Defense Is Disappointing

[Night Train]

Kid Hackett is struggling on O... but Pettine needs to find more players that can stop the run and get off the field on 3rd down. Still think Kiko would be better at OLB in the long run, with a bigger MLB inside and another Monster DT next to Dareus.

I'll give Marrone the off-season to correct the many warts left to him... but if you cannot stop the run and get your D off the field on 3rd and long, you'll never win.

Roster changes coming by the boatload.

[YardRat]

They just need to stop the big plays from happening.

Take away the 80-yarder, and the rushing stats become a very respectable 35 carries for 85 yards, less than 2.5 yards per attempt. In the last two games, on all of the long TD runs, Alonso didn't get to the right gap or missed the tackle, and Byrd was caught on the wrong side of the field and couldn't close quick enough to attempt a tackle.

That being said, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a high pick on a DT, and a mid-rounder on another LB. Or pick them up in FA.

I think most of the roster changes are going to come on the offensive side of the ball.

[Historian]

Take away the 80-yarder, .

Ok Wys.

As soon as the first play went for 80 yards, I turned to my wife and said, "Game over."

She rolled her eyes at me.

I told her this is not the kind of team that bounces back from a play like that. All their wins were games they pretty much held the lead in.

Turned out to be pretty much true.

[colin]

our d needs some help in the LB and back end. even with that, they are pretty decent. our O and special teams handed tampa the ball 5 times, and we had some 3 and outs and short drives as well, and tampa had a way better average start. our o and ST are easily our big problem.

[Mr. Pink]

The Bucs had -9 yards in the 3rd quarter.

And 20 yards in the 4th quarter.

And scored 3 points in the second half.

Almost half of their offense came on the second play of the game.

[kingJofNYC]

We're in the 5-7 range in DVOA Defense.

I agree with you about needing more players, need a couple of DL to spell the interior if you ask me. Kyle isn't what he was because of ankle but he guts it out week in week out, good to have a solid rotation up front. Another LB as well, though Moats has done a good job against the run, has a better run D grade than Kiko based on PFF stats. Too bad he cant cover.

[Mr. Pink]

The defense isn't the problem, the problem is there's an offense that can't make first downs and sustain drives or score points.

We're awesome at going 1-2-3 punt within 40 seconds, that's the best thing the offense does.

[TacklingDummy]

The defense isn't the problem, the problem is there's an offense that can't make first downs and sustain drives or score points.

We're awesome at going 1-2-3 punt within 40 seconds, that's the best thing the offense does.

Here's a classic...two 1-2-3 punts in the same drive yesterday.

1st and 10 at BUF 19 E.Manuel pass incomplete short left to R.Woods (G.McCoy).
2nd and 10 at BUF 19 C.Spiller right guard to BUF 19 for no gain (M.Foster, A.Spence).
3rd and 10 at BUF 19 (Shotgun) E.Manuel scrambles up the middle to BUF 27 for 8 yards (L.Johnson).
4th and 2 at BUF 27 (Punt formation) B.Moorman punts 57 yards to TB 16, Center-G.Sanborn, downed by BUF-A.Moats. PENALTY on TB-D.Watson, Roughing the Kicker, 15 yards, enforced at BUF 27 - No Play.
1st and 10 at BUF 42 (Shotgun) E.Manuel pass short right to R.Woods to BUF 46 for 4 yards (J.Banks).
2nd and 6 at BUF 46 F.Jackson right guard to BUF 47 for 1 yard (G.McCoy).
3rd and 5 at BUF 47 (Shotgun) E.Manuel pass incomplete short left to T.Graham.
4th and 5 at BUF 47 (Punt formation) B.Moorman punts 38 yards to TB 15, Center-G.Sanborn, fair catch by E.Page.
DRIVE TOTALS: BUF 0, TB 7, 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:58 elapsed

[Mr. Pink]

Here's a classic...two 1-2-3 punts in the same drive yesterday.

1st and 10 at BUF 19 E.Manuel pass incomplete short left to R.Woods (G.McCoy).
2nd and 10 at BUF 19 C.Spiller right guard to BUF 19 for no gain (M.Foster, A.Spence).
3rd and 10 at BUF 19 (Shotgun) E.Manuel scrambles up the middle to BUF 27 for 8 yards (L.Johnson).
4th and 2 at BUF 27 (Punt formation) B.Moorman punts 57 yards to TB 16, Center-G.Sanborn, downed by BUF-A.Moats. PENALTY on TB-D.Watson, Roughing the Kicker, 15 yards, enforced at BUF 27 - No Play.
1st and 10 at BUF 42 (Shotgun) E.Manuel pass short right to R.Woods to BUF 46 for 4 yards (J.Banks).
2nd and 6 at BUF 46 F.Jackson right guard to BUF 47 for 1 yard (G.McCoy).
3rd and 5 at BUF 47 (Shotgun) E.Manuel pass incomplete short left to T.Graham.
4th and 5 at BUF 47 (Punt formation) B.Moorman punts 38 yards to TB 15, Center-G.Sanborn, fair catch by E.Page.
DRIVE TOTALS: BUF 0, TB 7, 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:58 elapsed

That's a perfect example of how poor this teams offense is and how it does the defense no favors.

[Pinkerton Security]

I honestly think the biggest detriment to us yesterday were the penalties - it seems like each and every one of them was at the most inopportune time possible - CJ's huge catch and run immediately comes to mind, as do a couple other plays. I think the game would have been much different if we were just more disciplined, and that is on Marrone and Pettine, as well as our boneheaded players.

