Our Lack of Speed on Offense Really Frightens Me

[Jan Reimers]

The Jets' defense was pretty much up on the line of scrimmage the entire game. I think other teams will play us that way more and more because we have no one that can really get downfield.

We had only three speed burners in camp, and Evans was dumped, Parrish is injured as usual, and Spiller hardly ever touches the ball. So we have posession type receivers (Chandler, Nelson and Roosevelt), plus two guys with average speed in Johnson and Jones, and a glider in Jackson. No real deep threats.

I think we truly saw the negative results of that yesterday.

We either have to get Spiller more involved, or wait to draft/sign some speed next year. These next 8 games could really be a drag if all we can do is plug away with short stuff over the middle and to the sidelines, when everyone knows that's really all we can do.

[2slowtogofast]

I agree lets see some more of spiller. If not as a RB the as a WR. Put that 1st rounder to good use.

[better days]

The good news is the Bills will face few if any defenses as they did Sunday. I agree Spiller has to be more of a factor.

When Nix drafted him, he said the Bills needed a playmaker, time to let him make some plays.

[psubills62]

It is a concern, but I'm not all that worried about it. The Jets (and Eagles) are two of the teams that can beat us like that. In my opinion, most teams don't have good enough CB's to stop our short passing game even if they press. Our WR's have their faults, certainly, but they're very effective in beating CB's on the short routes.

[jdbillsfan]

I love Fred and he needs touches, but Spiller needs more than 1 carry a game. Even as a decoy on the field, the defense has to account for him.

[BillyT92679]

Jones runs about a 4.42 40 so he isn't slow really. But he's still recovering from his injury.

Also I think all these o line injuries are finally catching up to them... they need Levitre back at guard and Bell back at tackle, or at least Hairston full time.

I'm seeing much more pressure and much worse protection for Fitz than before.

[ddaryl]

The Jets have some of the best CB's in this league. Probably should give some credit where credit is due

[methos4ever]

The Jets' defense was pretty much up on the line of scrimmage the entire game. I think other teams will play us that way more and more because we have no one that can really get downfield.

We had only three speed burners in camp, and Evans was dumped, Parrish is injured as usual, and Spiller hardly ever touches the ball. So we have posession type receivers (Chandler, Nelson and Roosevelt), plus two guys with average speed in Johnson and Jones, and a glider in Jackson. No real deep threats.

I think we truly saw the negative results of that yesterday.

We either have to get Spiller more involved, or wait to draft/sign some speed next year. These next 8 games could really be a drag if all we can do is plug away with short stuff over the middle and to the sidelines, when everyone knows that's really all we can do.
I think like boxing analysts usually say, "styles make fights". Our offense isn't smoke and mirrors - it's an effective horizontal passing game. If you look at the Jets, they match up well to that thanks to their corner play (and refs ignoring pi), zone dogs and faking pressure and sneaky "traps" built into their blitzes. Even if Rex faxes Rob the same gameplan, they don't have the defensive backs to do it. The Jets truly are the only team on defense right now in the AFC that is built to completely neutralize our offense.

HOWEVER, it doesn't help when Chan deviates from who they are because of that factor. As the end of the game showed, Stevie can beat Revis if you give him a chance. Fred can run the same screens. We just had to be more creative with said wrinkles in our offense, instead of playing close to the vest ala vs Philly.

You're right with speed though, I think we need to draft or sign a guy that's close to Evans was in speed but either a little bigger (like a Meachem) or quicker (like Royal on Denver).

[Philagape]

We just had to be more creative with said wrinkles in our offense, instead of playing close to the vest ala vs Philly.

I was thinking yesterday that the Bills showed very little creativity. It's hard to believe the couldn't get Jones, Chandler, Roosevelt, Spiller, etc., more involved, like they've been doing all year. I expect an offensive mind like Chan's to find a way to exploit a defense and make adjustments, but they didn't until it was garbage time. Chan himself said as much after the game.
I also expect a more accurate game from Fitz, and he was just off in every way yesterday.

