ghz in pittsburgh
01-03-2005, 09:08 AM
Last year the Steelers center Harding was hurt (who actually contemplated retiring). Guard Feneca had to play tackle because Marvel Smith was hurt. Result? They could not do any rushing and had to rely on Maddox's passing on offense. This year, their offensive line is really healthy which allowed everybody to play at the usual positions. The rushing offense is really dominant as they had hoped. Watching the game yesterday, especially in the 4th quarter, they had guys taking on Adams and Williams one-on-one, freeing up a center or guard to come up and picking up Spikes, the fullback on Fletcher, thus allowing Parker to go to the secondary. Conversely the Bills had to have Shelton to help to move the D-linemen and the Bills typically don't have much success running between tackles the entire season (usually Willis had to bounce outside for his big gainer).
If Mularkey truely wants to be like what Steelers are today, run and stop run, I think the Bills need to revemp the center and LG positions. Trey Teague, in my opinion, is one of the better O-lineman in the league, but he just dose not fit the power running scheme Mularkey wants - he cannot handle a nosetackle one on one. Is it a surprise that the Bills lost to all the 3-4 defense teams on their schedule this season - Pats (twice), Steelers, Ravens, and Raiders? Maybe things will take care of it by itself as Jennings leave via FA and Teague can go back to the Tackle spot he wants and the Bills can find a FA center that fits our running first need.
BTW, I am always suspect of our run defense even with Adams and Williams in the middle. Dillon did it to us, and Dolphins started that in Miami and every team since then was able to explore that to a degree. Some were really bad at running, some were getting shelled pretty early and had to resort to passing exclusively so that the result was overshadowed by our victories. Now a Steeler 4th string running back was able to get 100 yard on us at the Ralph in a game we absolutely have to have. To me both Williams and Adams are slashing/gap creating kind of guys, not the Washington type of stay at home/gap filling tackle. Gray may have asked Adams to play the stay at home type and he was not happy as evident in the first Miami game. Equally evident is that Adams is better suited to be a slashing type of tackle that he made pro-ball based on that. I think Pat Williams is a goner and the Bills may be looking toward (or hoping) Tim Anderson to play a capable compliment of Adams next year.
If Mularkey truely wants to be like what Steelers are today, run and stop run, I think the Bills need to revemp the center and LG positions. Trey Teague, in my opinion, is one of the better O-lineman in the league, but he just dose not fit the power running scheme Mularkey wants - he cannot handle a nosetackle one on one. Is it a surprise that the Bills lost to all the 3-4 defense teams on their schedule this season - Pats (twice), Steelers, Ravens, and Raiders? Maybe things will take care of it by itself as Jennings leave via FA and Teague can go back to the Tackle spot he wants and the Bills can find a FA center that fits our running first need.
BTW, I am always suspect of our run defense even with Adams and Williams in the middle. Dillon did it to us, and Dolphins started that in Miami and every team since then was able to explore that to a degree. Some were really bad at running, some were getting shelled pretty early and had to resort to passing exclusively so that the result was overshadowed by our victories. Now a Steeler 4th string running back was able to get 100 yard on us at the Ralph in a game we absolutely have to have. To me both Williams and Adams are slashing/gap creating kind of guys, not the Washington type of stay at home/gap filling tackle. Gray may have asked Adams to play the stay at home type and he was not happy as evident in the first Miami game. Equally evident is that Adams is better suited to be a slashing type of tackle that he made pro-ball based on that. I think Pat Williams is a goner and the Bills may be looking toward (or hoping) Tim Anderson to play a capable compliment of Adams next year.