[justasportsfan]

The defense isn't the problem, the problem is there's an offense that can't make first downs and sustain drives or score points.

We're awesome at going 1-2-3 punt within 40 seconds, that's the best thing the offense does.

exactly. Except for the early TD run, which was on them, the D was on the field a lot.

Thats been the problem with Pettines D. Aggressive but sucsesptible to big plays

[Mr. Pink]

exactly. Except for the early TD run, which was on them, the D was on the field a lot.

Thats been the problem with Pettines D. Aggressive but sucsesptible to big plays

That run was almost half of the total yards the Bucs put up in the game.

The Bucs only scoring "drive" in the second half was a FG after they gained 2 yards.

[Historian]

And everybody has games like this one yesterday, or at Pittsburgh.

What bothers me about the Bills is that they tend to play down to the level of the competition, like the Bucs Jags and Falcs.

Then they play the NEs and Denvers hard, yet still find a way to lose.

It's maddening.

[Cleve]

That run was almost half of the total yards the Bucs put up in the game.

The Bucs only scoring "drive" in the second half was a FG after they gained 2 yards.

And yet somehow a 3-9 team wins by more than a 3 to 1 margin, putting up the terrible stats they did.

I daresay the Bills were by far the worst performing team in football this week - Oakland was bad, but not THAT bad.

[Mr. Pink]

And everybody has games like this one yesterday, or at Pittsburgh.

What bothers me about the Bills is that they tend to play down to the level of the competition, like the Bucs Jags and Falcs.

Then they play the NEs and Denvers hard, yet still find a way to lose.

It's maddening.

The common denominator in this loss and the Pittsburgh loss is that they had tough emotional games the week prior where miscues directly contributed to both losses, Atlanta and KC. After those losses they come out flat and look like crap. This team isn't mentally tough at all and the coaching apparently isn't reaching them for whatever reason...maybe that reason is some egos in the locker room that won't allow it to happen or maybe the coaching just flat out sucks.

But you have a mental breakdown once going into the Pittsburgh game there should be a lesson learned and some teachable moments to stop it from occurring again. However, there was no lesson learned obviously and we all saw what happened yesterday.

[Novacane]

Ok Wys.

As soon as the first play went for 80 yards, I turned to my wife and said, "Game over."

She rolled her eyes at me.

I told her this is not the kind of team that bounces back from a play like that. All their wins were games they pretty much held the lead in.

Turned out to be pretty much true.


LOL. Same here. We were listening while headed to Buffalo Wild wings to watch the game. I turned around went home and saved the money. I knew the game was over.

[The Jokeman]

exactly. Except for the early TD run, which was on them, the D was on the field a lot.

Thats been the problem with Pettines D. Aggressive but sucsesptible to big plays

Give me a Pettine high risk high reward D than the bend but don't break we saw with Jauron. I say give our D another playmaker/legitimate pass rusher and it could be scary good. Yet the offense does have to start sustaining drives to help it. The D only looked horrible yesterday because they were playing a shorter field than usual yesterday because of all of the turnovers by the O.

[Thief]

Ok Wys.

As soon as the first play went for 80 yards, I turned to my wife and said, "Game over."

She rolled her eyes at me.

I told her this is not the kind of team that bounces back from a play like that. All their wins were games they pretty much held the lead in.

Turned out to be pretty much true.On the bright side.... you can get your wife to watch this crap with you, lol.

[gebobs]

Here's a classic...two 1-2-3 punts in the same drive yesterday.
Hah...I texted that very observation to a friend who was at the game yesterday.

Manuel makes Fitz look good. And believe me I am not wistfully hoping to get that garbage back.

[HAMMER]

No excuses for what happened yesterday, this team is not good, in fact they are currently flat out embarassing.

[Mace]

Kid Hackett is struggling on O... but Pettine needs to find more players that can stop the run and get off the field on 3rd down. Still think Kiko would be better at OLB in the long run, with a bigger MLB inside and another Monster DT next to Dareus.

I'll give Marrone the off-season to correct the many warts left to him... but if you cannot stop the run and get your D off the field on 3rd and long, you'll never win.

Roster changes coming by the boatload.

The rushing thing annoys me after so many years of it. Oh they always stuff the run except when they don't on those long gains and crucial 3rd downs, so they're fine against the run. No they aren't. Sullivan mentioned something in his column that I notice all the time :
Not to criticize, but have you noticed that Mario Williams almost never winds up on the ground?

They give up long gains and crucial runs. But but but.....no. 24th against the rush is not "good" against the rush. "They did great except for ..." ....Yeah, in life I did "great except for" too, and it failed to get me where I intended to be, which I am forced to recognize was something less than successful at what I intended.

Alonso will be ok though at LB I think. Next season he has a year of exp and a year of NFL weight training to add a few lbs without slowing him. Add another real linebacker, and they are in business.

I think those changes are going to be offensive side, though if they added another blue chip DT, along with the LB, they could have a scary line rotation. It's almost blasphemy to suggest it, but Kyle Williams needs to be rotational imho if you're going to leave a 4 down Mario in there.

Marrone and staff, well, annoys me, but on the job training too. Last bunch had all the training though the game had passed their knowledge by.

Airball again, maybe it swishes. I have no clue.