Bills lack of pass rush

[MattyNH]

In my opinion, the lack of a pass rush on defense is the biggest problem this team has. I know everyone is talking about Stevie Johnson and rightfully so but this team has absolutely no ability to get a pass rush. The team has 16 sacks on the season, of which 10 game against the Redskins. That was a great game but is probably more attributeable to the Redskins inept QB than the Bills defense. I say that because they have 6 sacks in the other 10 games this season. That is so horrendous!

Mark Sanchez has great days against the Bills and sucks against everyone else. Even Sanchez can make plays when he there is no pressure. He makes terrible decisions under pressure but against the Bills he can wait 3 or 4 full seconds with no rush.

This has been going on for like 5 years now and it has not been addressed successfully (Maybin, Merriman). It is not really fair to judge the DB's so harshly when there is no rush since no one can cover players all day.

[Forward_Lateral]

They need blitz packages that don't suck. Sending guys straight into the blockers makes no sense. They show their hand way too early with blitzes too. This all boils down to coaching, and scheme.

[justasportsfan]

we need a nasty DC and not a conservative one.

[Ed]

I agree. Pass rush is our biggest need and I expect it to be the top priority this off-season. Keep in mind though, we basically played this whole season without a healthy Kyle Williams. Getting him back next year will be a huge boost to this D that I think some people are overlooking.

[justasportsfan]

I agree. Pass rush is our biggest need and I expect it to be the top priority this off-season. Keep in mind though, we basically played this whole season without a healthy Kyle Williams. Getting him back next year will be a huge boost to this D that I think some people are overlooking.
A stud DE and lber is needed either via the draft and/or FA.

[Forward_Lateral]

Scrap this stupid idea of a 3-4 and go back to a 4-3 with Williams and Dareus in the middle.

[BertSquirtgum]

Hoepfully Nix doesn't take a nap before free agency and can fill this hole via free agency.

Defensive Line
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/dl.html

Linebacker
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/lb.html

[MattyNH]

They need blitz packages that don't suck. Sending guys straight into the blockers makes no sense. They show their hand way too early with blitzes too. This all boils down to coaching, and scheme.

I dont doubt that scheme/coaching is part of the problem but talent is also part of the problem. There is not one player injured or healthy who qualifies as a good edge rusher. I know some will say Merriman but he didnt show it when he was in there. They easily need two guys who can rush the passer from the edge. Inside they are fine with KW and Dareus.

Spencer Johnson and Carrington dont have the skills.

[EDS]

Hoepfully Nix doesn't take a nap before free agency and can fill this hole via free agency.

Defensive Line
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/dl.html

Linebacker
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/lb.html

That list of linebackers does not look too promising as far as pass rushers go - and I am going to go out on a limb and say Mario Williams is not a realistic option for the Bills.

[Forward_Lateral]

That's the problem when you have down linemen trying to stand up and play OLB. It rarely ever works.

Carrington and Johnson would be much more useful as ends in a 4-3 than as OLB in a 3-4.

[ServoBillieves]

Ashlee Palmer is a FA next season.

Get it done Ralph.

[justasportsfan]

Hoepfully Nix doesn't take a nap before free agency and can fill this hole via free agency.

Defensive Line
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/dl.html

Linebacker
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/lb.html


with Merriman likely done, who's going to be our recruiter. Barnett?

[YardRat]

The defensive line has the talent.
The LBers are out of position & lacking talent on the outside.
The DC sucks donkey balls.

A + B + C = no pass rush.

[better days]

Scrap this stupid idea of a 3-4 and go back to a 4-3 with Williams and Dareus in the middle.

I like the combo of both myself, the Bills just need a couple more players & a new DC as has been said.

[better days]

with Merriman likely done, who's going to be our recruiter. Barnett?

I think Barnett is a great man for that job.

[Philagape]

I shudder to imagine Chris Johnson running outside against Spencer Johnson or Carrington.

[Beebe's Kid]

Hoepfully Nix doesn't take a nap before free agency and can fill this hole via free agency.

Defensive Line
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/dl.html

Linebacker
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2012/fa/lb.html

I know it is inconvenient, but the CBA had everything ****ed up for FA's the past two years. With this year being a little more conventional, there will be more players available. Not only will there be more, but there will be younger players as well.

The last two years we could have signed aging players from a small group, which drove the prices up. We could have signed them at the beginning of a total rebuild, and then they would have had big contracts counting heavy against the cap, as well as being past their prime, when we finally were in a position to start winning.

It may have made many people here happy, but it would have been a bad move in rebuilding the team. I am sure that means little to anybody, but hopefully it translates into us having cap room to grab some impact veterans who are the missing, final pieces of a winning team, instead of the building blocks.

There are teams, who are fine examples of both options, and the teams that look to build around FA's have had far less success.

[DesertFox24]

Scrap this stupid idea of a 3-4 and go back to a 4-3 with Williams and Dareus in the middle.

