The defense

[mchurchfie]

This defense still worries me very much. It still can't stop an opponent on third downs, especially when it REALLY counts. Gray has to change his third down strategies or something...we put virtually no pressure on the QB. It made a very average Miami o-line look like the second coming of "The Hogs" and a very average journeyman QB look like an All-Pro. Lets not kid ourselves, if that rookie RB hadn't fumbled the ball down in our end they probably would have scored an won because they were cramming the ball right down our throats. We still have a HUGE problem with our run defense, the cutbacks are killing us because of our undersized defensive ends. I have never liked this defense and its philosophies, it has some fatal shortcomings. The 3-4 is what was used in Buffalo when we had some really good defenses and i think we should go back to it because we have more quality at the linebacker position than we do defensive end. I also think that Fletcher is highly overrated. Where in the hell has he been when these running backs make these cutbacks on us for huge yardage. He should be flying all over the place making plays while the DE's have their blocks tied up.

[LtBillsFan66]

Re: The defense

I agree with all your points besides Fletcher. He's ok IMO. He's no Ray Lewis, but no one billed him as one.

[Novacane]

Re: The defense

I also think that Fletcher is highly overrated. Where in the hell has he been when these running backs make these cutbacks on us for huge yardage. He should be flying all over the place making plays while the DE's have their blocks tied up.

I agree our D sucks but it would be a lot worse if we did not have Fletcher.

[LtBillsFan66]

Re: The defense

every time I said we needed to get a DE I got pretty lambasted. Well now it's coming out in the way we play how critical speed is at that position for us. If we had someone really fast on the ends our secondary would go from very good to brutal. As much as we need OLine...I would much rather see a high draft pick spent on an excellent end and getting good OLinemen through FAcy.

I've been saying that for years!

[Typ0]

Re: The defense

every time I said we needed to get a DE I got pretty lambasted. Well now it's coming out in the way we play how critical speed is at that position for us. If we had someone really fast on the ends our secondary would go from very good to brutal. As much as we need OLine...I would much rather see a high draft pick spent on an excellent end and getting good OLinemen through FAcy.

[LtBillsFan66]

Re: The defense

every time I said we needed to get a DE I got pretty lambasted. Well now it's coming out in the way we play how critical speed is at that position for us. If we had someone really fast on the ends our secondary would go from very good to brutal. As much as we need OLine...I would much rather see a high draft pick spent on an excellent end and getting good OLinemen through FAcy.

I've been saying that for years!

deja vu

[ParanoidAndroid]

Re: The defense

Schoebel would be nasty opposite a speed rusher. He's better than Hansen IMO, but he's not a game changing end. Decent LT's can handle him, but slower RT's might have problems.

Sam Adams FINALLY had a good game. He was fighting through double teams and had more tackles than he had the previous 4 games combined.

Miami has one of the best WR/TE groups in the league and holding them to 14 points was an achievement considering our weak pass rush. Five forced turnovers will do the trick, especially when it kills an otherwise unstoppable drive.

If we could prevent a couple of those long runs I would feel much better about the defense as a whole.

[colin]

Re: The defense

we aren't good enough tackling or rushing the passer.

other than that, our D is freaking solid. we had a couple 3rd down breakdowns, but we took the damn ball away over and over, in clutch situations.

the bottom line is we have solid LBs (great with TKO in), and OK line (play well in spurts, but adams is the only top quality player there) and the best freaking secondary in football.

**************
WARNING, SIMPLE FOOTBALL INFORMATION AHEAD
**************

carolina couldn't stop the miami O, carolina has like 60 million tied up in their D line and a top pick at LB. Miami also ran on them.

Philly gave up huge plays to Dallas, the Ravens lost to the titans, tampa let detroit back into the game and lost to vinnie and the jests.