[justasportsfan]

The blueprint is there vs. the bills. Control the short to medium passing game and have Fitz beat you downfield. Jones is unproven , Stevie can be controlled vertically and Fitz doesn't have a great deep ball.

Fitz vertical game will best be served with a wr like Fitzgerald or a Calvin Johnson.

[psubills62]

The blueprint is there vs. the bills. Control the short to medium passing game and have Fitz beat you downfield. Jones is unproven , Stevie can be controlled vertically and Fitz doesn't have a great deep ball.

Fitz vertical game will best be served with a wr like Fitzgerald or a Calvin Johnson.
I agree that we need a vertical passing game and a stud WR. However, I don't think the short to medium passing game is so easily controlled. Just because one or two teams can stop it doesn't mean all of them can. The blueprint is there, but execution is another matter.

Blueprint has been there to beat the Pats ever since the Giants did it. Doesn't mean teams have necessarily had success.

[PTI]

Before yesterday the Bills allowed less points then the Jets did on defense. Bills have allowed 11 more points then the Jets have.

[justasportsfan]

I agree that we need a vertical passing game and a stud WR. However, I don't think the short to medium passing game is so easily controlled. Just because one or two teams can stop it doesn't mean all of them can. The blueprint is there, but execution is another matter.

Blueprint has been there to beat the Pats ever since the Giants did it. Doesn't mean teams have necessarily had success.

I agree. Talent has to be there. Defenses would have to have a DRC and a Revis to stop our vertical game. Not everyone can do what they did . Just merely pointing out our weakness which is a lack of vertical passing game.

[kishoph]

More SPILLER.

[Night Train]

Outside of the running game, the Bills are throwing quick slants and screen passes...and little else.

Game film doesn't lie and the Jets have the athletes to match up one on one, meaning they can fill the box with bodies. Doesn't leave much open area and it makes the Bills O null and void.

They tried some deep balls yesterday but the coverage was smothering. More rollouts and sweeps should be introduced. Bills were very predictable yesterday and Fitz just can't sit in a deep pocket, playing right into the hands of the D. Never mixed it up to take the Jets out of their D and throw them off balance.

Not sure any burner would make a bit of difference, as Fitz is limited in his ability to throw the true long ball.

[OpIv37]

The Jets have some of the best CB's in this league. Probably should give some credit where credit is due

I am really, really sick of this mentality.

"Don't blame the Bills- the other team is good!'

News flash: if we are ever going to make the playoffs or- God forbid- win the Super Bowl, we are going to have to beat good teams. We can't keep hiding behind "the other team is good" or "the other team played well."

[PTI]

I am really, really sick of this mentality.

"Don't blame the Bills- the other team is good!'

News flash: if we are ever going to make the playoffs or- God forbid- win the Super Bowl, we are going to have to beat good teams. We can't keep hiding behind "the other team is good" or "the other team played well."

I am so sick of that too, it is little league. I am also sick of hearing, "well, we have all these undrafted and 7th rounders and they have first rounders".....blah, blah, blah.

[psubills62]

I am really, really sick of this mentality.

"Don't blame the Bills- the other team is good!'

News flash: if we are ever going to make the playoffs or- God forbid- win the Super Bowl, we are going to have to beat good teams. We can't keep hiding behind "the other team is good" or "the other team played well."
Here's a newsflash: we're still rebuilding, only second year of that. The Bills didn't add any personnel to the offense in the offseason outside of Hairston. People are only saying that the Jets are better because they are - they're more talented overall and a great matchup against us, mostly because they're built to beat the Patriots and we run a similar offense to the Patriots.

I still expect this team to win and to beat good teams. It's not "hiding behind" anything to say that the other team is more talented, they executed better, and they had the upper hand in matchups. Sometimes that happens, it doesn't change the fact that this team is doing well and still should do well against other teams.

[psubills62]

I am so sick of that too, it is little league. I am also sick of hearing, "well, we have all these undrafted and 7th rounders and they have first rounders".....blah, blah, blah.
Because you expected Steve Johnson, David Nelson, and Donald Jones to outperform Revis, Cromartie and Kyle Wilson?