We do not have the LBs or the DEs to play a 43.

We need to stay with a 34 and get some more OLBs that can get pressure.

Hopefully we can get Upshaw and probably another one in round 2.

To be honest I do not think we have a corner or ILB problem, we have a OLB problem.

We could also use one more DL at some point.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

We literally have no edge rush at all. its pathetic...

[RoscoeMagic]

The problem is this was priority #1 or at worst #2 going into last offseason (maybe you could say oline was #1, but I wouldn't). And what did we do to address it? Cross our fingers that Merriman returns to pro-bowl form, or cross our fingers that Batten/Moats turn into NFL players? Seriously, it was an atrocity we disregard the position after our anemic pass rush in 2010. If Buddy can't figure it out this offseason, I have doubts about the man.

[mrbojanglezs]

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p18/noamattd/brilliant.gif

[djjimkelly]

2 real OLbs and a new DC

[BertSquirtgum]

Well Edwards will most likely be fired and Wannstedt promoted. Then reverting back to the 4-3. So we should be looking for a 4-3 end(Robert Mathis) and a outside linebacker(Anthony Spencer). Burnett can be strong side linebacker and sheppard can handle the middle.

[BertSquirtgum]

Then they can draft a wide receiver first, cornerback second, and the rest should be all offensive line.

[Borosai]

The defensive scheme is the #1 problem. These guys just run straight upfield, right into the blocks. No creativity or disguise whatsoever.

Get a new DC. Strengthen the front seven with a nose and one or two OLBs (draft or free agency, BPA). That would be nice.

[jamze132]

George Edwards is the biggest liability. Who the **** puts Carrington or Johnson on the edge and gives him responsibility of contain? A fast RB will tear that **** up.

[EDS]

George Edwards is the biggest liability. Who the **** puts Carrington or Johnson on the edge and gives him responsibility of contain? A fast RB will tear that **** up.

Shouldn't be a problem with Chris Johnson . . .

[better days]

The problem is this was priority #1 or at worst #2 going into last offseason (maybe you could say oline was #1, but I wouldn't). And what did we do to address it? Cross our fingers that Merriman returns to pro-bowl form, or cross our fingers that Batten/Moats turn into NFL players? Seriously, it was an atrocity we disregard the position after our anemic pass rush in 2010. If Buddy can't figure it out this offseason, I have doubts about the man.

We all know the Bills don't have anyone that can rush the passer, but you would think they could get to the passer by using the blitz from time to time.

I think the fact they can't even get to the QB when they blitz is the fault of the DC. Edwards must go.

[BertSquirtgum]

If they stay with the 3-4 they could try and make a play for calais campbell.

[Ed]

I know it is inconvenient, but the CBA had everything ****ed up for FA's the past two years. With this year being a little more conventional, there will be more players available. Not only will there be more, but there will be younger players as well.

The last two years we could have signed aging players from a small group, which drove the prices up. We could have signed them at the beginning of a total rebuild, and then they would have had big contracts counting heavy against the cap, as well as being past their prime, when we finally were in a position to start winning.

It may have made many people here happy, but it would have been a bad move in rebuilding the team. I am sure that means little to anybody, but hopefully it translates into us having cap room to grab some impact veterans who are the missing, final pieces of a winning team, instead of the building blocks.

There are teams, who are fine examples of both options, and the teams that look to build around FA's have had far less success.
Good points. I think the Bills have positioned themselves pretty well to be players in free agency this year and it looks to be one of the better classes in years. Steve Johnson is our only really critical FA that we need to re-sign.

Buddy Nix has said that he's had to talk Ralph out of throwing big money at certain free agents in the past and maybe he did that with an eye to the future for the reasons you have mentioned. I think Buddy's plan is to build the core of the team through the draft, but be more strategic with free agency by adding the right players at the right time. If Buffalo can finish on a winning note, this team becomes a lot more attractive to free agents then it has been over the past couple seasons.

[BertSquirtgum]

After a 5-11 season, I don't know how attractive this team will be to any free agent.

[djjimkelly]

This has been going on for like 5 years now and it has not been addressed successfully (Maybin, Merriman). It is not really fair to judge the DB's so harshly when there is no rush since no one can cover players all day.


this is what ive been saying this year i think our secondary is actually solid including mckelvin

we need 2 OLBs

we remember a 3-4 requires guys like paup bennet and talley to be playing OLB

we do not have a guy who comes even close to fitting the bill currently

[dannyek71]

We need a pash rush and a LT. What else is new?

[better days]

this is what ive been saying this year i think our secondary is actually solid including mckelvin

we need 2 OLBs

we remember a 3-4 requires guys like paup bennet and talley to be playing OLB

we do not have a guy who comes even close to fitting the bill currently

Paup, that guy was an animal. It is just too bad he was a Bill for such a short time or people would think of him as one of the best Bills ever.