THE D CAN'T STOP EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.

our D played lights out this week, and played very well last week.
this reminds me of how people criticise nate clements, saying he blew the game against NO because stallworth had so many yards. no corner is perfect, and on half of those plays clements wasn't on him.

so yeah, we gave up some long passes to miami, so did denver and carolina.

you don't play perfect every game, and SWITCHING TO THE FREAKING 3-4 won't help. NE is good at 3-4 D, and is ***** this year. our D now is WAY WAY WAY better than it was when we were going to superbowls, and even in 98. did you guys see that playoff game they repeated from 98? we had next to no pressure and our secondary was like swiss cheese.

i'll take our D and special teams against anyone. all we need is to run the ball and protect the passer a bit, and kick clements in the nuts if he forgets what he did to get the lead in the second half.

[mysticsoto]

Re: The defense

we aren't good enough tackling or rushing the passer.

other than that, our D is freaking solid. we had a couple 3rd down breakdowns, but we took the damn ball away over and over, in clutch situations.

the bottom line is we have solid LBs (great with TKO in), and OK line (play well in spurts, but adams is the only top quality player there) and the best freaking secondary in football.

**************
WARNING, SIMPLE FOOTBALL INFORMATION AHEAD
**************

carolina couldn't stop the miami O, carolina has like 60 million tied up in their D line and a top pick at LB. Miami also ran on them.

Philly gave up huge plays to Dallas, the Ravens lost to the titans, tampa let detroit back into the game and lost to vinnie and the jests.

THE D CAN'T STOP EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.

our D played lights out this week, and played very well last week.
this reminds me of how people criticise nate clements, saying he blew the game against NO because stallworth had so many yards. no corner is perfect, and on half of those plays clements wasn't on him.

so yeah, we gave up some long passes to miami, so did denver and carolina.

you don't play perfect every game, and SWITCHING TO THE FREAKING 3-4 won't help. NE is good at 3-4 D, and is ***** this year. our D now is WAY WAY WAY better than it was when we were going to superbowls, and even in 98. did you guys see that playoff game they repeated from 98? we had next to no pressure and our secondary was like swiss cheese.

i'll take our D and special teams against anyone. all we need is to run the ball and protect the passer a bit, and kick clements in the nuts if he forgets what he did to get the lead in the second half.

[mchurchfie]

Re: The defense

we aren't good enough tackling or rushing the passer.

other than that, our D is freaking solid. we had a couple 3rd down breakdowns, but we took the damn ball away over and over, in clutch situations.

the bottom line is we have solid LBs (great with TKO in), and OK line (play well in spurts, but adams is the only top quality player there) and the best freaking secondary in football.

**************
WARNING, SIMPLE FOOTBALL INFORMATION AHEAD
**************

carolina couldn't stop the miami O, carolina has like 60 million tied up in their D line and a top pick at LB. Miami also ran on them.

Philly gave up huge plays to Dallas, the Ravens lost to the titans, tampa let detroit back into the game and lost to vinnie and the jests.

THE D CAN'T STOP EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.

our D played lights out this week, and played very well last week.
this reminds me of how people criticise nate clements, saying he blew the game against NO because stallworth had so many yards. no corner is perfect, and on half of those plays clements wasn't on him.

so yeah, we gave up some long passes to miami, so did denver and carolina.

you don't play perfect every game, and SWITCHING TO THE FREAKING 3-4 won't help. NE is good at 3-4 D, and is ***** this year. our D now is WAY WAY WAY better than it was when we were going to superbowls, and even in 98. did you guys see that playoff game they repeated from 98? we had next to no pressure and our secondary was like swiss cheese.

i'll take our D and special teams against anyone. all we need is to run the ball and protect the passer a bit, and kick clements in the nuts if he forgets what he did to get the lead in the second half.

Keep on believing that if you want, but the SB defenses NEVER gave up big plays on third downs like this defense does and this defense doesn't has anyone in the same zipcode as Bruce Smith when it came to rushing the passer and dominating a game on his own.

**************
WARNING, SIMPLE FOOTBALL INFORMATION AHEAD
**************

This defense is small and gets pushed around by anyone who decides to commit to smashmouth football. Put those rose colored glasses back on and carry on.