What Wys does understand that some are apparently having some difficulty with, is that a poor defense, while possibly costing games, is not responsible for the offense putting up a paltry amount of points.
It's no secret that our O has put up 17 or fewer points in the last bunch of games. It's also no secret that we haven't exactly dominated time-of-possession either.
For you skeptics, let's do this; provide us all, in all of your infinite collective wisdom, an example, a specific one, not some general vaguely phrased platitude, demonstrating how a poor defense contributes to the offense not scoring any points! And please do not use the field-position example b/c it simply has not been the case w/ us, so it hasn't been a large factor.
Sorry, had to make that part of it clear. B/c this debate hasn't been over whether or not the D is partially responsible for losing games. It's been over this ridiculous, at this point, notion that somehow our offense has been anything but shabby over the past 7 weeks overall. Again, putting up only more than 17 offensive points only twice during that span.
To be fair, I will demonstrate specifically how an offense that cannot control the clock and put points up significantly contributes to the D playing worse:
1. The longer the defense is on the field due to the offense's inability to do the same, the more time the opponent's offense is on the field, thereby increasing their chances of a) gaining yards, and b) scoring points.
2. The longer the defense is on the field due to the offense's inability to do the same, the more tired out the defense gets, thereby rendering it less effective as time goes on.
3. The longer the defense is on the field due to the offense's inability to do the same, the greater the chances that the opponent is allowed to run, something that the Bills are the most ill-equipped to stop this year.
What I'm not saying is that our D is good. It blows, make no mistake. One of the local sportswriters mentioned that it's poised to give up the most points since '84 I believe if I read it correctly. In any event, it's far from good and close to the worst in the league.
Nonetheless, in spite of people like Judge who argue that the Defense, apparently, is responsible for the offense not being able to properly play, drive, and put the ball into the endzone, I simply see little correlation except for perhaps situational ones. But again, such as having crappy field position, that really hasn't happened all that much over this stretch. FP has been OK at least usually. Besides, our woes have not been moving the ball down to the opponent's 20 or 30, they have been in the red zone.
Why the offense cannot score from within the redzone is not beyond me. With this cast it should be no problem. But the problem is that we pass when we should run. In any case, I think even the most hardened critic cannot reasonably truly believe that that is the fault of the defense under any circumstances.
Let's face it, and it's long overdue that those who have been arguing and belaboring this point do, but if our team scored 17 points each of the 16 weeks, We'd be lucky to win more than a game or two. So the entire reason for us not having won games over our last 5 is not entirely due to the defense. And if anything, the play of the defense has been more affected by the inability of the offense to A) control the clock, and B) put points on the boards thus allowing teams to run on us, which is our weakness this year on D. If the offense could have gone up in games, then we are more effective on D. Yet, that rarely happens. And it has nothing to do with the D. It has everything to do w/ the offense not being able to put points up early. That is not the D's fault!
Judge will argue. But he'll argue w/ me if I say that it's December. Right Judge!
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