[PTI]

Because you expected Steve Johnson, David Nelson, and Donald Jones to outperform Revis, Cromartie and Kyle Wilson?

They should really just play Madden, I am not sure why they get on the field with Revis, Cromartie, and Wilson.

[Philagape]

Outside of the running game, the Bills are throwing quick slants and screen passes...and little else.

Game film doesn't lie and the Jets have the athletes to match up one on one, meaning they can fill the box with bodies. Doesn't leave much open area and it makes the Bills O null and void.

They tried some deep balls yesterday but the coverage was smothering. More rollouts and sweeps should be introduced. Bills were very predictable yesterday and Fitz just can't sit in a deep pocket, playing right into the hands of the D. Never mixed it up to take the Jets out of their D and throw them off balance.

Not sure any burner would make a bit of difference, as Fitz is limited in his ability to throw the true long ball.

It's not the long ball I wanted to see, it was the 15-20-yard intermediates that Fitz has been pretty good at. Just enough past the box while still in a relatively high percentage area. Deep outs and skinny posts. That's what makes a good passing game, not the bombs.

[DraftBoy]

Our lack of speed on both sides of the ball frightens me.

[Bill Cody]

We had only three speed burners in camp, and Evans was dumped.

We're going to use that 4th we got to get a player. Stay tuned.

[djjimkelly]

we can get mad or make this excuse or that excuse

the bottom line is simple

chan is making our untalented guys look better then they are

we need more players 1 or 2 more drafts

and a few key FA signings

jones and nelson are not real 2 and 3

i like nelson as a specialist in the O but not as our #2

[stuckincincy]

Our lack of speed on both sides of the ball frightens me.

Uh Oh.

Don't stoke up the Spiller-as-WR crowd.

[Jan Reimers]

Uh Oh.

Don't stoke up the Spiller-as-WR crowd.
I kind of agree with you, but the Spiller-as-RB thing isn't really working, and he's the only guy on the offense with elite speed.

I'd just like him to touch the ball more, in some capacity, to try to keep opposing defenses a little more honest.

[OpIv37]

we can get mad or make this excuse or that excuse

the bottom line is simple

chan is making our untalented guys look better then they are

we need more players 1 or 2 more drafts

and a few key FA signings

jones and nelson are not real 2 and 3

i like nelson as a specialist in the O but not as our #2

That cluster**** was making them look better than they are?

[Jan Reimers]

It's not the long ball I wanted to see, it was the 15-20-yard intermediates that Fitz has been pretty good at. Just enough past the box while still in a relatively high percentage area. Deep outs and skinny posts. That's what makes a good passing game, not the bombs.
The occasional bomb loosens up defenses and allows the rest of the passing game a little more room to operate.

[YardRat]

We could use a flat-out flier on the outside, just to add that dimension on to the field. Put Spiller out wide and make him run sprints every other play.

[stuckincincy]

I kind of agree with you, but the Spiller-as-RB thing isn't really working, and he's the only guy on the offense with elite speed.

I'd just like him to touch the ball more, in some capacity, to try to keep opposing defenses a little more honest.

Well it's appealing - that speed - but he's a rb, and so probably won't show a wr's ability to separate, leap, and such.

I also remain surprised that they aren't putting him in now and then and running him between the tackles - he's near 6 foot, near 200 lb - that works.

Unless he's a total liability in the backfield re blocking (dunno - we never see the Bills here in CIN).

Maybe that's it - there surely has to be some flaw in him that keeps him on the pine.

[TigerJ]

I agree with you in some respects Jan, but it may not be quite as bad as you suggest. That is to say, Buffalo does lack speed at WR, no question, but Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are probably as good a CB tandem as you'll find in the NFL. They were able to stick to Buffalo's WRs like glue. I don't think there are many teams in the NFL that can be as effective at preventing Buffalo WRs from gaining separation. I'm not suggesting Buffalo shouldn't address the speed issue at WR, but I just don't think that every team Buffalo faces is going to have the personnel to be able to shut Buffalo down the way the Jets did.