWin]

Bills D cost them games last season. Imagine if they have a competitive defense. Those embarrassing losses become competitive games... Fitz is slinging the pigskin... 8 wins....

[Beebe's Kid]

This is just another example of how cheap Ralph is, and how inept Buddy and Chan are. i need to mention Ohlendorf and Brandon too, no real understanding of how they are implicated is necessary.

Wait. You are saying nice things, we need OP here as soon as possible!

[Ickybaluky]

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=2&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&conference=ALL&role=OPP&season=2011&seasonType=PRE&d-447263-s=TOTAL_YARDS_GAME_AVG&d-447263-o=1&d-447263-n=1

Yeah, but look at last year:

LINK (http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=true&conference=null&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&season=2010&seasonType=PRE&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go)

The Carolina Panthers were the number 1 preseason defense a year ago.

[justasportsfan]

Yeah, but look at last year:

LINK (http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=true&conference=null&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&season=2010&seasonType=PRE&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Go)

The Carolina Panthers were the number 1 preseason defense a year ago.

you just had to rain on our parade even if it's just dress rehearsal didn't you?

[Ickybaluky]

you just had to rain on our parade even if it's just dress rehearsal didn't you?

Sorry. Kind of hard to resist the arrogant a-hole persona that goes with being a Patriots fan. Maybe when the team sucks again I'll be nicer.

[justasportsfan]

Sorry. Kind of hard to resist the arrogant a-hole persona that goes with being a Patriots fan. Maybe when the team sucks again I'll be nicer.
Na that persona still belongs to finfans.

[The last buffalo fan]

Na that persona still belongs to finfans.

and we have another one too! :up:

[HAMMER]

Mazzhole.

[superbills]

Regardless of the "meaningless pre-season" stats, one of those columns is quite promising if it holds over into the regular season...holding offenses to 38% conversion rate on 3rd down. Third down has been this defense's Achilles heal for years and if we can parlay our preseason success into actual game situations, we may actually be able to force teams to punt once in a while!

[alohabillsfan]

its just nice to have a bigger stronger defense. I watching the colts play and well lets just say i dont miss the tampa 2.

[BillsFever21]

Big difference from the regular and preseason. It's ridiculous to try and translate any of it as a sure thing as far as the regular season goes.

[Oaf]

Maybe when the team sucks again I'll be nicer.

.... now?

[kishoph]

Going into the season, I'm happy with the Defense, if they (especially MERRIMAN) can stay healthy, I think it can be a top tier Defense.

[BillsFever21]

Going into the season, I'm happy with the Defense, if they (especially MERRIMAN) can stay healthy, I think it can be a top tier Defense.

IF Merriman is healthy and plays like the guy from 4 years ago when he was juiced up it will vastly improve our defense but it still wouldn't make it a top tier defense just on that alone. If he is healthy but is just an average player and a shadow of that juiced up guy from several years ago then his presence wouldn't really improve our defense that much if at all.

Our defense was so bad last year it will take more to come together then just a healthy Merriman even if he was back to his "Lights Out" form which I doubt we will see that again. If he can be an above average player that can stay healthy all year for us and give us a pass rushing threat and 6-8 sacks a year I would consider that an accomplishment. He hasn't been able to stay healthy let alone do anything special in several years since he got busted for juicing up. If not for his couple good seasons while juiced up after joining the league he probably wouldn't even be in football anymore. He hasn't proved he can be that player again or without steroids. He is getting another chance from the couple good seasons and the Bills are hoping they hit the lottery with it.

Now if Merriman returned to his production from his early juiced up days, Dareus is the real deal and catches on quick, Barnett turns out to be a steady MLB and close the player he was a couple years ago, a light actually turns on in McKelvin's head and he finally plays like the player we hoped when we drafted him along with everyone else staying on par from where they were last year we could be a Top 10-15 defense overall this season and a defense on the rise since we are young at a lot of positions.

I don't mean in just the yards allowed rankings which they go by but overall as far as points against, sacks, turnovers and 3rd down conversion rate along with our rush and pass defense being acceptable. Them are the biggest stats to look at. Our defense was so bad and so far behind last year it's going to take drastic improvements from them few key players along with the rest of the guys staying on par from last year. Unless we get some forces who can be playmakers then our defense will be average at best.

You need at least one dominant DL, pass rushing LB and cover CB along with the supporting cast playing decent football alongside of them to even think about becoming a top tier defense. Without a line that can stop the run and a DL/LB(s) who are able to put pressure on the QB and good cover corner backs you can't be a top tier defense. Maybe middle of the pack but not a top tier defense that changes games.

