Charlieguide
10-03-2004, 08:15 PM
OK, I have to admit that I honestly thought the Bills had a chance in this one. Watching the ticker at work isn't the way to see a game, and neither is reading about it or catching highlights, so I'd like to hear everyone's (most constructive) thoughts.
Reading what I can find (Bills Daily, box scores, game summaries, etc), it sounds to me like the Bills had some very high moments in this game. KO returned for a TD, Moulds' third TD, Moorman's blazing speed, and 3.5 quarters of matching the Pats point-for-point.
So what went wrong, and what can be done?
Drew got rid of the ball faster (until the last few minutes), looked good deep, but had trouble over the middle. Needs to find confidence and continue to reduce mental errors (the two go hand in hand).
Henry had a solid game, but tripped :whatthe: on 3d and 1. Needs to find confidence and reduce mental errors (see above).
OL played solid despite losing Teague and Jennings, until late in the game, when they opened the door. Depth needs to play as well as starters; that's the beauty and pressure of the NFL.
DL totaled 2.5 tackles, no sacks, but the did hold Dillon to less than 100 yards. Every one of them needs to step up their play.
DB's are having serious trouble. Wire is getting beaten deep, McGee seems to give up plays on request, and now Vincent is hurt, too. If they can't handle single-coverage, they need to develop schemes and zone coverage skills to make up for it.
COACHES OK, here's my real beef. They went into this game preaching the importance of making no mistakes against a team that capitalizes on every one, and the team came out with 98 yards in penalties, two turnovers, a fumbled snap on a punt (don't ignore that even though it worked out!), an untouched trip for a loss when only a yard is needed, blown coverage, and an insistence to blitz despite getting nowhere near the qb and getting consistently burned.
What do they do? Don't give the team a day off; make them sit and watch film all day. Film of their mistakes, and keep a tally. Call out every player that makes the smallest mistake; make it absolutely clear that mistakes are noticed, and they cost the team. Perhaps impose a "three strikes" rule, where players lose playing time for multiple mistakes. I'm sick and tired of hearing coaches discuss discipline, but not hearing a word about accountability. The two go hand-in-hand! The players need to know what is expected of them, believe they can accomplish it, and understand the consequences of failure. If any one of these three things is missed, no amount of strategy, planning, or even skill can provide consistent winning.
Finally, Jerry Gray needs to break out of the Gregg Williams mold and realize that he must develop schemes to make the most of his players, and cover their weaknesses, and adjust mid-game. This defense is ok, but it could be much better if it was less predictable.
Reading what I can find (Bills Daily, box scores, game summaries, etc), it sounds to me like the Bills had some very high moments in this game. KO returned for a TD, Moulds' third TD, Moorman's blazing speed, and 3.5 quarters of matching the Pats point-for-point.
So what went wrong, and what can be done?
Drew got rid of the ball faster (until the last few minutes), looked good deep, but had trouble over the middle. Needs to find confidence and continue to reduce mental errors (the two go hand in hand).
Henry had a solid game, but tripped :whatthe: on 3d and 1. Needs to find confidence and reduce mental errors (see above).
OL played solid despite losing Teague and Jennings, until late in the game, when they opened the door. Depth needs to play as well as starters; that's the beauty and pressure of the NFL.
DL totaled 2.5 tackles, no sacks, but the did hold Dillon to less than 100 yards. Every one of them needs to step up their play.
DB's are having serious trouble. Wire is getting beaten deep, McGee seems to give up plays on request, and now Vincent is hurt, too. If they can't handle single-coverage, they need to develop schemes and zone coverage skills to make up for it.
COACHES OK, here's my real beef. They went into this game preaching the importance of making no mistakes against a team that capitalizes on every one, and the team came out with 98 yards in penalties, two turnovers, a fumbled snap on a punt (don't ignore that even though it worked out!), an untouched trip for a loss when only a yard is needed, blown coverage, and an insistence to blitz despite getting nowhere near the qb and getting consistently burned.
What do they do? Don't give the team a day off; make them sit and watch film all day. Film of their mistakes, and keep a tally. Call out every player that makes the smallest mistake; make it absolutely clear that mistakes are noticed, and they cost the team. Perhaps impose a "three strikes" rule, where players lose playing time for multiple mistakes. I'm sick and tired of hearing coaches discuss discipline, but not hearing a word about accountability. The two go hand-in-hand! The players need to know what is expected of them, believe they can accomplish it, and understand the consequences of failure. If any one of these three things is missed, no amount of strategy, planning, or even skill can provide consistent winning.
Finally, Jerry Gray needs to break out of the Gregg Williams mold and realize that he must develop schemes to make the most of his players, and cover their weaknesses, and adjust mid-game. This defense is ok, but it could be much better if it was less predictable.