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All: The new Billszone site with the updated software is scheduled to be turned on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The company that built it, Dynascale, estimates a FOUR HOUR shut down, from 8pm Pacific, (5pm Eastern) while they get it up and running. Nobody will be able to post in any forum until they are done. Afterwards, you may need to do a web search for the site, as old links will not work, because the site is getting a new IP address. Please be patient. If there are bugs, we will tackle them one at a time. Remember the goal is to be up and running with no glitches by camp. Doing this now assures us of that, because it gives us all summer to get our ducks in a row. Thank you!
There is work to be done and things to be learned. We are going to try to get the old look back - or something close to it. We also know there are bugs. A thread will be started to report bugs and then we can pass those onto the host.
Thank you for all the patience and support with this - hopefully this will greatly reduce the crashes and other site issues we have had lately.
Please use this thread to report any issues you come across
http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/forum/feedback-forums/billszone-q-a/6521455-upgrade-report-bugs-here
Overheard at Bills training camp Sunday: the most common analysis when comparing new Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier's 4-3 scheme to the 3-4 system used by Rex Ryan last season is that it is simpler. Frazier expounded on that Sunday, saying he wants players to be confident of their assignment instead of having to think of their role during live action after the snap. Frazier in particular wants his defensive line to be focused on moving upfield and not dropping back into coverage.
My personal favorite was Dareus inside the 50. He lumbered back into the flat, stutter stepped left then right, no one near him, wanted to run forward and leaned that way, then forced himself a step back, then waved his arms menacingly like a beleagured blinded 80's wrestler before an incompletion 30 yards away in a play without a pass rush because two guys were trying to engage 5 OL. There were 2 OL just standing there 10 yards away watching in amazement all by themselves.
Rex Ryan's defense was the wrong defense at the wrong time with the wrong personnel for the Bills. It's hard to blame Rex Ryan, however. It was a mistake for the Bills to hire him when they did. Ryan believes so strongly in his defense, of course he was going to try and force it on the Bills' personnel. It's who he is. If Ryan returns to coaching at some point, it should be as a defensive coordinator for a team that already has 3-4 personnel in place. The culture would be the responsibility of the head coach, Rex wouldn't be trying to mess with that. With the right personnel, and the right head coach, I think Rex would be very successful again.
On the other side of it, does anyone remember the Dave Wannstedt days in Buffalo. He took a 4-3 defense and dumbed it down so much other teams knew what Buffalo was doing all the time. The defense under Wannstedt was even more ineffective than the defense under Ryan. I'm happy to see the change, but it's not simply a matter of simpler is better. The changes have to be the right changes, and it needs to be the right personnel. I'm hoping for the best.
I've made up my mind. Don't confuse me with the facts.
I'm the most reasonable poster here. If you don't agree, I'll be forced to have a hissy fit.
Yeah, best way to take away a football players instinct or anyones instinct to do what they do best is to make them keep overthinking things that they end up running around like their heads are cut off. To make matters worse, Rex brings in his worthless brother.
There is no issue utilizing a zone blitz scheme to keep an offense off balance and throw an occasional change up, but Rex and Rob utilized this as a primary function and the result was a hysterically bad defense. Dropping a guy Hughes/Lawson/Williams a couple times a game likely wouldn't be a big deal in order to bring a S, CB, or additional LB on the blitz.
COMING SOON...
Originally posted by Dr.Lecter
We were both drunk and Hillary did not look that bad at 2 AM, I swear!!!!!!
Visit ESPN for Buffalo Bills live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2024 season schedule.
Yes Yes YES !
By far the best defense the Bills have had, at least in my lifetime, was the 3-4 defense of the late '90s. Wade Phillips did a masterful job.
How good was that defense? First, understand that our offense wasn't very good. The offensive line was the worst I can remember as a Bills fan, and that's saying a lot. Our quarterback, Rob Johnson, became the most sacked QB in NFL history. (Partly his fault, partly the fault of abysmal pass protection.) The running game would typically be quiet and unproductive in the first half of games, but would make some progress in the second half after defenses had tired. Doug Flutie did some good things at QB, but overall it was clear the team's strength was its defense, much more than its offense.
The Bills went to the playoffs twice in the late '90s, losing the second time to the Tennessee Titans on a last second special teams play. The Titans would go on to (very narrowly) lose the Super Bowl to Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams. Had we been able to make a special teams tackle at the end of that game, it could well have been us, not the Titans, facing the Rams in that Super Bowl. And we would have had at least a good a chance of beating the Rams as the Titans had.
The centerpiece of Wade Philips' 3-4 defense was the NT. In our case, that was Ted Washington (with Pat Williams sometimes subbing for him). Washington was the kind of guy who consistently consumed two offensive linemen while still making plays. On running downs, he'd prevent teams from having success running up the middle. On passing downs he'd go directly to the quarterback. To the right of him, you had an aging, but still effective Bruce Smith. Smith was also the kind of guy you really need to double team. To the left of Washington you had Phil Hansen: a very solid and reliable football player.
The most important linebacker was Bryce Paup. Paup played the Lawrence Taylor/pass rusher role. In his best season for the Bills, Paup had a staggering 17.5 sacks. But he was more than just a sack machine, as he also had plenty of tackles, and good numbers across the board. He won defensive MVP that year. The Bills also got good play from their other linebackers. Not much weakness there.
The most important member of the Bills' secondary was Antoine Winfield. Winfield was the kind of CB you could leave on an island with the other team's best receiver, and have things work out okay. Sure, the receiver will maybe make a play here or there. But over the course of the game, Winfield will ensure that receiver produces significantly less than his usual. Winfield was a physical player and a good tackler. His one weakness was that he wasn't very good at catching the football. He'd give you the deflection or the pass breakup, but not the interception.
That defense did a very solid job of strangling nearly every offense it encountered. It was very much like the Wade Phillips 3-4 defense in Denver: the one which propelled the Broncos to their recent Super Bowl win.
My personal favorite was Dareus inside the 50. He lumbered back into the flat, stutter stepped left then right, no one near him, wanted to run forward and leaned that way, then forced himself a step back, then waved his arms menacingly like a beleagured blinded 80's wrestler before an incompletion 30 yards away in a play without a pass rush because two guys were trying to engage 5 OL. There were 2 OL just standing there 10 yards away watching in amazement all by themselves.
And people wonder why he was so tired all the time.
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