With the way the NFL has transformed into a passing game with all the rule changes to favor it if you don't have a couple good cover CB's then you are really behind the ball. Them are almost considered one of the most important positions right now. If you can have a dominant shutdown CB like Revis along with another decent guy playing next to him it can help your defense become a top tier defense right there. Guys like him shutdown the top WR's and takes away the entire side of the field from the passing game for the most part.

You need a decent run defense to go along with it but you also need to stop the pass even more nowadays. The running game can help move the chains but you score most of your points from the passing game. Odds are the more plays it takes you to get downfield your drive will eventually stall or end up with a FG. There is a reason why they are paying great CB's 15-20 million a year now.

Now if your run defense is just flat out terrible and you don't have a pass rush like us last year then it doesn't matter because they can run the ball all over you. A dominant run defense helps but you definitely have to be able to stop the explosive passing games in the NFL now. We don't really have a shutdown corner(s) and we have a new SS that isn't even average right now. If our line can't stop the run and create pressure on the QB then our secondary could get ripped to shreds this year and our defense won't be much improved overall this season.

[kishoph]

IF Merriman is healthy and plays like the guy from 4 years ago when he was juiced up it will vastly improve our defense but it still wouldn't make it a top tier defense just on that alone. If he is healthy but is just an average player and a shadow of that juiced up guy from several years ago then his presence wouldn't really improve our defense that much if at all.





There's no doubt that it will take more than just MERRIMAN, but I'm optimistic that our biggest weakness from last season, the rush Defense, will be much improved. With the bulked up Defensive line and the addition of DAREUS, it's going to be harder to just out muscle those guys, plus having a year in the system will also help. The pass Defense was not really bad last year, of course that was helped by the fact that teams just ran on us, but even so the pass Defense is better than average and that will benefit even more from an increased pass rush. Better coverage from the LB's also seems like a possibility, since POZ was a liability in coverage and it's suppose to be one of BARNETT's strengths. Hopefully MERRIMAN can be the "star" in this Defense, but there's other bright spots on it and I think it will be night and day from last year. As far as "top tier" I'm considering that in the top ten and I don't think that's far from possible.

[BillsFever21]

There's no doubt that it will take more than just MERRIMAN, but I'm optimistic that our biggest weakness from last season, the rush Defense, will be much improved. With the bulked up Defensive line and the addition of DAREUS, it's going to be harder to just out muscle those guys, plus having a year in the system will also help. The pass Defense was not really bad last year, of course that was helped by the fact that teams just ran on us, but even so the pass Defense is better than average and that will benefit even more from an increased pass rush. Better coverage from the LB's also seems like a possibility, since POZ was a liability in coverage and it's suppose to be one of BARNETT's strengths. Hopefully MERRIMAN can be the "star" in this Defense, but there's other bright spots on it and I think it will be night and day from last year. As far as "top tier" I'm considering that in the top ten and I don't think that's far from possible.

Our pass coverage wasn't that great. I lost count how many times on 3rd down they had a chance to get off the field but couldn't prevent the other team from getting the first down. They also didn't create many turnovers and interceptions.

Our overall pass yardage against was ranked 3rd because teams just ran the ball down our throats. On way too many occasions though when we did hold teams to 3rd and intermediate/long they couldn't stop them and would prolong the drives. They were ranked 28th in interceptions and only had two more then the worst team.

Our pass defense wasn't bad but far from good. Had the teams needed to pass more they could have easily done it but our run defense was just that bad. We don't have a dominant CB and you need good ones. We have average ones and that's it. Our pass defense gave up a pretty good share of TD passes, big plays and tons of penalties especially Drayton Florence. I lost count how many pass interference penalties he had.

We had the worse rush defense in the league but you also don't rank 28th in points allowed without giving up your share of TD's in the passing game in the redzone when it counts. Even with how bad our run defense is most of the cases teams just can't run the ball for TD's most of the time once you reach the outside of the redzone or in the redzone. For the few times teams needed to pass against us when it mattered our pass defense didn't come through.

We drafted McKelvin with the hopes he would be a shutdown corner but of course it was another missed pick by the Bills. I'm just hoping he will be reliable and above average let alone a shutdown corner this season. Unless something totally changes that won't happen. You must have good CB's in the NFL now and they are highly valued. There's a reason why the number of CB's drafted high in the draft keep going up and teams will pay 15-20 million a year for them.