Buffalo's D.

[Luisito23]

I was reading ''Fantasy Football Weekly'' 2day & this is how they rank our D....

1. Ravens
2. Patsies
3. Steelers

4. BUFFALO BILLS

Team Defense: The Bills have ranked near the top of the league for several years, but they turned the corner as a fantasy squad a year ago.
Not only did they finish second in total yards allowed per game, and third in sacks, but after averaging less than 19 takeaways per year over its previous three, they lead the league in 2004.

Player to watch: London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes are still rocks in the middle, while linemen Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay anchor a line that will have to replace monstrous run-stopper Pat Williams. The difference makers however, are in the secondary. Nate Clements continued his maturation, and is a dangerous playmaker. Injuries to Lawyer Milloy and Troy Vincent led to the emergence of rookie Terrance McGee, who picked off three passes and took three kickoff returns to the house.
If your league uses special teams, the Bills are among the league's best.

GO BILLS!!!!!!!

[juice]

Good post Luis..

In reality the weakpoint of our defense has to come from the DE positions and whether Schobel and Denny/Kelsey can turn up the pressure on opposing QBs and continue to play solid run defense.

The loss of Big Pat will be another issue and if Edwards can compliment Sam Adams to become the force that Williams was but with more quickness to get to the QB.

The final pieces to the puzzle will be the secondary and if McGee can mature into a solid cover guy and utilize his playmaking abilities on defense as well as he has in the return game.

Troy Vincent should be able to solidify that FS position and maybe help develope depth at the S positions in the secondary.

BTW Great Sig.. Levy was a great coach and motivator.

[Luisito23]

Good post Luis..
BTW Great Sig.. Levy was a great coach and motivator.

Thanx alot Juice, I appreciate your appreciation, and I totally agree with you, especially about the Defensive ends, but I just know that Kelsay is gonna have a monster year, and if not well at least he's gonna be a solid contributor, and well ever1 here knows how underrated Schobel is so need 2 stress it.
1nce again thanx alot J. and also thanx 4 helping me put that hot pic of M.L. in my signature....
Peace and be safe doggie.

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!

[Pride]

Thanks for the news bit Luis.......... you should post more often!

[Bill Brasky]

I love it... so D's are judged by how many fantasy points they generate now? What a joke.

[buffalofan19]

I love it... so D's are judged by how many fantasy points they generate now? What a joke.

Well, it's from a fantasy football magazine. The question being asked here isn't necessarily "Who is the best overall?" but "Who gets me the most fantasy points". Another instance: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. If I were actually running a team, I'd probably take Brady because the guy just wins. On my fantasy team, though, I'd take Manning because he puts up more points (I had both on my Yahoo team last year).

[Bill Brasky]

Well, it's from a fantasy football magazine..

I'm aware... but I venture to say that many won't give this D credit or realize just how good they play together until they start piling up "fantasy" points... that's how much of an impact Fantasy football can have. As good as the Bills have been the past few years, it isn't until their fantasy stats start going berserk that people start to talk them up... and I think that is stupid. They've been one of the best units the past few season and still all people want to talk about is Baltimore's D... hell, I even heard people still praising Tampa's D and they suck!!! This D is very underrated and it will be underrated again this year.

I've had Buffalo's D the last 2 season in my fantasy leagues and both times I got them well after other, much worse D's were drafted. I hope it happens again this year.

[Jan Reimers]

I love our D, but I feel we have had a problem the past few years stopping key third down situations. If you look at the games we lost last year, many were due to our failure to stop third down plays on late drives.

It's my biggest frustration as a fan, and the one thing that really gets me yelling during games.

[mysticsoto]

I love our D, but I feel we have had a problem the past few years stopping key third down situations. If you look at the games we lost last year, many were due to our failure to stop third down plays on late drives.

It's my biggest frustration as a fan, and the one thing that really gets me yelling during games.

I agree and I feel this is due to us having average players at DE. 3rd downs usually involve passes and the more you rush a QB, the less time and accurary he will have in his pass. Schobel is decent but Kelsay needs to improve some more. Again, I'm not saying they are bad - but just average. We need above average DEs to place more pressure on a QB. That being said, I wonder if Edwards breaking in through the middle, might just get the job done. We just have to play Fletcher in closer a little more to cover in case they use Edwards aggressiveness for him to penetrate on one side, and then have the RB shoot by him on the other side of Edwards and the Center.

[Jan Reimers]

I agree and I feel this is due to us having average players at DE. 3rd downs usually involve passes and the more you rush a QB, the less time and accurary he will have in his pass. Schobel is decent but Kelsay needs to improve some more. Again, I'm not saying they are bad - but just average. We need above average DEs to place more pressure on a QB. That being said, I wonder if Edwards breaking in through the middle, might just get the job done. We just have to play Fletcher in closer a little more to cover in case they use Edwards aggressiveness for him to penetrate on one side, and then have the RB shoot by him on the other side of Edwards and the Center.

You may be right. A lot of time, the opposing QB had all day to throw, which I attributed to dropping too many defenders back into coverage. The development of Kelsay, plus a better pass rush from the mobile, athletic Edwards, may really help.

[Bill Brasky]

we have had a problem the past few years stopping key third down situations. If you look at the games we lost last year, many were due to our failure to stop third down plays on late drives.

It's my biggest frustration as a fan, and the one thing that really gets me yelling during games.

I am with you on this one. It's not just the thrid downs, it seems like every big GAME they fail to come through... IE: New England games, Pittsburgh vs. 3rd stringers!

I agree and I feel this is due to us having average players at DE.

You have a legit point here. Many reamed out the secondary last year for givingup big plays, like in the opener, but you have to look at the big picture. This team hasn't had a legit pass rusher in several years, and all good defenses have at least one guy that can get to the QB to force bad plays. Once we finally get one, or if Schoble can emerge as the guy he's being paid to be, then our D will become dominant.

[juice]

Another question that needs to be answered on this defense is what role is Posey going to play.. His strength was supposed to be in the pass rush aspect when he left the Texans, yet he's being mostly used alot in pass coverage which isn't a strong point of his game.

If Posey could once again emerge as a pass rusher that would take alot of pressure off of Schobel to handle QB rush and possibly allow Denny/Kelsay to refine his overall skills in Run and Pass Defense.. I hope Gray has devised some elaborate schemes to get Posey inolved during the off-season.

I had been critical of the effectiveness of the Bills blitz schemes at the start of last season but it seemed as though Gray's schemes were more effective as the season progressed and the Bills ended up tied for the most sacks in the AFC with 47.. good enough for 3rd in the entire League.

But still the DE positions need to become more of a force Rushing the QB for this defense to be a dominate unit.

[Jan Reimers]

Another question that needs to be answered on this defense is what role is Posey going to play.. His strength was supposed to be in the pass rush aspect when he left the Texans, yet he's being mostly used alot in pass coverage which isn't a strong point of his game.

If Posey could once again emerge as a pass rusher that would take alot of pressure off of Schobel to handle QB rush and possibly allow Denny/Kelsay to refine his overall skills in Run and Pass Defense.. I hope Gray has devised some elaborate schemes to get Posey inolved during the off-season.

I had been critical of the effectiveness of the Bills blitz schemes at the start of last season but it seemed as though Gray's schemes were more effective as the season progressed and the Bills ended up tied for the most sacks in the AFC with 47.. good enough for 3rd in the entire League.

But still the DE positions need to become more of a force Rushing the QB for this defense to be a dominate unit.

I agree. Posey was a big time pass rusher at Houston, albeit in a 3-4 defensive scheme. I would love to see Gray devise some packages to take advantage of Posey's pass rushing skills.