Something that really stood out at last week's game.....

[Dr. Lecter]

The Bills WR's are terrible at blocking, especially with Woods out of the line-up. They were not able to block the corners, especially Cromartie, at all. A number of times that Spiller tried to break the run to the outside, he was contained by a Jets CB after a whiffed block (Easley did this a few times).

Certainly the O-line (re: Legursky and Pears) had their issues too. However on more than one ocassion, had the Jets CB been blocked, Spiller could have had some room to get the edge and at least make a modest gain if not more.

[stuckincincy]

You blaspheme !!! :p:

[better days]

Well, do you think the fact the Jets have a TOP RATED Run Defense might have anything to do with that?

[Dr. Lecter]

Well, do you think the fact the Jets have a TOP RATED Run Defense might have anything to do with that?


It MIGHT. But I am JUST relaying what I SAW sitting at THE game last SUNDAY. The WR's had a pretty BAD day BLOCKING.

[jdaltroy5]

If you want speedy receivers, you're going to have to sacrifice something.

[better days]

It MIGHT. But I am JUST relaying what I SAW sitting at THE game last SUNDAY. The WR's had a pretty BAD day BLOCKING.

Well, I think there is NO DOUBT. You can blame a GREAT Jets defense for making the Bills WR's look terrible at blocking.

[stuckincincy]

Well, I think there is NO DOUBT. You can blame a GREAT Jets defense for making the Bills WR's look terrible at blocking.

Was that that great NYJ defense that gave up 20 straight points in the 2nd quarter, or another great NYJ defense?

[better days]

Was that that great NYJ defense that gave up 20 straight points in the 2nd quarter, or another great NYJ defense?

I was talking about the run defense, which is what this thread is about, that held the Bills to well under 100 yds for the game.

And even after the Bills game, the Jets have the # 8 defense overall.

[justasportsfan]

hard to block a cb when they are behind you ,trying to keep up.

[Dr. Lecter]

Well, in watching the blocking, the technique and positioning was terrible.

This might come as a shock to you, but sometimes actually watching what is happening at the game can be revealing.

[better days]

Well, in watching the blocking, the technique and positioning was terrible.

This might come as a shock to you, but sometimes actually watching what is happening at the game can be revealing.

I can only watch what is televised. What I saw on TV was Graham & Goodwin running past Jets CB's all game.

[stuckincincy]

Well, in watching the blocking, the technique and positioning was terrible.

This might come as a shock to you, but sometimes actually watching what is happening at the game can be revealing.

You will get nowhere here if you try to discuss nuance.

[Dr. Lecter]

And that is part of my point here.

[better days]

And that is part of my point here.

So, you would rather have the Bills waste an inordinate amount of time teaching SMALL YOUNG WR's how to block rather than spend as much time as possible teaching them how to get separation & run routes?

[justasportsfan]

Lecter thinks that Goodwin was running deep to make a block at the endzone when he caught that TD.

[justasportsfan]

Graham also blocked for himself which is why the db could tackle him on TJ's TD.

[Meathead]

i SAY we SHOULD being BACK josh REED

[stuckincincy]

So, you would rather have the Bills waste an inordinate amount of time teaching SMALL YOUNG WR's how to block rather than spend as much time as possible teaching them how to get separation & run routes?

Lecter said nothing about teaching, let alone an inordinate time of teaching.

And the Bills staff better teach these small, young receivers a thing or two about blocking. You have a poor chance at getting separation to run routes if you can't even fend off a db near the los, let alone aiding the run game. If these untrained small young twinkies play me, they will get a steady diet of forearms to the chest in the 5 yard zone - if they don't learn how to block.

[better days]

Lecter said nothing about teaching, let alone an inordinate time of teaching.

And the Bills staff better teach these small, young receivers a thing or two about blocking. You have a poor chance at getting separation to run routes if you can't even fend off a db near the los, let alone aiding the run game. If these untrained small young twinkies play me, they will get a steady diet of forearms to the chest in the 5 yard zone - if they don't learn how to block.

Getting separation & blocking are two entirely different things.

It did not look to me like either Graham or Goodwin had any problem getting separation against the Jets.

[BillsFever21]

So, you would rather have the Bills waste an inordinate amount of time teaching SMALL YOUNG WR's how to block rather than spend as much time as possible teaching them how to get separation & run routes?

WR's being able to block some is a big part of their game. Hines Ward was a small WR but he could block with the best of them and was a big reason for the Steelers success in their running game for all of them years. On many running plays and screen passes that's their job to try and block the DB's. They don't need to be great but they need to be serviceable. Them being able to block a defender even for a short period of time can be the difference from springing a run or getting tackled for a short gain or a loss. If they didn't block the DB's then they could just run wild into the backfield and on the corners to stop the RB's.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Spiller only has 4 games all season where he has averaged more then 4ypc. He has 5 games where he didn't even average 3ypc. In the past 7 games Spiller has only averaged over 4ypc three times and Jackson only two times. Jackson has only averaged over 4ypc in 5 games this season.

Spiller only has 6 plays of 20 or more yards all season compared to 21 plays last year. He's averaging 2 less ypc then he did last year on the ground and his receiving average is less then half of what it was last season. He only has 1 pass play of 20 yards or more compared to 9 of them last year. He only has 1 TD compared to 8 last season.

There are several reasons for the loss of production and big plays out of Spiller. Part of it is losing Levitre, part of it is him and another major part of it is lack of blocking downfield to spring the bigger plays. Gailey also did a better job in the run/pass game with our RB's and had a better scheme. Our biggest playmaker last year has turned into just your everyday average RB this season.

We're in the top 5 in rushing yards this year only because we lead the league in rushing attempts per game. Our average ypc is only tied for 14th in the league at the moment at 4.1 yards per attempt and tied with 3 other teams. Last year our average yards per attempt was 5 yards and we were ranked 4th in the league in that category. The biggest strength of our game has been neutralized this season and it has hurt our team. We have went from a dominant running team last season to just a middle of the pack team this season.

Even the Jets are averaging more ypc then we are this season and is only 180 yards behind us with one less game and 61 less carries. After our bye this week they will be close to us and they have Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell as their RB's compared to Jackson and Spiller. Our running game has severely underachieved this season.

[YardRat]

Not too many young WR's, especially burners, come into the league adept at blocking, and it takes time to learn how to take on NFL cb's. Not surprising that this would be a weakness.

[Skooby]

I can only watch what is televised. What I saw on TV was Graham & Goodwin running past Jets CB's all game.

.....Getting open & scoring.